More than half of staff think that our furry friends are a major distraction, making for poor productivityIrreverent craft brewery, BrewDog, today announces the launch of its ‘paw-ternity’ leave programme, making it the first brewery in the UK, and the first company in the US, to give workers time off to look after a new dog.
Staff welcoming a brand new puppy or an older rescue dog into their lives will be given a whole working week’s leave to make sure the four-legged friend in their life gets used to its new surroundings without its new owner being absent.
Scottish brewery, BrewDog, was started by two men and a dog back in 2007, and both cofounders are commonly found accompanied by canines Simcoe and Dr Gonzo. The brewery in Aberdeenshire often hosts many a hound, with all staff welcome to bring their (well-behaved) pets to the workplace.
BrewDog co-founder, James Watt commented:
“It’s not easy trying to juggle work and settle a new dog into your life, and many members of our crew have four-legged friends at home. So we wanted to take the stress out of the situation and let our teams take the time they need to welcome their new puppy or dog into their family. We always want to raise the bar when it comes to offering our staff the best possible benefits; at BrewDog, we care about two things above all else. People and beer. We also just really really like dogs.’
The pooch perk will be available for all loyal BrewDog crew members worldwide to take advantage of, with the brand new, state-of-the-art 100,000 square foot brewery in Columbus, Ohio, also launching the ‘Puppy Parental Leave’ programme. The Ohio brewery, which will be one of the most technologically advanced, environmentally friendly breweries in the world, will throw open its doors to staff and their pets once officially up and running in Spring 2017.
As well as time off to take care of new puppies, BrewDog makes sure staff are able to spend time with new baby humans too, with enhanced paternity and maternity pay. The Living Wage employer is also the only company in the world to Cicerone train every single member of staff, ensuring everyone at every level knows as much as they can about beer. BrewDog is now the employer of the most Cicerone-trained staff in the world.
BrewDog’s Unicorn Fund – where 10% of the annual profits are split equally between all staff – is also a popular initiative that has made the company famous for pushing boundaries in more than just beer, along with the Dog Years sabbatical programme where staff can take four weeks off after five years to go and do something exciting. With a liberal free beer policy setting it light years ahead of traditional workplaces, the pioneering brewery has ambitions of becoming the best company to work for. Ever.
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