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Advice for Employers and Recruiters

Should employers become more pet friendly in this post-pandemic environment?

Ryan Wood AvatarRyan Wood
July 20, 2021


The country is returning to pre-COVID work routines and anxiety among workers is more common than you would think. A recent survey found that out of 4,553 respondents, every single person reported feeling anxious about the idea of returning to in-person work. 

Many workers are nervous about being back in a highly social environment. They are finding new stressors, such as the loss of work flexibility, having to commute again, and a need for childcare and petcare. With working pet parents once again leaving their pets at home, many are concerned how their four-legged family members will re-adjust to being alone for extended periods of time.

All of this underscores that having more pet-friendly workplaces is more important now than ever before. Pets provide a source of comfort, and having pets in the office can ease the stressful transition for many workers as they return to their offices. In the Paw.com office, my Frenchie – Marlie – is an integral part of our team. Not only is she our Chief Product Tester, she also contributes to a fun work environment and a sense of camaraderie among the team (who enjoy taking a short break to toss a ball for Marlie to chase across the office, or unwind by giving Marlie a good belly rub. It’s a win for Marlie, and for everyone in the office.

The Paw.com team recently conducted a survey of pet parents facing this dilemma about returning to work post-pandemic. Of the more than 1,000 respondents:

  • 38% have welcomed a new pet since March 2020 (the onset of the pandemic)
  • 43% are going back to the office/workplace outside the home
    • 75% of those work in NON pet-friendly workplaces
      • 12% of those respondents are considering changing jobs to a more pet-friendly workplace
    • 82% would bring their pet to the office/workplace if they could
      • 61% of those would do so because of separation anxiety, companionship at work, AND stress relief at work

It is no surprise that during the stressful months of the pandemic, the country saw a steep rise in pet adoptions. But now with more and more people returning to work, the well-being of pets (and their humans) in pet-friendly spaces is more top of mind than ever before. More pet parents than ever want pet-friendly workspaces and would even consider changing jobs so they could bring their four-legged friend to the office.

For pet parents, remote work created the perfect pet friendly office – the home office! While many businesses determined that team members could be as productive at home as they were in the office, many companies are now re-opening their facilities and encouraging employees to come back into the office full or part-time. With that in mind now it is time to normalize pet-friendly workspaces. Let employees have the choice to have dogs at their desks. Not only would this benefit the well-being of our pets, but it would also benefit the mental health of employees who are pet parents. Workers are more productive when their mental health is supported. A study conducted by Banfield Pet Hospital found that 67% of employees who took pets to work agreed that their pet made them more productive.

So, let’s set up our workers for less stress and more success and keep our pets happy too. Let’s allow our employees the option to have their  four legged companions by their side in the office.

As a life-long dog lover, Paw.com Founder and CEO David Gimes was frustrated with the lack of beautiful and functional dog products. He firmly believes there’s no reason to choose between a happy pet and a beautiful space, and with more than 750,000 products sold, Paw.com is a leading designer pet brand that creates innovative products that make pet parents and their furry family members truly feel at home together. David’s inspiration is his French Bulldog Marlie, who also tests every Paw.com dog bed and product.

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