Many employees consider their pets to be family members and rely on them for emotional support and mental health wellbeing. Two New York City legislators recently took this a step further, introducing a measure that would expand the city’s paid sick leave requirements to allow use by employees for preventative or medical care needs of their animals.  

This proposal is among the first in the U.S. to provide paid time off for care of pets and would constitute an expansion of the protected reasons for sick leave. While existing disability discrimination laws may apply to accommodations involving service animals, the New York City measure would also include purely companion pets.

While few other states or municipalities may adopt similar measures, employers seeking to address employee mental health issues could always add such benefits on a voluntary basis. Companies could also remind employees that existing paid time off and vacation policies can be used for pet care purposes. Americans’ obsession with their pets shows no signs of abating, and employers should be aware of the value employees place on their non-human companions.

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