Employees are expecting more pet friendly offices post-COVID

Working with pets
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With employees spending more time than ever at home, their relationships with their pets has strengthened. As such, employees are concerned about how their furry friends will fare when they have to return to a physical work environment.

Three in 10 employees surveyed by Banfield Pet Hospital say they have adopted a new cat or dog during the pandemic. About 38% say their main concern about returning to work is that their pet will face separation anxiety if left home alone all day.

Employers have offered pet-related benefits to appease employees concerned about their pet’s well-being. Currently, 15% of employers offer pet health insurance, according to the Society for Human Resource Management.

Read More: Wellness benefits should extend to employees’ pets too

“As employers are thinking about going back to work, employees have a lot on their mind [regarding] what their pets mean to them,” says Melissa Marshall, vice president of people and organization at Banfield. “The pandemic has certainly humanized what work means for people.”

More than half of employees surveyed by Banfield say they’d be happiest returning to work if their pet was also allowed in the office. Twenty-three percent say they would be more productive with their animal beside them.

Read More: 7 reasons why employers should invest in pet-related benefits

The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed what employees expect out of work. When creating a plan to return to work, employers need to consider what is most important to their workers and what may be a cause of distraction — like the well-being of their pets — on the job. Indeed, 72% of C-suite executives expect more workplaces will be pet-friendly after the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the survey.

Read More: 35 companies that boosted their employee benefits amid COVID-19

“Many pet owners [developed a new] sense of comfort and new routines with their pets. There’s also been this sense of comfort from their pet,” Marshall says. “Changing that dynamic puts a lot of thought on the minds of the pet owners around what this would look like. There is a well-being factor. Pets really have a positive impact on people.”

Read More: Employees are demanding pet insurance benefits as COVID-19 continues

Scroll through to see why employees want their pets in the office and how these benefits help a company’s culture and bottom line:

Employers have seen increased socializing between employees — 67%

Employers have seen a greater willingness among workers to come to work — 61%

Employers have seen an increase in productivity — 42%

Employers have seen employees who are more willing to stay at work later — 41%

Having pets at work has increased employee retention — 31%

Employees are worried their pet will have separation anxiety if left home alone — 38%

Employees want to closely monitor their pet’s health concerns and/or behavior issues — 29%

Employees say their pet can help keep them calm when they’re feeling stressed — 28%

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