The number of job seekers expressing a preference for roles at companies with ‘dog-friendly’ offices has spiked between Christmas day and the week prior, thanks to puppy gifting over the holidays.
Between the 25th and 31st December, the number of job seekers expressing a preference for roles which come with a dog-friendly workplace increased by 58 percent compared to the week prior, according to flexible work specialists Flexa Careers.
Also, 19 percent of users job-hunting from Christmas day up until New Year’s Eve said that they would prefer a role which came with a ‘dog-friendly’ office.
This was up from 12 percent of users who expressed a preference for dog-friendly workplaces between the 18th and 24th December.
Dog-friendly offices: yay or nay?
December traditionally sees a spike in UK households welcoming new puppies or dogs. The Dog’s Trust has previously reported that online searches for puppies can rise by up to 44 percent in the run-up to Christmas.
But their need for regular walks, company, and, in the early days, house training, means pet ownership can often be incompatible with 9-5 office culture. Now, we’ve seen an increasing number of companies have been responding by ensuring staff can bring pooches into the office.
Molly Johnson-Jones, CEO & co-founder of Flexa Careers (and owner of dog Gruff), comments:
“Getting a new puppy at this time of year is really common, but lots of people underestimate the day-to-day responsibilities that come with dog ownership. Having a genuinely flexible job or being able to take your dog into the office can therefore make a huge difference to people with new pups. I’m not at all surprised to see the number of searches for dog-friendly workplaces spike so quickly from Christmas day onwards. More and more people are putting flexibility at the heart of their job search; they’re not willing to conform to rigid workplace expectations anymore, especially when flexibility improves productivity and work-life balance. Companies who are recognising this are attracting more talent as a result.”
Michelle Wood, HR Business Partner at Sift, comments:
“I believe having a dog-friendly office is great for staff morale, our people love it when we have a dog join us for the day and the dogs get showered with attention. For me, dog-friendly offices have so many benefits. The first is the most obvious, who doesn’t love a dog?! On a more serious note, having the dogs in the office really helps reduce stress, and being a sense of calm to an office, they’re also great at making sure people are getting up out of their chairs semi-regularly and getting out for some fresh air.
“Taking the dog out in between calls really helps me switch off for 5 minutes, and de-stress before my next call. It also removed the stress of leaving the dog at home for long periods of time or the cost side of having to get a dog walker in during the day to make sure they’re not alone – being able to bring them along makes life so much easier when we do need or want to be in the office to connect with colleagues.”
