Seattle, WA – June 14, 2022 – Rover.com (Nasdaq: ROVR), the world’s largest online marketplace for loving pet care, today unveiled a report, The Future of Work: Dog Friendly Companies, detailing how increased rates of dog adoptions during the pandemic are affecting pet parents’ willingness to return to the office.
The report, which surveyed 1,000 US-based dog parents in May 2022, uncovered key areas of concern for pet parents as they return to work, and what they want in a pet-friendly benefits package. Topics include employee loyalty, recruitment, separation anxiety, and advocacy for additional benefits. An astonishing 80 percent of pet parents who welcomed home a new dog during the pandemic are willing to leave their current job for a more dog-friendly company and more than half agree the ability to bring their dog to the office is an important factor in their decision when looking for a new job. For companies trying to entice workers back into the office, pet parents said the top motivator would be being able to bring their dog – more than catered lunches, free snacks, fast internet and other in-person perks.
“With millions of pets welcomed into our families over the last couple of years, it’s understandable that folks are genuinely concerned about returning to the office and what that means for their pets—from separation anxiety to finding pet care they can rely on,” said Kate Jaffe, Trend Expert at Rover. “Employers that are struggling to recruit, retain and convince employees to shift away from remote work need to understand that our pets are true members of our families—and there’s strong evidence that companies can effectively leverage dog-friendly policies.”
Topline findings from the report include:
Dog-friendly workplaces drive employee loyalty
- 74 percent of pet parents are more likely to feel loyalty toward a dog-friendly company.
- A majority of respondents (59 percent) rate bringing their dogs to work as a better motivator to return to office than free snacks, faster internet, or catered lunches.
- However, more than half (58 percent) of pet parents would leave their job to work for a more dog-friendly company.
- 29 percent of pet parents said they quit or changed jobs during the pandemic because of their dog. That number jumps to 36 percent for pet parents who welcomed home a new dog during the pandemic.
Concerns over separation anxiety keep pet parents home
- The #1 reason dog parents are worried about returning to the office is their pet’s potential anxiety or loneliness. This is most true for the 58 percent of pet parents who welcomed a dog home during the pandemic, 45 percent of whom are worried about their own anxiety.
- 53 percent of pet parents are worried about their dog’s behavior at home while they’re away at work.
Pet parenthood empowers employees to request pet-friendly benefits
- Compared to pre-pandemic, 37 percent of pet parents feel more empowered to request or demand in-office policy changes including those related to pets.
- This is even higher for both new pet parents who welcomed home a dog during the pandemic (42 percent) and for Gen Z employees (43 percent).
For more survey data and expert insights, see Rover’s complete Future of Work: Dog Friendly Companies Report. Looking to create a pet-friendly workplace? Rover’s new Guide to Becoming a Dog-Friendly Company includes tried and true best practices for fostering a dog-friendly culture—in and out of the office. Plus, if you’re looking for a new job where you can bring your dog to work, check out Rover’s list of dog-friendly companies hiring right now.
In celebration of canine co-workers across the nation, Rover is on the hunt for “America’s Top Office Dog”. The #AmericasTopOfficeDog contest will run until June 17 via Rover’s Instagram, with an opportunity to vote daily. Each canine contestant represents their company as featured in Rover’s Best Dog-Friendly Companies list. The winning dog will receive a pet-and-people-friendly ice cream party for their office. For more contest information, head to the Rover Blog and don’t forget to follow along on Instagram to cast your vote!
About Rover
Founded in 2011 and based in Seattle, Rover (NASDAQ: ROVR) is the world’s largest online marketplace for pet care. Rover connects pet parents with loving pet care providers who offer overnight services, including boarding and in-home pet sitting, as well as daytime services, including doggy daycare, dog walking, and drop-in visits. Millions of pet parents have booked a service on Rover, with more than 500,000 pet care providers across North America and Europe.
Contact:
Kristin Sandberg, Rover
pr@rover.com