Close Menu
Human Resources Mag
  • Home
  • News
  • Management
  • Guides
  • Law
  • Talents
  • Benfits
  • Technology
  • More
    • Web Stories
    • Editor’s Picks
    • Press Release
What's On

‘Chaotic and fragmented’: Report highlights extra work, distractions plaguing workers

June 20, 2025

The HR Leader’s Essential Reference Guide to Benefits

June 20, 2025

What are the biggest mistakes made by hiring managers?

June 20, 2025
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Human Resources Mag
Subscribe
  • Home
  • News
  • Management
  • Guides
  • Law
  • Talents
  • Benfits
  • Technology
  • More
    • Web Stories
    • Editor’s Picks
    • Press Release
Human Resources Mag
Home » An interview with Erika Sinner, author of ‘Pets Are Family’
Benfits

An interview with Erika Sinner, author of ‘Pets Are Family’

staffBy staffAugust 18, 20244 Mins Read
Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest Copy Link LinkedIn Tumblr Email Telegram WhatsApp
Follow Us
Google News Flipboard
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email Copy Link

Do you consider your pets part of your family?

Nearly all pet owners (97%) say their furry companions are family, according to the Pew Research Center. As such, the grief associated with losing them can be devastating. And this can affect how employees show up to work, according to Erika Sinner, founder and CEO of marketing agency Directorie, and author of Pets Are Family.

Sinner shared advice with HR Brew for people pros whose employees are grieving the loss of a pet.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What are takeaways for HR from the book?

I’ve always had pet bereavement leave in my company policies…But actually taking the leave last year when I lost my dog, Kingston, made me realize the stigma around it. I was worried my colleagues wouldn’t understand, or they would think it’s just a dog.

Compassionate policies, like pet bereavement leave, that shows your employee…we recognize your family structure includes your furry family members. You’re [not] leaving it up to chance that your frontline managers aren’t going to know what to do or what to say. Or your employees are going to feel like they have to go back to work the next day, or maybe they can’t talk about it, and they’re going to be miserable.

What resources does your book offer HR pros?

Losing a dog or a cat, or any type of animal…is actually as painful as losing human beings…I have that as the very first part of [the book], to just say, here’s why this matters, and what HR could be using to talk to their executive team…There’s also FAQs…around like, “How long do I give the bereavement leave for?…Do we count a bird?”…I have some answers in there too to help guide the HR team.

The third piece is manager training, or, how do you support your employees at work?…So that your managers don’t have that [response] of, “Well, it’s just a dog. Can’t you get back to work?”…Also, how do you think about reintegrating your employee back? Like, how do you help them reprioritize their tasks to keep their head above water?…I was talking to a company, and they’re like…“We have hourly people who work at a cash register”…So, maybe go to that employee once an hour and just say, “Hey, do you need to take a walk around the store, and I’ll cover the register?” It’s really just about acknowledging that the pain is real, and helping them manage through this initial shock period.

Quick-to-read HR news & insights

From recruiting and retention to company culture and the latest in HR tech, HR Brew delivers up-to-date industry news and tips to help HR pros stay nimble in today’s fast-changing business environment.

How can HR help managers be compassionate or empathetic?

It has to start from the top down, in terms of really pushing for an empathy-driven culture…then compassion is having compassionate policies, like pet bereavement…Even if the manager can’t understand all the way, there is a black-and-white policy that’s going to decide how your employee is going to be received when something like this happens. And that’s where I just feel like HR has such a beautiful role in being the safety net. That an employee can point to a policy and say…“My dog died, and I’m really upset. I’m going to go ahead and take that bereavement time off.”

Within my own company….we don’t just have meetings, we talk about moments that matter…checking in with [employees]. How are you building trust?…Also, not comparing grief…I’m not here to say whose grief is worse…It’s more about taking it back again to the empathy piece, and that you’ve normalized in your organization for an employee to say, “I’m not okay”…Because if somebody’s hiding it from you, they’re going to make mistakes, they’re going to miss things like the client deliverable…It really is your company’s brand reputation on the line.

Follow on Google News Follow on Flipboard
Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email Copy Link

Related Articles

Improve Quality Of Hire—Start Screening Smarter

June 20, 2025 Benfits

AI strategy can be built on sand, and in this case, it’s a good thing

June 19, 2025 Benfits

Empower your workforce with Employee Self-Service software

June 19, 2025 Benfits

Putting HR strategy through a ‘PESTLE’

June 19, 2025 Benfits

How To Align HR Strategy With Business Objectives

June 19, 2025 Benfits

10 Best Executive Search Software in 2025

June 19, 2025 Benfits
Top Articles

Accused of fraud, murder, fired exec awarded $500,000, 24 months’ notice

January 9, 202497 Views

5 Best Learning Management Systems in 2025

February 11, 202590 Views

Canadian Tire store under investigation for alleged exploitation of temporary foreign workers

October 2, 202490 Views
Stay In Touch
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • TikTok
  • WhatsApp
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
Latest News

Rethinking Growth and Support in Today’s Healthcare Jobs

staffJune 20, 2025

A Modern, Accessible Way to Build Team Connections

staffJune 20, 2025

Could This New Bipartisan Bill Lead Us to a $15 Federal Minimum Wage?

staffJune 20, 2025
Most Popular

‘Chaotic and fragmented’: Report highlights extra work, distractions plaguing workers

June 20, 20250 Views

The HR Leader’s Essential Reference Guide to Benefits

June 20, 20250 Views

What are the biggest mistakes made by hiring managers?

June 20, 20250 Views
Our Picks

Rethinking Growth and Support in Today’s Healthcare Jobs

June 20, 2025

A Modern, Accessible Way to Build Team Connections

June 20, 2025

Could This New Bipartisan Bill Lead Us to a $15 Federal Minimum Wage?

June 20, 2025

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest human resources news and updates directly to your inbox.

Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
© 2025 Human Resources Mag. All Rights Reserved.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.