In 2020 pet sales soared and animal shelters across the U.S. were nearly empty as people sheltered in place amid the coronavirus pandemic. Now, after spending a year with their “quarantine pets” remote employees and companies are looking at the possibility of returning to the office with their four-legged coworkers by their side. About 60% of executives are considering pet-friendly policies and 42% of executives believe that a progressive pet policy will coax employees back into the office.
Reasons why companies are considering pro-pet policies
Potentially get employees back into the office sooner
Attract top talent that are pet owners
Keep employees more active
Increase productivity and contentment among employees
Expand creativity, resulting in less stress and more exercise
Of course with all “pro” lists there is also a “con” list. Pet-friendly offices will only work if the pets are friendly to the people and the other pets in the office. Pets in the office can also be distractions, messy, and noisy. Needless to say, companies that are considering a pet-friendly office should put together thorough guidelines for employees who bring along their four-legged coworkers.
What do you mean I might not be able to bring my dog into the office?
As companies look to expand their pet policies, they should also check to make sure their building is pet-friendly before giving their employees the green light to bring in four-legged coworkers. While there are many office buildings that are pet-friendly, most class A multi-tenant office spaces aren’t.
What are landlords saying about pets in the office?
What we have discovered with many office landlords in the Atlanta area, is that pets aren't so much allowed as they are tolerated.
Jennifer Koontz the Managing Director of Leasing and Advisory Services at Pope & Land Real Estate oversees the leasing of over 1.7 million square feet of office space in the surrounding Atlanta area. Koontz stated that: "Typically we do not allow pets in the buildings, though we have one building that we have allowed small dogs with very strict guidelines. (In this case, this was a major negotiation point that allowed us to sign the lease with a major tenant, at the height of the recession). However, I would not consider this a pet-friendly building since no one else is allowed to bring pets to the office. We have another building that we purchased and it previously allowed dogs, so we needed to adopt a “Don’t ask, Don’t tell policy, where we look the other way when people bring them in."
Alexis Easterling, an Associate at JLL, represents about 2 million square feet of office space in the Atlanta area. Easterling stated that: “Most buildings I work on are not pet-friendly inside the building’s premises. However, I just recently started working with a flexible offering partner, WeWork, and most of their spaces are pet-friendly, pending that the building they are operating in allows for this use.
I think pet policies are heavily weighted towards what image or user the Landlord is targeting for their asset(s). There’s a large difference in sophisticated, professional service users wanting an upscale feel versus start-ups that attract young, creative talent in a more relaxed environment.``
The Bottomline
Amid the mental health and burnout crisis companies are currently facing, making every day “bring your pet to work day” can improve morale, reduce stress, prompt creativity, and so much more. Implementing guidelines and receiving permission from your landlord is advised to mitigate any issues when expanding an office pet policy.
If you’re in the market for pet-friendly office space, we would love to help you find the perfect place. Wildmor, is your business in the right PAWlace?
