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Employers looking to boost workplace morale may want to consider hiring from a new pool of talent: one with wagging tails, fur and four legs!
A new survey from Wellness® Natural Pet Food found that 65% of American pet parents believe that having pets in the workplace would benefit company culture.
That same survey revealed that not only are pets beneficial to morale, but may help with recruitment and employee retention:
- 75 percent of respondents believe that pets would diffuse a stressful situation in the workplace
- 59 percent feel they would get to know their colleagues better if there were pets present
- Nearly half of dog owners say that “pet perks” are important when considering a job offer, with one in five millennial pet parents noting specifically that being able to bring their dog to work is important when considering a job offer
“Studies have shown how pets can have a positive impact on our own health and wellbeing — from lowering resting blood pressure to reducing stress — but now people are thinking about how those benefits translate to the work environment,” said Dr. Danielle Bernal, staff veterinarian with Wellness Natural Pet Food. “With more companies realizing that pets can improve the working experience, more are going above and beyond to cater to our new furry officemates and make sure they are happy and healthy from 9 to 5.”
For the third year in a row, Wellness Natural Pet Food is honoring those who set the bar high for pet-friendly workplaces by curating its list of America’s Most Pet Friendly Companies, released in celebration of Take Your Dog to Work Day on June 21.
America’s Most Pet Friendly Companies of 2019 include:
Amazon (Seattle, Wash.)
Amazon takes the pet-friendly office to a whole new level as there are as many as 6,000 dogs in the Seattle-based headquarters on a given day.The company has been dog-friendly since its creation but has amped up their dog-friendly culture by creating multiple dog parks, including a doggie deck, for pups to stretch their legs and providing treats at every reception desk in their buildings.
Harpoon Brewery (Boston, Mass.)
Featured for the second consecutive year, Harpoon Brewery welcomes dogs on a daily basis where they can lounge in the office or explore the Boston Seaport for a walk by the water. In 2018, Harpoon hosted the first-ever “Dogtoberfest,” which allowed Boston pet parents to bring their dogs along for an afternoon of beer tasting — just for the humans, though!
Trupanion (Seattle, Wash.)
A leader in medical insurance for cats and dogs, Trupanion is all about pet perks for its employees, too! Dogs are frequent visitors in the office, so the companyhas a team of in-house dog walkers to keep pooches moving as well as a Pet Program Manager and a Pet Emergency Team who work together to ensure that all four-legged friends are safe during the workday. Trupanion also supports pet parents by offering a pet bereavement benefit which includes three days of paid leave should their pet pass away.
Ben & Jerry’s (Burlington, Vt.)
Employees at Ben & Jerry’s love their dogs almost as much as they love ice cream and their office is a place where “K9-5ers” are always welcome! The company’s “Canine Culture Committee” works hard to ensure that the 35-40 office dogs are happy and healthy by inviting in veterinarians to speak about behavior and training tips to educate pet parents. Dogs start the work day with a dog treat from the front desk on the way into the office. The only “work” they must do is enjoy plenty of play time and naps — talk about a sweet deal!
Contently (New York, N.Y.)
Dogs have a permanent place on the employee roster at Contently, a leading content marketing platform company. On any given day pups can be found roaming the halls or curled up on conference room floors. Employees are encouraged to bond over pet parenthood through the company’s “Contently-Canines” Slack channel where pet parents can exchange photos, ask for advice and coordinate dog-sitting when it’s needed. These pet parents have each other’s backs — and Fido’s too!
Procore (Carpinteria, Calif.)
Procore employees love their pups!The dog-friendly office has free treats and water bowls around campus and outdoor lawns to ensure pups have playtime too. Dogs and employees alike are a big fan of the frequent company “pawtys” otherwise known as dog-friendly happy hours. Employees who are pet parents also enjoy pet insurance as a benefit.
Ticketmaster (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Ticketmaster employees are welcome to bring their dogs to the office. To show additional support for pet parents, the company offers pet insurance as a benefit, so employees don’t have to worry about coverage for Fido.
PetSafe (Knoxville, Tenn.)
As one of the most trusted pet brands globally, it only makes sense that the PetSafe® headquarters would be filled with the employees’ pets. PetSafe pups get a special first look at all of the company’s latest innovations, often testing new toys, treats, fountains and more before anyone else to help inform research, planning and design. Because PetSafe is dedicated to creating “best moments” between pets and their owners, having pups at the office every day serves as the perfect reminder of its overarching purpose.
TripAdvisor (Needham, Mass.)
Trip Advisor employees never have to leave their fur babies at home! The company’s headquarters is known to have dogs walking around the office, creating a fun, pet-friendly working environment for all employees.
Purely Elizabeth (Boulder, Colo.)
Purely Elizabeth, a leading natural foods brand offering groundbreaking and delicious gluten-free products, strives to support employees however they can — which includes pet parenthood! The company encourages pet parents to spend more time with their dogs by introducing a pet-friendly culture where dogs are always welcome. Office pups enjoy lounging in the sun by the windows and are spoiled with treats!
Take Your Dog to Work Day is an annual event first established by Pet Sitters International, Inc., and celebrated by offices across the country. To check out Dr. Bernal’s best practices for a pet-friendly office and learn more about the survey results, visit www.wellnesspetfood.com/.
About Wellness®:
At Wellness, we’re a family-owned company of pet parents on a mission to raise the bar in pet food, because we believe the right choice at mealtime forms the foundation of a long, happy life together. That’s why we do things the right way, not the easy way—we are 100 percent focused on natural nutrition all the time, crafting our pet food and treats recipes that are carefully sourced and thoughtfully prepared. That means we use the finest, natural ingredients, ensure the highest quality standards and create delicious recipes pets crave to make every mealtime count. Like you, we know that our pets provide us unconditional love, and providing uncompromising nutrition is one way we can do the same for them. To learn more about Wellness Natural Pet Food, visit wellnesspetfood.com and Facebook.com/WellnessPetFood, and find Wellness on Instagram and Twitter: @wellnesspetfood.
