Workers in Colombia are set to be given two days' paid leave if their pet dies, as part of proposed new laws.
The new legislation aims to recognise the 'sentimental bond' between humans and their domestic pets - the death of which can have a 'considerable emotional impact' on people.
The initiative is led by politician Alejandro Carlos Chacon, a member of the Colombian Liberal Party, who has brought forward a bill that would force employers to fork out two days' worth of paid leave if a member of staff is mourning the death of a pet.
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According to the news site El Tiempo, Chacon said: "Some people do not have children but they do have a much-loved pet with which they develop a deep brotherly bond."
He added that the compassionate change would help people 'overcome their grief and pain of losing these beloved animals without being preoccupied with their jobs', and that the bill will be applicable to the majority of families in Colombia, where six out of 10 households own a 'pet'.
El Tiempo reports the bill was filed before the general secretary of the House of Representatives and seeks to recognise mourning for the loss of an animal companion.
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El Tiempo quotes the bill as saying it aims to 'establish the employer's obligation to grant the worker paid mourning leave for the death of his domestic companion animal and the worker's duty to inform the employer that within their family nucleus has a companion and domestic animal as a requirement to access the benefit'.
The bill adds that the initiative 'arises from understanding the value of the sentimental bond between humans and domestic pets.'
The bill states that people will only be eligible for two days of paid leave if they have spoken to the employer about their pet before its death.
"The worker must inform the employer at the beginning of the employment [...] or no later than two days after the acquisition or adoption of the animal, that within their family nucleus there is a domestic companion animal," it says.
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They must also be able to provide 'summary evidence' proving the pet's demise, and there will be 'penalties' for workers who lie about the death of their pet or present false certifications.
The paid leave will also not apply to wild and exotic animals.
The bill has been filed, but must now pass four debates between the Senate and the House of Representatives for it to become law in Colombia.
"For now, it will begin its process and discussion for the first debate in the seventh committee of the Chamber," El Tiempo reports.
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Featured Image Credit: Pixabay
Topics: World News, Colombia, News, Animals