How agencies' pet policies have changed as workers return to the office

A survey by Bloomberg conducted in January found that more than half of workers would quit rather than go back into the office. Now a survey by Banfield Pet Hospital finds that nearly half of Gen Z workers and one-third of millennials would rather quit their jobs than be forced to leave their pets at home all day. Which is one reason why Sandy Greenberg, co-founder of Terri & Sandy, likes to joke that she heads up an ad agency but lately feels more like she’s running a doggy daycare. Alongside partner Terri Meyer and a contingent of creative, account and strategy people, the office is a home away from home to a French Bulldog, two Havanese, an Australian Shepherd, a Long-Haired Dachshund and a 205-pound Great Dane who likes to drink from the kitchen faucet. “While our team still dabbles in advertising, most of our time is now devoted to blissful belly rubs, games of fetch and training 101,” Greenberg said. The deadline for the 2022 Small Agency Awards is Wednesday, April 27. Submit your entry at AdAge.com/SAA2022 Americans have grown especially close to their canine cohorts during the grueling slog of the pandemic, which has seen even more people embrace pet ownership. More than 23 million U.S. households—nearly one in five—adopted an animal during COVID, according to the ASPCA. As the pandemic peters out and offices open back up, a growing number of agencies are accommodating those relationships by offering allowances for pet care and pet insurance, setting up social media accounts devoted to their furry rank and file, and welcoming animals into the workplace. It is one solution for making sure employees, especially younger ones, are happy, and keeping them from joining the Great Resignation by offering pet perks. “Anxiety is ramping up for both pet parents and pets, as the reality of returning to the office sets in,” said Paul Guyardo, CEO of Fetch by The Dodo, a pet insurance company. “We are seeing, in quite dramatic fashion, employees rethinking their employment and work expectations. They are in the driver’s seat with the asks and demands of their employers. Pet parents are no exception.” When it comes to integrating little Dixie or Spike into the workday, agency bosses are leading the way. Brent Poer, president and global client lead at Publicis Imagine—whose family added a third dog to its household during the pandemic—has begun offering his employees on-site pet daycare three days a week, plus an hour of pet group training every month. There's a "perks arms race" that's recently started trending among companies to attract high-performing talent," said Kali Wilson Beyah, global chief people officer at Huge, which has long been pet friendly. "The way we make decisions on benefits and the employee experience is broader, holistic and enduring. We're not new to dog-friendly workspaces as one of those employee experience elements. We have been and continue to be focused on building policies that recognize the whole person, recognize that the lines of life are quite gray in our new world of working, and appreciate the needed balance between work and life." Keeping pets adopted during the pandemic happy The policy at Publicis Imagine has resonated, especially with newer team members. “Our L.A. office is composed of a large population of younger, single employees who wanted companionship during the pandemic. Most are also first-time pet owners and haven’t had to figure out what to do with their new best friends for extended periods of time due to the commute, as well as the costs associated,” he said. At the end of the day, the shop’s pet policy, he said, “allows all of us to focus without the stress of worrying about our new best friends.” Garrett Garcia, president of PPK, believes allowing pets at work not only provides staffers with the flexibility and peace of mind they require, but it also boosts employee productivity and creativity. Sometimes it even figures into the work, with employees’ dogs getting pulled into photoshoots for campaigns. Two of agency Wongdoody’s three offices—Seattle and Los Angeles—are dog-friendly, as the landlords there permit it. (The building that houses its New York outpost does not allow pets, so the agency got employees there an animatronic cat.) Pets have become such an integral part of the agency’s culture that in the thick of the pandemic a “Wongdoggies” Teams channel was created to keep tabs on coworkers’ woofies. “Post-pandemic, I think [the pet-friendly office] will be even more important for our pet parents who are reluctant to be away from their companions,” said Brandy Flaherty, human resources director. At Periscope, this month is devoted to the reconnection with the workplace — and that includes employees’ four-legged friends. “For the humans, it’s a big ‘first day of school’ vibe while we relearn how to spontaneously socialize with one another, and the same easing back in process goes for our doggo friends, too, especially the pandemic pups,” said Jaima Clavette, executive director of operations and project management office. The agency’s parent company, Quad, has started offering pet insurance through MetLife as an employee benefit. Happy hours for dogs McKinney, which plans to welcome dogs back to the office this summer, also provides pet insurance through Nationwide, in addition to operating a McKDogs Slack channel and sending a welcome package to staffers whenever they adopt a pet, according to Chief People Officer Sue Roche. Some agencies remain doggy-centric even at a distance. While employees are still remote, Good Apple continues to foster a serious pet culture, marking National Dog Day with a virtual pet show and tell, offering discounts on pet insurance and products from popular pet retailers, and encouraging payment of the “pet tax” (meaning that whenever someone mentions a pet to a colleague, they are required to show a picture of said fur baby). The company plans to reinstitute its “Bring Your Dog to Work Day,” when canine coworkers are treated to a spa day and a dog food tasting while team members gather for happy hour at a dog-friendly bar — an event her dog, Bagel, always looks forward to, said Director of Brand Rachel Rasmussen. Despite the benefits, a pet-friendly workplace is not without its drama. Understanding that not all dogs are going to be friends, Wongdoody manages pups that might have a beef with one another with a calendar where employees can coordinate when to bring their pets to work. Jeff Sweat, whose PR firm Sweat + Co. reps agencies like Observatory and The Third Eye, recalls a former employer of his, an agency, where dogs would bark and whine, creating a disruption. One colleague’s untrained baby Great Dane presented special challenges, he recalled. A self-proclaimed dog lover, Sweat didn’t exactly have the best experience when he took his own pooch to work—she relieved herself in front of the receptionist. “When we bring dogs in, we’re sort of bringing our personal life into other people’s personal spaces, and I think we need to be careful about that,” Sweat said. “People want their dogs in the workplace, but not all dogs want to be in the workplace.” The deadline for the 2022 Small Agency Awards is Wednesday, April 27. Submit your entry at AdAge.com/SAA2022

How agencies' pet policies have changed as workers return to the office

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