Richa Namballa, a data analyst, has been working from home with her 14-year-old Dachsund mix, Miles, for the last three months. She says his presence has made her feel more at ease and has even helped take the stress off of her job. Miles also has an enlarged heart and congestive heart failure, so being home with him also gives Naballa some peace of mind.
“Miles has definitely made working from home a lot more enjoyable,” Namballa says. “He's a good distraction once in a while, when you're kind of starting to burn out a little bit. It's definitely nice to be able to talk to him, pet him and take care of him.”
Namballa has also been able to ease up on worrying about Miles' health while she's away from him, because she can watch him all day and act quickly if there's a medical emergency.
“I've had him since he was eight weeks old, so he's been here for a really long time,” Namballa says. “Being at home has also been good because I'm not as worried about him as I was when I was at work.”
“We recognize that pets are often important members of the family and can help our employees feel safe and secure — especially during times of stress,” her employer SAP says. “Offering pet insurance and pet bereavement leave aligns with our overall goal of supporting SAP employees and their families at work and in their everyday lives.”
SAP's pet-friendly benefits allows Namballa the financial cushion of affording Miles' health expenses without having to worry about paying other bills. Many other companies are taking a note from SAP and allowing for more financial benefits in their budgets to cover pet expenses and livable wages while under quarantine.