Pet adoptions soared in the early months of the pandemic. Working from home, people found it to be a great time to bring in a new furry friend. They had more time to work on potty training and to take their dogs for walks.
As the COVID-19 vaccine is being administered, many companies are looking to the future of bringing people back to the office. My mother works for a large company that’s already said most workers will remain at home through 2021, but they are very excited to bring people back in 2022. After all, they did just build a huge 32 story building a couple of years before the pandemic struck…
Plans to return to work have many people questioning the value and discussing hybrid options, but one underrated consideration is pets.
Will more offices allow pets post-pandemic? What is the future of pets at work?
The Argument for Bringing Your Pet to Work
In the pre-pandemic era (I know, what a concept), I worked for my father’s company. He and his business partner rented office space in a building downtown. It was right on the river and pretty neat, but that’s not what I liked. The absolute best part of working there was that they were dog-friendly! Every single day that I went into the office, I brought my dog, Murphy. He had a food and water dish, some treats, and a little blanket to lay on (peep the photo of him napping by my desk). Most of the day, he just laid near my feet, but for my lunch break, I walked him around the city.
Here are some of the reasons I loved bringing him to work (which are the same reasons the internet tells me dogs at work can be helpful):
- No guilt about leaving him at home. I didn’t feel the need to rush out and I wasn’t constantly worried about him.
- Encouraged me to get some exercise during the day, which helped me reset and get some fresh air.
- Employee satisfaction. I was just happier having my dog there. It made me feel more at ease, and I could pet him when I felt stressed or frustrated.
After working in a place where I could bring my dog, and since then remotely, I can’t envision myself ever taking on a role that required me to be in an office all day every day while leaving him at home.
But, not all offices are pet friendly…
Considerations for Pets in Offices
Bringing pets to work tends to help employees and pets, so why don’t more offices allow them? It’s pretty obvious why a construction site or science lab wouldn’t allow pets, but your everyday corporate jobs seem like a fine place. So, what’s the hold-up?
- Allergies. While you may not be allergic to your pet, other people in your office could be. Imagine how 10 dogs in the office could impact someone with allergies. It certainly wouldn’t help their productivity or workplace happiness.
- Distraction. Some companies hesitate to allow pets for the same reason they don’t have people bring their kids every day, distraction. Pets are live beings. They need food, water, activity, and attention. This can be distracting, especially if you have a more active or needy pet.
- Behavior. Not all pets are meant for the office. Some may have issues with barking, aggression toward other animals, or other behavior issues. Many companies don’t want to risk or deal with this by allowing pets.
- Tradition. Some of the resistance to pets in the office is rooted in traditional thinking about what office life should look like. It’s the same reason it took so many companies so long to remove the “business casual” dress requirements. There’s a certain view of professionalism that some companies hold, and pets tend not to fit in.
- Hygiene. Hygiene is always a consideration with pets at work, but it’s a bigger question in light of COVID-19. Some companies with pet policies have suspended them due to concerns of hygiene with pets.
The Future of Pets at Work
After working from home with our pets by our side, many people are concerned about returning to the office without their pets. There’s no clear answer on what the future of pets in the office looks like. Businesses are sifting through the various benefits and considerations. Allowing pets in some format would certainly provide a competitive advantage for companies looking to attract certain employees.
Those who do allow pets must come up with clear owner responsibilities and guidelines. For example, office pets must be up-to-date with vaccinations, behave well, and be aggression-free. They should also consider seating arrangements or room assignments to account for allergies. For example, maybe an area for pet owners vs a pet-free area for those with allergies. Additionally, it may make sense to create pet cohorts so that certain employees are allowed pets on certain days and other employees on other days to help limit the total number of pets.
Ultimately, another reality is that more people push back on return-to-work plans in favor of working from home or a hybrid model that allows better work-life balance with kids and pets.
