Pets At Work Day - August 4th

Pets At Work Day - August 4th

Nestlé Purina Petcare will unite people and their pets at work on August 4 for Australia's annual -Pets At Work Day', because, put simply – we're better together.

Research conducted by Purina has found that when pets are at work, 52 per cent of employees say they smile more, 48 per cent find work to be friendlier and almost a third believe they are more productive*.

Purina General Manager, Nicole Battistessa, said pets can transform a work environment.

'Pets reduce stress, bring people together, boost employee engagement and even encourage regular breaks and exercise," Ms Battistessa said.

'I often bring my dog Scooby to work as he's the best stress reliever and I see firsthand how he brings joy to everyone who comes to my office. I believe people come to see him more than me some days."

On 4 August, Purina is calling on Australian workplaces to celebrate the terrific contribution our furry workmates make by allowing workers to bring their pets to work, or take the first step to investigate how their workplace can introduce a pet-friendly policy.

Ms Battistessa stressed an open-door, all-in approach to pets in the workplace isn't the right way to start.

For that reason, Purina has developed a -Pet-Friendly Office Toolkit' at Purina -Pets At Work' to help employees and employers prepare for a pet-friendly workplace by having a well-thought through policy and an induction process for all staff members.

Animal behaviourist, Dr Jo Righetti, said pets play a huge role in our lives and for many owners and their pets long work days apart can be difficult, and sometimes even stressful.

'Allowing workers to bring their pets with them as they work provides pets with the company and mental stimulation that they crave, while their owner and their colleagues benefit from the well-researched advantages of having pets in the workplace," Dr Righetti said.

Purina's research showed:
Almost 30 per cent of Australian workers report that their workplace is already pet-friendly, with a quarter of office workers reporting that they have the option to bring their pet to work with them.
Workers reported pet-friendly workplaces were in sectors as diverse as hospitality, retail, factories and warehouses - while those who work from home unsurprisingly lead on pet-friendly workplaces!
In offices where pets are allowed, almost nine out of ten (88 per cent) employees agree they have a moderate to very positive impact on their work environment.
Almost all (88 per cent) of those who've worked in a pet-friendly workplace say they would view a pet-friendly policy as a perk offered by any future employer.
Having to leave a pet at home is stopping many Australians from becoming pet owners.
Almost a quarter of non-dog owners (23 per cent) said they would be more likely to consider getting a dog, and 13 per cent of non-cat owners would be more likely to consider a cat if their office was pet-friendly.
Workplaces are encouraged to share pictures of workers and their pets via #bettertogether and #petsatwork.