Taking care of business by taking care of parents
A Brazilian business shares its 23-year learning journey on early childhood
A Brazilian business shares its 23-year learning journey on early childhood
“Every couple who discovers they are pregnant experiences a mixture of joy and concern,” says Paulo Araújo, father of two and a product analyst in São Paulo, Brazil. “When we found out we were expecting our first daughter, Manuela, I had recently joined a new company. There were a lot of uncertainties. But to our pleasant surprise, we found that the company had a special focus on the wellbeing of workers’ families. We were included in an excellent health plan, I was offered a preparatory course for new parents, and I enjoyed 20 days of paternity leave to assist in the first weeks of Manuela’s life.”
Manuela is now 9 years old. She has a 6-year-old sister, Isabela. Paulo is still working at the same business, the Special Dog Company, which I, Erik, co-founded with my brother in 2001. Based in São Paulo state, we currently have more than 1,800 employees and have grown to become one of the top three pet food companies in Brazil.
We firmly believe that one of the reasons for our success is our belief that genuine care for people should be at the centre of our identity as a company. Early childhood wellbeing is a main focus of our investment in the local community – along with animal welfare and environmental preservation – and our work for children begins with caring for the parents who work for us. And this care for parents, in turn, helps create a company culture that is good for everyone.
Right from the start, we were interested in practising a more conscious capitalism. For all 23 years of our existence, the Special Dog Company has been recognised by the ABRINQ Foundation as a “Child-Friendly Company”. Other recognition has followed, such as the federal government designating us as a “Citizen Company” for our extended parental leave policies.
As Paulo mentioned, new fathers are entitled to 20 days’ paid leave. New mothers return to work after 6 months of paid leave, and for the following 12 months they receive a minimum wage in addition to their full salary. This extra income helps smooth their transition into parenthood, should they need to outsource additional help, cover unexpected medical costs, or purchase goods for their children. In addition, parents receive a layette for the baby with more than 70 items, such as a bathtub, clothes, diapers and towels.
Even as their children grow older, our company culture continues to be supportive of parents. For example, we are not aware of any instance where a mother or father needed to be absent from work due to unexpected childcare responsibilities, and was not authorised to do so. We have no need for a formal company policy on this. All our line managers understand that providing flexibility for family life is essential to our way of working.
“Our work for children begins with caring for the parents who work for us.”
In the community, we have become known for our focus on families. Earlier in 2024, for example, we were approached by psychotherapist Amanda Balielo with a proposal to support her to set up a new Baby Fusion dance business. This methodology aims to help mothers recover from childbirth while also strengthening the bond with their newborn baby.
“Through dance,” explained Amanda in her proposal, “we incorporate elements that aim to strengthen the muscles, improve posture, and create unique moments of connection between mothers and babies. Baby Fusion promotes wellbeing, self- esteem, and physical and mental balance for mothers in this very delicate period.” We now offer participation in the group as an employee benefit, with classes taking place at a cultural centre which we fund to serve our employees alongside the general public. The centre is designed to build community and appreciation of the arts, and we offer classes in music, circus arts, ballet, choir, crafts, tailoring, and gastronomy, among others, to roughly 650 students, from 4 to 80+ years old, every year.
Over the years, we have learned to build respectful and balanced relationships with our employees, in pursuit of a fair and transparent work environment. We see employment as a constant opportunity to exercise care, in which the company truly takes care of its employees who, in return, take care of the work environment, processes and products. This is reflected in our excellent employee retention rate, with turnover as low as 2.5%, generating significant savings and forming a more engaged team. Compare this to the average employee turnover in Brazil, which is 4.5%. Studies consistently demonstrate that companies that offer better conditions for harmonising family and professional life have, among other benefits, low staff turnover, good talent retention and improved productivity within the work environment. Not offering these things is, in our experience, short-term thinking.
Beatriz Rosa and her sons
It is common, in job interviews, to be asked if you have children. It is often clear how much this is seen as a “burden” for the organisation, especially when the person is a mother. In 2019, at the age of 23, I was hired by a well-known company. Pregnant, I felt my world collapse. My manager’s response: “We’re not sure if we’re going to pay for your maternity leave, and I already have someone in mind for your position.”
Even so, I kept going. I had a high-risk pregnancy and, despite the medical report, I worked until delivery. Then I had to work during maternity leave. The first 30 days were pure exhaustion, balancing the care of a newborn and the demands of a strategic position. This period led me to postpartum depression, and the feeling of not being able to handle everything was devastating.
I fully returned to work when my baby was only 3 months old. There was no suitable environment to express milk. I had to improvise, often using the bathroom. Nurturing my son was a dream, and I was dedicated to fulfilling that dream.
Then, I found a vacancy at Special Dog. I was selected for an interview and was surprised when no one asked if I had children. The topic came up spontaneously – every mother loves to talk about her children. But, unlike previous experiences, there were no questions about who would take care of them or how I would manage my routine.
During my orientation, I was thrilled to learn about a breastfeeding area for mothers, courses for fathers and extended maternity leave. They were small gestures but so significant in supporting families. I started at Special Dog when my youngest son was 7 months old and facing serious respiratory problems. We needed to take him to another city for consultations and the company always supported me.
There is no judgement about my ability to balance work and my family life. On the contrary, I am encouraged to rest and play with my children on weekends. The company promotes events for the family, providing us with special moments. This welcoming environment creates a sense of belonging and balance, knowing that our role as parents is appreciated and understood. It is a privilege to be able to talk about love for my children in a work environment that values it because the love we cultivate at home shows up in the workplace.
In many ways, our family lives inform our values at work. This is visible in the family of our founders and owners, with members of the second generation now in executive positions and committed to perpetuating the company’s culture. It is true for me personally – when I, João, became a father, I found myself questioning my values and appreciating the need to contribute to constructing a more just society.
João Paulo and his family
For employees, we believe that experiencing a welcoming and inclusive environment at work – where we spend a third of our time – stimulates the creation of a harmonious environment at home as well. Furthermore, when an employer values parenthood, and recognises that children are a source of strength in their parents’ lives, this also strengthens the bonds between parents and children. Parents feel better about parenting when they know that labour of love is valued outside their homes.
“Parents feel better about parenting when they know that labour of love is valued outside their homes.”
As a business, Special Dog enables customers to take incredible care of their animals. Our customers know that when we humans treat dogs with care and affection, they give us care and affection in return. The relationship between pet owners and pets is very different, of course, from the relationship between employer and employees, or parents and children. But we would say there is one thing all these relationships have in common: kindness breeds kindness.
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