Online food delivery platform Swiggy on Thursday said it will support employees on pet care and adoption with the introduction of a 'Paw-ternity' policy.

Girish Menon, Chief Human Resource Officer, Swiggy said: "Building on our gender-neutral parental policy introduced in 2020, which provides substantial paid leave for primary and secondary caregivers, in addition to bonding leaves, and time off for adoption, surrogacy, miscarriage and IVF, we are now expanding our definition of parenthood to include pet parents as well. And that's why, starting today, we're announcing the Swiggy Paw-ternity Policy for all full-time employees".

Under the 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 introduced on National Pet Day, which falls on April 11.

"Pet parents may opt for work-from-home during the settling-in period to provide comfort and support to their new family member," Menon said in a blog post.

Moreover, pet parents can now use their casual or sick leave without hesitation to attend to the needs of their pets. "Whether it's for a routine vaccination or accompanying a sick or injured pet to a veterinary appointment, the policy allows employees to take the time off they need to care for their pets," Menon said.

Swiggy will also offer bereavement leave for pet parents, providing employees with the time they need to grieve and recover from the loss.

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