Swiggy introduces ‘Paw-ternity’ policy to support employees in pet care

Paw-ternity policy: Online food delivery platform Swiggy announced on Thursday the introduction of a 'Paw-ternity' policy to support employees in pet care and adoption.

Girish Menon, Chief Human Resource Officer at Swiggy, shared that the company is building upon their existing gender-neutral parental policy established in 2020. The policy grants paid leave for primary and secondary caregivers, bonding leaves, and time off for various family-related circumstances such as adoption, surrogacy, miscarriage, and IVF treatments.

Under this policy, employees will receive an additional paid day off, in addition to their annual leave entitlement, to welcome their new pet companions home. The policy was launched on National Pet Day, observed on April 11th.

Menon highlighted that pet parents may opt for work-from-home during the initial settling-in period to provide comfort and support to their new family members. Additionally, the policy allows pet parents to use their casual or sick leave without hesitation to attend to their pets' needs, whether it be for routine vaccinations or accompanying them to veterinary appointments.

Swiggy will also offer bereavement leave for pet parents, acknowledging the emotional impact of losing a beloved pet and providing employees with the necessary time to grieve and recover from the loss.

(With PTI inputs)