As Employers Return to Offices, Petco Encourages Adding “Pet-Friendly” Employee Benefits

As businesses across the US re-open office doors after two years of mostly or entirely remote work – and in celebration of National Pets at Work Day Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc. is advocating for employees to continue working with pets by their side and encouraging employers to add “pet-friendly” to their roster of employee benefits.

Employees across the US are eager to return to a normal semblance of work life, but many are anxious about leaving some comforts of working from home – including their pets – behind. A survey conducted by Petco finds that:

• 69% of pet parents are stressed about what returning to work means for their pets;
• nearly half want their employers to adopt a pet-friendly workplace; and,
• 41% say they would consider switching jobs if it meant they could bring their pet to work.

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“After two years of remote work, employers returning to an in-office culture are looking for ways to make it a more positive experience for employees,” said Petco SVP, Omnichannel Experience, Jenny Wolski. “Pet-friendly programs can not only offer employers a competitive edge, they can also provide many health and wellness benefits for both people and pets. At Petco, we believe that having our pets at work leads to lower stress, improved physical health and increased productivity for our partners, while keeping our pets mentally and socially engaged. As we’ve returned to a new hybrid in-office culture with our pets happily in tow, we think going pet-friendly should be a no-brainer for any employer, and Petco can help.”

A pet-friendly workplace playbook and toolkit with information and resources on policy guidelines, etiquette, how to develop and implement an effective action plan, and more, is available to help employers transition their workplace into a safe, healthy and productive environment for both people and pets.

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Benefits to employees when pets can accompany their parents to the office include:

• Improved physical health: The presence of animals may reduce heart rate and blood pressure.
• Reduced stress: Pets in the office can have a positive change on self-reported anxiety, calmness and endocrine responses.
• Increased productivity and creativity:
  • Dogs encourage more breaks, which contributes to improved morale, productivity and focus.
  • Breaks often occur outside, which is linked to increased creative ideation.
  • Pet parents are less worried about pets at home without bathroom or exercise breaks and are able to stay and enjoy office happy hours or other activities.

Organizations that are looking to offer compelling new benefits, but may not be ready to commit to a pet-friendly office can still offer pet-friendly benefits like Petco Insurance or Petco’s Vital Care membership program. With the Vital Care affiliate program, employees and customers of participating companies will have access to exclusive membership benefits and discounts within Vital Care’s Whole Health offerings. And pet parents returning to the office without their pets can access pet sitting, boarding and dog walking services for dogs and cats on Rover directly from petco.com — including a one-time $10 discount for first-time bookings – as well as information and solutions for addressing pets’ mental health during changes in routines.

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