During the early months of the pandemic, many of us binged countless hours of Netflix and mastered the art of sourdough. Eventually, we tired of tiger documentaries and failed baking experiments and realized what we really needed was a new family member—specifically, a pet.
Nationwide, nearly one in five households adopted a pandemic pet, with 53% of Americans adopting a dog, 32% adopting a cat, and 14% welcoming a cat and dog into their family. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), that works out to 23 million new pet parents.
As employers evaluate their benefit strategies for equity and scale, to retain critical talent or encourage in-office participation, pet parents are now a significant population that can use support. Here are four ways to enhance your benefit to truly allow employees to care for all they love.
Access to Reliable Pet Care
Employees heading back to the office, or even on vacation, need someone they trust to take care of their pets while they’re not home. However, sometimes lining up reliable pet care can be a challenge.
With access to a global, online platform like the Care Membership your employees can match with a caregiver or post a job to find a background-checked dog walker or pet sitter for regular or occasional care.
Pet parents can search in their area for pet caregivers by ZIP Code, experience, rates, and services. Platforms like the Care Membership can take a lot of the guesswork out of hiring a reliable pet sitter, and give your employees peace of mind.
Plan for a Gradual Return to the Office
Believe it or not, pets accustomed to their owner working from home could experience separation anxiety if they are abruptly left alone 40-50 hours a week. Many pet owners are worried about the impact returning to the office could have on their animals. More than 30% of owners have consulted veterinarians about best practices for making the switch to in-person work easier on their pets.
Work with your pet parents to come up with a plan that allows for a gradual ramp up of in-office hours. If possible, start by having pet owners work half days a few days a week before fully transitioning to their new office schedule. This will give both your employees and their four-legged loved ones time to adjust.
Bonus points if your office is pet-friendly, and Fido can join every now and then!
Pet Backup Care
As the world continues to open back up, many workers are resuming business travel. This could mean even pets who are normally fine during the workday may need care if their owner has to travel for work. Backup Care is an employer-subsidized benefit that covers part of the cost for pet care when an employee needs to make a work-related trip.
Pet Insurance
Pets are valued members of your employees’ families, and workers are increasingly looking to their employers to treat them as such. Adding pet insurance to your benefit plan can help you retain your existing pet parents, and help attract new employees with pets. Pet insurance can be an especially attractive benefit for today’s workforce, who value flexibility over pay.
Before 2020, only about 15% of companies offered pet insurance. However, as the pandemic forced many people to re-evaluate what really mattered in their lives, pets tend to rank high on that list. Savvy employers will recognize that, and give their employees what they’re increasingly asking for—insurance for their pets.
As work from home wanes and many companies prepare to bring workers back into the office, employees are increasingly in need of care for their four-legged loved ones. It’s important for employers to acknowledge the anxiety this change may be causing for working pet parents and their animals, and give employees the support they and their pets need during this transitional period.
If you’re ready to support your employees’ care needs, including pet care, contact our team of Care experts to learn more.
