A RECENT social media post about a staff who was ridiculed for taking half day emergency leave (EL) to bury and mourn the passing of his pet cat has ignited a fierce online debate.
In a Threads post, the OP stated that his colleague's action in taking EL triggered a backlash from their boss.
"A cat dying is like a wife dying? It’s just a cat ... why do you need to be so sad?" stated the boss.
"I was stunned. I also own cats. Is that the appropriate way for the boss to respond?" he wrote.
The response from the boss drew a slew of criticisms from netizens who described him as someone with no empathy.
"When my cat died, my company was kind enough to give me a day compassionate leave ... and it was a foreign company," wrote one netizen.
Another netizen took it a notch further, stating, "Your boss is upset because he knows nobody would take half day to mourn him".
Most netizens said their bosses were compassionate enough to give them some time to bury and mourn the loss of their furry friends, while some said in foreign countries, compassionate leave is a must for the passing of a pet. - December 20, 2025
