Talk Shop is known as a supportive workplace for working parents. We’ve opted to exceed in the area of parental leave. We do this by offering top-up for new parents and greater flexibility around schedules and remote work in order to allow parents to prioritize their families while excelling in their careers. While we continue to celebrate working families, we want to formally recognize that not all families take the same shape. As a team member expands their family to accommodate a new fur baby, we believe it is cause for celebration and workplace support.

We share this fun news publically to encourage other organizations to review their policies and see where simple changes can be made to offer support to all team members as family milestones are achieved.

Details of the policy are outlined below:

Talk Shop’s Pawrental Leave Policy

This policy allows Talk Shop team members to take time off around the adoption of a new pet. This will allow team members to focus on adjusting to new pet owning duties, bonding with their new “fur babies” and getting them settled into their new home.

Team members who would like to request pawrental leave should ask for it as soon as possible so that arrangements can be made to support that team member and to handle their workload for the duration of the leave. Two month notice is ideal and at least four weeks is required.

Team members must provide their request for leave in writing to their manager and include the following information in the request:

• Anticipated pet adoption date

• Intended start date for leave

• Anticipated length of leave

• Whether or not the employee wishes to use unpaid pawrental leave days and/or accrued vacation time immediately after the pawrental leave

• Team members may be asked to provide proof of pet ownership

Eligibility

New pet parents who have been employed by Talk Shop for at least one (1) year are eligible for three (3) consecutive days of paid pawrental leave per calendar year. An additional two (2) consecutive days of unpaid pawrental leave may be provided immediately after at the discretion of a manager. Team members are expected to work with their teams and management to develop a leave coverage plan to ensure all work-related matters are tied up/addressed before the leave commences.