Purina relates in a press release that benefits of welcoming pets to the office include improved mental well-being, employee retention and recruiting, and overall increased happiness and productivity.

According to the Purina study, 72% of pet owners working from home would accept a job offer from a pet-friendly employer over a non-pet friendly employer, assuming salary and all other benefits are equal.

• In the areas of company culture and office morale, 48% of pet owners working from home whose company doesn’t have a pet-friendly office think office morale would improve if their office was pet-friendly.
• Even executive leaders are open to the idea, with 72% of C-suite executives saying the approval of a pet policy would either lead to or already has increased socializing in the workplace, and 56% said it would lead to or has resulted in increased productivity.

Exploring a pet-friendly workplace:

Purina offers the following recommendations for employees and employers interested in exploring a pet-friendly workplace:

1. Learn the Benefits – Do your research to arm yourself with the positive impact pets have on the workplace as well as the benefits to pets that may suffer from separation anxiety.
2. Find Examples – Help employees and management by laying out a list of other like-minded companies in your area that have successfully integrated pets in the workplace. 
3. Test it Out – Suggest a “Bring Your Pet to Work Day” as a test run to see how employees and visiting pets interact.
4. Make the Pledge – Gather signatures in favor of the policy using Purina’s Pets at Work pledge template.
5. Show you’re serious – Establish guidelines and make it official by using an authorization and release form for those wishing to bring their pets to the office.

Purina has many additional resources for companies that are interested in making this transition, including a Pets at Work Starter Kit to help guide companies and their employees toward a better, more integrated workplace for our furry friends.

SOURCE Purina: https://www.purina.com