Could adding some "ruff" make returning to offices a little less rough?
That's what the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is suggesting with the release of a poll last week that found 92% of pet owners in favor of pet-friendly office policies.
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"The poll makes clear that now is the time for employers to start thinking about developing pet friendly office policies as both a recruiting and retention incentive," said Kara Holmquist, MSPCA-Angell's director of advocacy, in a statement.
The survey of 500 MSPCA-Angell email list subscribers, released Thursday, also found just over half of respondents would consider a new job with a more pet-friendly office, though only 4% are actively looking to make the move. About 1 in 5 didn't want to change jobs for a more pet-friendly workplace.
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The benefits of pets at work may sound better in the abstract than in practice. A study of five companies published last year in the journal Animals found that having a dog at work brings people in the office together but also brings a level of stress: "Interviewees often compared dogs with having a child, regarding the extra responsibility of taking care of a helpless dependent."
