Gen Z and millennials would look for another job post-COVID if workplace was not pet-friendly, survey finds

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As hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S. began working from home almost exactly one year ago, a trend among those working from their desks was their increased dependence on their furry companions – and their attachment to them.

Especially when ordinances were set in place to quarantine for prolonged periods of time, pet owners turned to their pets for companionship during their long hours of work, and many without pets even turned to pet adoption or breeders to get a four-legged companion.

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This is why Banfield Pet Hospital has conducted a new survey to discover if the “quarantine pet” will be a trend that may change the future of the workplace as we know it for good.

So far, the findings point towards this shift in more pet-friendly work environments.

According to the survey:

  • 57% of pet owners say they’ll be most happy returning to their workplace if they can bring their pets with them
  • 71% of Gen Zers and 48% Millennials have or are planning to reach out to their employer requesting they implement a pet-friendly policy once offices open back up
  • Nearly 1 in 2 Gen Zers and 1 in 3 Millennials say they would consider looking for another job post-pandemic if their workplace was not pet-friendly
  • 1 in 2 C-Suite executives are planning to allow pets in the workplace, and 59% said they will allow more flexibility for workers wanting to stay remote with their pets
  • Of those considering implementing a pet-friendly policy, 42% will do so to entice employees back into the office

While pet-friendly office spaces won’t be a reality for most companies, the survey finds that many Gen Z’ers and millennials are also concerned about how their pets will handle the transition when they go back to commuting workdays. Fears such as separation anxiety are prevalent among pet-owners. However, most are hopeful the future will look more pet-friendly.


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