Pets in the Workplace: How to Build a Purrfect Pet Policy

You don’t have to love the word “fur-baby” to appreciate just how much pets mean to people. Pet-parents’ days are often as structured around the needs of their pets as they are around their children or work responsibilities, so work modes and arrangements that can accommodate them are a tremendous source of loyalty and morale.

In a post-COVID survey, 67% of pet-parents said it’d be a reason to quit if their employer stopped offering remote work, with 78% of those same respondents saying they’d reconsider if they could bring their dog into the office. But our attachment to our pets isn’t just a result of lockdown loneliness. Even before COVID, 90% of employees said working at a pet-friendly company made them feel highly connected to the company’s mission, more engaged in their work, and more likely to recommend their employer to others. (Less than 65% of employees in non-pet-friendly workplaces said the same.)

If allowing pets in the workplace simply isn’t an option for your company, there are still many ways to create a pet-friendly work culture. However, in this article, we’ll specifically cover the benefits of allowing pets in the workplace while discussing how to create a pet policy that will protect your company, your employees, and the animals they love.

*Quotes have been lightly edited for clarity and concision.

Editor's Note

Animals referred to in this article are assumed to be pets, not service animals. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a service animal as “a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability.” Per the ADA, no-pet policies must include exemptions for service animals.

9 Benefits of Allowing Pets in the Workplace

Pet-friendly workplaces promise a uniquely supportive company culture, but that isn’t the only benefit you can wrangle when you open the door to your employees’ animal companions.

1. Reduced Stress

A well-behaved pet is as mood-stabilizing as a hammock. In fact, in a recent study, participants who interacted with their dogs after finishing a stressful task saw a spike in mood and a dip in anxiety compared to control groups. This means a well-rounded in-office pet policy could be a powerful addition to your anti-burnout strategy.

2. Decreased Absenteeism

Chronic stress is known to weaken the immune system, making it harder for the body to fight off illness and heal from injuries, which is partly why there’s such a strong correlation between stress and absenteeism. When your employees draw emotional relief and regulation from their exposure to animals, it serves your greater wellness strategy to provide this additional form of stress management. Coordinating pet care is also simplified if employees who would have had to call out for a pet-related reason can still come into the office, furry friend in tow.

3. Stronger Teamwork

There’s no social catalyst like a friendly dog, an office cat, or even a turtle-housing terrarium (will your pet policy make allowances for reptiles, too?). As adorable icebreakers and conversation starters, pets in the office can create invaluable social cohesion that can lead to even bigger wins for your bottom line as employees work together to hit goals.

4. Improved Morale

For animal lovers, a pet-friendly office sounds like the epitome of a good time. Provided your policy includes stipulations around grooming and behavior, pets in the office can’t help but create a friendlier, funner environment. And as an antidote to low morale, office pets play an important role in scoring the productivity wins that come with engaged, happy employees.

5. Better Work-Life Balance

During the 2020 lockdown, 10% of dogs developed separation-related problems. This is surely a contributor to pet owners’ increased likelihood of quitting over RTO mandates, and it complicates the question of work-life balance. But by allowing dogs in the workplace, pet-parents can focus on their tasks instead of obsessively checking their pet cams or imagining their best friend’s heartbroken howls back at home.

6. Attracting and Retaining Talent

Stand-out, pet-friendly policies are a great way to soften the delivery of RTO mandates or encourage your hybrid workers to come into the office more often. “Pet friendly!” would also be an attractive addition to the Perks & Benefits section of your job postings, especially for the great, pet-loving talent you want to keep with you long term.

7. A More Supportive Company Culture

“Cookie-cutter company cultures” might be fun to say three times fast, but today’s employees want better. They want to feel aligned with the values and mission of the organization they give so much time to. Unique perks and benefits like pet-friendly workplace policies signal a supportive, inclusive company culture that values employee satisfaction and work-life balance down to the individual.

8. Low-Cost Engagement Perk

More than half (66%) of American households include a pet, and that number gets even higher for younger generations. So if you’re looking for low-hanging fruit, enacting an in-office pet policy can be a cost-effective way to make your many pet-parent employees feel seen, appreciated, and—if your RTO or hybrid initiatives are floundering—more inclined to come into the office.

9. Breaks and Physical Activity

Pets are the masters of play-life balance, and in the office, they’re a natural way to encourage regular breaks and physical activity, which are vital for mental health, overall wellbeing, and burnout prevention. A quiet paw on your knee is often exactly what you need to remember to look away from a screen even for a few minutes.

5 Drawbacks of Allowing Pets in the Workplace

Allowing pets in the workplace can have a positive impact on individual and collective wellbeing, but only if the proper frameworks are in place. The most successful in-office pet programs take a trial-and-error approach to addressing any issues that may arise, but this flexibility should be built into already-established conduct policies as well as a pet policy that takes the following drawbacks into consideration:

1. Allergies and Phobias

Dog and cat allergies afflict 10–20% of the world’s population, so it’s likely someone in your office wouldn’t feel safe or comfortable sharing their workspace with an animal. If you’re unable to accommodate and protect employees with allergies or phobias, you may need to get more creative with your pet-friendly policies or benefits, so no one is put at risk or made to feel unsafe.

2. Liability and Legal Issues

Your pet policy should include waivers, disclaimers, and caveats around pet behavior, grooming, and in-office feasibility. Clearly outline who is liable for damages in the event of a bite or destruction of company property.

3. Sanitation Concerns

Accidents happen, but it’s perfectly acceptable to allow only house-broken, potty-trained animals in the workplace, or to enforce a grooming standard. However, if you allow pets in the office, you should be prepared for the extra cleaning effort that comes with sharing space with our four-pawed, fur-covered friends.

4. Space and Policy Restrictions

It’s also perfectly acceptable to restrict the types or size of pet that can come to work or to include an application process for pet-parents who’d like to bring their pet to work. Not everyone who wants to bring their pet to work will be able to, especially if there’s not enough space. (It’s important to note that in any situation in which space and feasibility are limited, service animals take priority.*)

5. Distractions

For the same reason pets encourage physical and mental health breaks, they can become a distraction during the type of work that requires staying in a flow state. Keep this in mind as you put together a policy—there can be language around what constitutes a distraction and what to do if it exceeds a certain threshold.

10 Essential Elements of an Effective Workplace Pet Policy

Introducing pets to the office is a fun way to give an already stable culture a boost, but it’s not a cure-all for broken culture syndrome.

In fact, without supportive management and an office culture built on open communication and psychological safety, it’ll be difficult to make it all worthwhile. And you certainly shouldn’t attempt it without a clear policy to turn to when issues arise.

As you put together your policy, make sure it includes the following elements. You can also refer to this SHRM template as a basis.