Featured Partner
Elevating Employee Wellness with Pet-Friendly Policies
HABRI and PetPartners Insurance (PPI) recognize the importance of the human-animal bond and its impact on both human and animal health, which is why we partnered together with Cohen Research Group (CRG) to conduct a survey of Human Resources (HR) professionals to advance the understanding of the human-animal bond with a specific focus on the importance of pet-friendly benefits and pet policies in U.S. workplaces.
We surveyed 1,021 HR professionals working for medium or large companies in the United States and Canada about their experiences with and perceptions of pet-inclusive workplace policies and pet-related voluntary benefits. By design, half of the respondents work at companies currently offering pet health insurance to their employees and half did not offer it to them.
HR Professionals See the Value of Pet-Friendly Benefits
- The Human-Animal Bond is Strong Among HR Professionals: 95% of HR professionals say they would do whatever they can to ensure their pet lives a healthy life, 94% of HR professionals believe their pet is an important member of the family, and 90% of senior HR leaders say if their pet required extensive veterinary care, they would spend whatever it takes
- Improved Mental Health Benefits and Personal Well-Being from Pets: 96% of respondents reported personally experiencing improved health from owning a pet – either mental, physical, or both. Furthermore, 82% have seen/heard firsthand employee mental health benefits of pet ownership and 81% believe pets can improve employee mental health – this rises to 95% for Gen Z HR professionals.
- Pet-Friendly Culture Matters: 87% of HR professionals believe offering pet insurance is a good way for the company to show care and concern for employees and their families – this rises to 91% for senior leaders specifically.
- Recruitment and Retention Spikes: 82% of HR professionals believe being/becoming pet friendly will help to recruit and retain the best talent – this rises to 85% for Millennial HR professionals.
There is a Clear Need for More Acknowledgement of Pets
Underestimation of Pet Owning Employees: Despite 90% of HR professionals surveyed being pet owners and 72% having pet insurance themselves, respondents estimated only 53% of employees have pets demonstrating a significant underestimation of the interest and need for pet-friendly benefits.
Lack of Pet-Friendly Discussions at Work: While 96% of HR professionals have personally experienced improved health from owning a pet. and discussed the health benefits of pets with friends (65%) and family (58%), they’re less likely to bring those discussions into the workplace with colleagues (45%), their boss/supervisor (21%), or leadership (19%).
The Human-Animal Bond is a Driver for Pet-Friendly Benefits
Awareness of The Human-Animal Bond is High: Among all respondents, 7 in 10 are aware of research on the health benefits of the human-animal bond – and senior HR leaders are more aware than their middle managers.
Awareness of The Human-Animal Bond Drives Interest in Pet-Friendly Benefits: HR professionals who are aware of human-animal bond scientific research are significantly more likely to personally believe in offering pet insurance to employees, representing 85% of those surveyed.
These results show a strong desire from HR professionals to be inclusive of pet-related voluntary benefits. HABRI is proud to partner with OnePack by PetPartners to show how beneficial it is to have a complete benefits package that cares for our four-legged family members.
Read More
Read our survey of HR professionals, the ROI of pet insurance, and more about meeting the needs of today’s workforce on the PetPartners website.
PetPartners Insurance, a company that has boasted pet-friendly policies for over a decade, created Dogs at Work, a step-by-step guide to help more employers make their workplace dog friendly.
Download the Survey
This presentation provides an in-depth overview of the survey created by HABRI and PPI, in partnership with Cohen Research Group (CRG), of Human Resources (HR) professionals to advance the understanding of the human-animal bond with a specific focus on the importance of pet-friendly benefits and pet policies in U.S. workplaces.
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