How Do People Feel about Pet-Related Policies at Work? Banfield Pet Hospital Has Answers.
When we think about the reasons people choose to stay at a job, we often think of factors like compensation, flexibility, paid time off or health insurance options. But you might be surprised to learn that whether or not employers offer pet-related policies plays an increasingly significant role in those decisions. We learned this – and other effects of pet-oriented policies – in our second annual Pet-Friendly Workplace PAWrometer™ (PAW = Pets At Work), which looks at perceptions and impacts of pet-related policies in the workplace.
As pet lovers and advocates ourselves, it’s only natural that we’ve welcomed pets at our Banfield headquarters for more than 20 years. It’s one of the ways we live up to our purpose of helping create a Better World for Pets—and our associates tell us they appreciate it, too. But being able to bring pets to work is just the tip of the iceberg, and we looked at why companies choose – or choose not to – offer varying types of pet-related benefits.
Earlier this year, we surveyed 1,000 employees and 200 Human Resources decision-makers in U.S. companies of varying sizes in a range of industries. Affirming our experience over the years, more than two-thirds of those surveyed believe pet-related benefits and pet-friendly workplaces have a positive impact on employees. HR directors in pet-friendly workplaces also named improved morale, reduced stress, increased loyalty to the company and better work-life balance as top benefits.
But while opinions about pet-friendly workplaces and policies remain highly favorable year over year, our survey confirmed the challenges some pet-friendly workplaces face—and the effects of other pet-related policies, such as paid time off (PTO) for pet bereavement, general pet care and/or caring for a new pet, are still unfolding. This year’s PAWrometer revealed a number of insights, ultimately confirming pet-friendly policies impact everything from hiring to long-term employee satisfaction.
While people value the ability to bring pets to work, they are increasingly interested in other pet-related benefits.
While our findings showed pet-friendly workplaces remain incredibly well-received by all audiences, this year’s survey uncovered an even greater enthusiasm for other pet-related benefits. If given the choice, most employees would opt for benefits other than the ability to bring pets to work. The top three preferred benefits included general pet-related PTO to manage sick pets or other pet needs, bereavement leave for employees who lose a beloved animal companion and ‘pawternity’ leave, which gives employees time to introduce a new pet into the household. Interestingly, our results confirmed these benefits can also impact talent acquisition. Seventy-three percent of employees surveyed said they would be more likely to accept a job offer from a company with pet-related benefits other than a pet-friendly workplace.
Millennials prefer employers that offer pet-friendly workplaces.
Our latest study showed millennials are especially strong advocates for pets in the workplace. The vast majority feel pets in the office are beneficial to workplace culture—and employees at large. In fact, millennials are nearly twice as likely to want their workplaces to allow pets in the office as their non-millennial coworkers. These policies also strongly impact millennials’ attitudes when it comes to finding new employment or staying with their current employer: Nearly half of millennials said pet-friendly policies are an important factor in their job searches, and more than half said they would be more likely to stay at an organization where pets are welcome in the office.
Employers are developing creative solutions to accommodate pets in the workplace.
While pets can have a demonstrably positive impact on a workplace, we know firsthand that integrating pets is not always easy. At the top of the list of challenges is allergies, which can make a pet-friendly workplace unattractive to some new talent. In fact, one-third of HR decision-makers we surveyed said at least one potential employee has declined an offer over a concern about allergic reactions. However, more than half of employees in pet-friendly workplaces said their employers addressed such concerns by creating separate work areas for people with allergies, and nearly half installed air filtration systems to reduce airborne allergens.
The other challenge we heard most included the distraction that pets can create in the workplace. Keeping pets leashed, out of meeting rooms and in separate, pet-friendly parts of the office are among the most common methods respondents reported as being used to manage both distractions and allergies.
We’ve put a number of practices in place at our dog-friendly Banfield headquarters to make pets at work a positive experience for associates. This includes everything from evaluating dogs before they’re permitted in the building, to using a color-coded leash system that indicates how best to approach and interact with any given dog.
At Banfield, we firmly believe in the power of the pet-human bond and think pet-friendly workplaces such as our headquarters are one great way to support that initiative. Personally, nothing beats the feeling of knowing I can stop and play with a colleague’s dog no matter how long a meeting runs or how tough a day gets. Pets in the workplace improve my outlook and put a smile on my face, day in and day out.
For the second year, our 2017 PAWrometer shows employees and employers are increasingly discovering and finding value in the positive impacts of pet-related policies and pet-friendly offices—and we’re so glad to hear it! Check out this year’s PAWrometer findings at https://www.banfield.com/about-us/community/wellness-our-people/pet-workplace.
