Daily Mail - 16.08.2019

Daily Mail, Friday, August 16, 2019 Page 27

Back: Carmichael as Edith, McGovern

as Cora and Dockery as Lady Mary

‘Sacked’ for taking a

day of f af ter dog died

‘Best friends’: Milly and Emma McNulty

‘Real men’

ditch DIY to

talk about

their feelings

THE perfect man used to be a

dab hand at DIY and would act

as the family breadwinner.

But in the 21st Century, it is

more important for him to be a

feminist who is able to talk

openly about his feelings,

according to a survey.

Old ideas of what makes a man

‘accomplished’ have been cast

aside in favour of new attributes

such as being able to cook and

understanding technology.

But some things never change,

and being well-groomed, well-

mannered and confident are

still seen as positive traits.

David Attenborough topped

the table as the most accom-

plished man in modern society,

with Barack Obama and thor-

‘Diverse and

inclusive’

Window of

opportunity:

Laura

Carmichael

in Town &

Country, left

By Hannah Dawson

Teen calls for staff to have pet bereavement leave

By Eleanor Sharples

TV & Radio Reporter

A TEENAGER claims

she was sacked from her job

for taking a day off when

her dog died.

Emma McNulty, 18, was dev-

astated when her 14-year-old

Yorkshire terrier Milly passed

away last weekend.

But when she rang the fast food

restaurant where she worked to

tell them she couldn’t come in, she

was ‘disgusted’ by their response.

She says managers told her she

would face disciplinary action –

even though she was so distressed

she felt ‘physically sick’.

Miss McNulty, who lives in Glas-

gow, is now campaigning for

employees to be offered bereave-

ment leave when a pet dies.

She said: ‘I informed my man-

ager I could not come into work as

I was too devastated and physi-

cally sick to do so.

‘Instead of being shown the com-

passion and sympathy stated in

the contract, I was sent a number

of nasty messages and told I had

to cover my shift as no bereave-

ment time was allowed for pets.’

She told Glasgow Live: ‘I did not

go to work that day and I was fired

and left unemployed the same day

as losing my best friend, this

caused me extreme distress and

sickness.’ Advice from arbitration

service Acas says that bereaved

employees may need to take time

off unexpectedly or their work

performance could be impacted.

However, there is no specific

guidance for staff who have suf-

She said: ‘I think it’s disgusting

how some companies think it’s

acceptable to treat someone in

this way with no remorse. A family

pet has just as much importance

as a human family member.

‘[Milly] was a valued family

member and companion, I

grew up with her and developed a

close relationship that only grew

each day.

‘It’s time companies acknowl-

edged this and gave people the

time they need to grieve, with no

worry of losing their job.’

Since launching the petition,

Miss McNulty has received sup-

port from other pet owners. Vicky

Rees wrote on the petition web-

site: ‘My dogs are my children. I

lost one of them 16 months ago,

the grief was unbearable. I couldn’t

have worked, luckily I had an

understanding employer.’

Jo Pryor added: ‘Employers

seem to be losing their ability to

care for their employees. Showing

compassion and care leads to hap-

pier, more loyal employees.’

Several celebrities have also

struggled with grief for their pets.

After accidentally running over

her dog Minnie in April, Strictly

Come Dancing host Tess Daly

postponed a holiday to grieve.

Jennifer Aniston also had her

dog Norman’s name tattooed on

her foot after he died in 2011.

Nearly Downton

and out... how

Lady Edith role

saved star’s career

SHE is now a global star as Lady Edith

Crawley in Downton Abbey.

But Laura Carmichael has told how she

was close to giving up on her acting dream

before landing the role of a lifetime in the

hugely successful period drama.

The actress, 33, who reprises the role in

the new Downton film released next

month, also found love on the set with co-

star Michael C Fox, 30, who plays footman

Andrew Parker.

Miss Carmichael told Town & Country

magazine: ‘I was so close to not being a

working actress. I had a hard time. It’s

such a painful experience – want-

ing to act and not doing it.’

She said Downton had

‘changed all of my life’, adding:

‘When you are able to work and

love it, it is such a joy. I’ve fallen

in love and made wonderful

friends – how lucky am I?’ Set

in 1927, the film also features

Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary

and Elizabeth McGovern as

Cora, Countess of Grantham.

nThe autumn issue of Town &

Country is on sale on August 22.

By Alisha Rouse

Showbusiness Correspondent

• d : d n l

oughly modern parent Prince

Harry following closely behind.

A lack of ambition, being bad

with money and being out of

work make men less attractive,

according to the survey of 2,000

Britons by website My Name-

tags. Fake tan and waxed eye-

brows were also no-nos.

‘The role of the modern man

is evolving,’ said Lars B Andersen

of My Nametags. ‘It is hearten-

ing to see the definition of an

accomplished man becoming

more diverse and inclusive,

showing a clear move away

from traditional stereotypes.’

Sixty-nine per cent of those

polled agreed that positive

male traits had changed since

their father’s generation.

Almost 75 per cent of dads

said they did things with their

children that their fathers

didn’t, including cooking and

taking them to school.

‘Devastated and

physically sick’

fered the loss of a pet. On Monday,

Miss McNulty started an online

petition calling on companies to

bring in pet bereavement leave

policies, which last night had

gained more than 6,000 signatures.