Take Your Dog To Work Day Survey – 82% Say Yes To ‘Pet Leave’

While it may be an unofficial holiday, 21 June is ‘Take
your dog to work day’, and dogs in offices are becoming
increasingly ‘pupular’. It is little wonder some even
appear on company websites. After all, pets are part of the
family, dogs reduce stress, and suitable breeds in certain
offices add something special.

Aware of take your dog
to work day, PD Insurance included questions on the notion
of pups in the workplace in its Pet Parent Survey conducted
in May this year. “The office dog is an institution for
some employers and employees,” smiles Michelle Le Long, PD
Insurance COO. “While we’ll be the first to admit it
isn’t for everyone, a corporate canine works well in
plenty of situations.”

But how, exactly, does
‘Business New Zealand’ feel about it?

Dogs
at work 

Of the more than 2400
respondents to PD Insurance’s survey, just 13% of those
working in an office were allowed to bring in a
pup. 

It was a hard no for another 33%, and
nearly 35% didn’t have any issue either way – because
they don’t work in an office. “That’d be the tradies,
nurses and police officers, and any number of other
professions… where we like to think dogs are welcome, but
actual policies probably vary widely,” Le Long
comments.

Things get more interesting when pet parents
were asked if employers should offer pet insurance as a
benefit. More than half (51.3%) said yes, while 48.7% went
with no. In a similar vein, there is a large minority of pet
parents – nearly 27% – who would take a pay cut if their
dog were permitted in the workplace. “Pet loving employers
might consider these as creative perks where possible,” Le
Long notes. 

Very nearly the same quotient,
26.6%, even said they’d remain in a job they dislike, so
long as the doggo got the nod.

Time off work
to care for pets  

When asked if
employers should allow ‘pet leave' to look after a sick
pet or time to grieve a pet that has passed away, pet
parents were fully for the idea. A clear majority (82.3%)
said yes. “The reality, though, is that days off work are
costly for employers,” Le Long notes. “So, while it may
seem a good idea, putting it into practice is probably
unlikely.”

Staying with health, many dogs can’t do
the 9 to 5 and must instead stay home and likely miss us.
Just how much? That may vary from case to case, but most dog
parents don’t experience any issues.

That’s
indicated by the small number of respondents (5.3%) who said
their pup suffers from separation anxiety. One respondent
said, ‘my dog does get anxious when I go out for long
periods’, while another said their ‘lockdown puppy’
self-harms if left crated while I leave the house but would
sleep all night in a crate if I was home’. Something to
look out for, Le Long adds.

Celebrating our
pups 

If take your dog to work day is a
‘thing’ (and indeed it is), what about pet birthdays?
Asked if the special day warrants a celebration, a big 71.3%
of respondents to said…yes! 

Ways of
celebrating the important day varied, and included parties
with human and pet friends, with 40% producing a pet
friendly cake and treats, 53% including pet-friendly gifts,
and 49% doling out extra love and attention.

One
respondent said, ‘my dog gets a McDonalds cheeseburger on
their birthday, while another said, ‘we go for a family
dinner where pets are allowed, and we get her a special
treat or small ice cream.’

What’s clear, says Le
Long, is that New Zealanders love their dogs and want to be
around them as much as possible. “We had a bit of fun
looking at some of the lesser-canvassed aspects of pet
parenting, and we’re glad we did. Our pets enhance our
lives enormously, at home and in some workplaces. And
that’s comforting in these challenging
times.”

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