- August 5, 2022
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Report: Dog-friendly employers retain employees – Journal Record
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The Journal Record August 3, 2022 0
Sammy, left, and Lucy check in on Mike Sullivan, owner of Midtown Kia in Tulsa. The dogs belong to dealership manager Roger Williams, who brings them to work every day. (Courtesy photo)
Dogs could hold the key to retaining employees in today’s competitive job market, according to a new report from Forbes Advisor.
The company surveyed 2,000 employed American adults June 22-23 and found 47% of those who work in a dog-friendly office said they chose their current job because they can bring their dog to work.
Six in 10 pet owners said they left a company because they were forced to return to an office that wasn’t pet-friendly. And nearly half (48%) of remote workers who own dogs said they would work only remotely going forward so they can be home with their dog.
Midtown Kia in Tulsa welcomes dogs of both employees and customers. Manager Roger Williams brings his two small dogs – Sammy and Lucy – to work with him every day.
“There’s just always dogs at our dealership and we love it,” said Jan Lavender, who owns the dealership with her husband, Mike Sullivan, and often brings her own dogs.
“We have lot of customers who bring their dogs in, too,” Lavender said.
With the showroom, large service area and used-car area, she said there is plenty of room to keep pets separate from customers who don’t want their company.
“We’ve made it pretty clear that we’re dog-friendly,” Lavender said. “It’s just a part of who we are.”
Customers likewise are welcome to bring their pets into Stash gift shop in Norman, where dog treats await behind the counter and staff members bring their own dogs in from time to time.
Shop owner Rebecca Bean said she once worked for a woman who allowed her to bring her end-of-life dog to work, and she has extended the same courtesy to her staff. “We see pets as an extension of our own lives,” Bean said.
The pet-friendly shop has hosted vaccine/microchip clinics and adoption events. One woman came to an event with a pet iguana on her shoulder.
“You never know what you’ll find at Stash. Sometimes things get a little zany,” Bean said, adding most customers are “charmed and delighted” to find pets in the store.
June – a rescued and beloved pit bull terrier – was the shop dog for years before she died in October 2020. “She melted a lot of hearts of people who were afraid of pits,” Bean said.
The Forbes Advisor survey asked how non-pet owners feel about dog-friendly workplaces.
It found that 42% of workers who don’t own pets would like to have dogs in the office, while 16% said they would be uncomfortable with that decision and 11% said they would look for a new job if their workplace started to welcome dogs.
Recent studies show that 44% of companies are requiring employees to return to the office at least part time.
The survey asked dog owners what they would sacrifice in order to work remotely with their pets.
It found 23% would take a 10% pay cut. Men (31%) were more likely than women (19%) to accept a salary reduction if it meant they could work from home to be with their dog. That may be because federal data show women are paid 83 cents for each dollar men earn and the pay gap is even greater for women of color.
More than two-thirds (37%) of pet owners who responded were willing to sacrifice benefits such as tuition reimbursement, gym membership or free lunches in order to work from home to take care of their dog, and 21% said they would take a job that offers less paid time off.
Rebecca Bean, owner of Stash in Norman, is pictured with longtime shop dog June, a beloved rescue pit bull terrier who died in October 2020. The shop always has let employees and customers bring pets in, Bean said. (Photo by Madelyn Amacher Photography)
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