Do employees miss their dog more than their spouse or kids?
A survey by BARK provides insights into the current state of relationships between dogs and their dog parents and attitudes about going back to the office.
Whether dog owners have gone back to the office or they’re still working from home, they share the same sentiment:
Around 70% claims that they miss their dog while at the office or that will miss them when they will eventually return to the office. This more than the number of people who feel that way about missing their spouse and kids, which is around 40% of people.
Happiness and productivity?
About 1 in 3 (32%) dog owners believe that they would be happier and less stressed at work if they had their dog with them, and 28% feel that their life would be more convenient if they had this option. 20% of dog owners shared that they’d be more productive at work if they had their dog with them.
Yet, 78% of dog owners report that their current employer has not made any adjustments to their workplace policies on bringing dogs to work.
Some people want that to change: 42% of dog parents believe that employers should offer dog benefits as part of the employee benefit package (vs. 37% who feel the same about benefits for children), such as bringing dogs to the office (28% vs. 15% who want to bring children to the office) and an almost equal amount who want doggy daycare (28%) and childcare (29%) at or near the office.
Some employers do offer some extras for dog owners:
Around 1 in 3 (34%) report that their employer currently offers dog walking services. Fewer report there is a dog-proofed environment, clear of exposed wires, toxic products, or open food (32%), toys (33%), or relief zones in or near the office (25%).
Other findings of the study:
- About 1 in 4 (24%) dog parents who’ve returned to the office check their dog camera during working hours.
- Dog parents say that they grew closer to their dogs because of the pandemic (73% who returned to work, 70% of those still working from home and 69% of those who never worked from home).
- Only 2 in 5 dog parents who are permitted to bring their pup to work say that their employer supplies the basics like food and water (45%) and treats (42%).
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