PM Insight podcast special: Are dog-friendly offices the future of the workplace?

With an estimated 3.2 million UK households getting new pets in lockdown, PM Insight and Purina discuss whether more employers should be thinking about letting staff bring their dogs to work

In this special People Management Insight podcast episode, a panel of experts explores what post-lockdown working looks like, and the focus on employers to create safe, welcoming and supportive workplaces. One in five Brits could already bring their dog to work before the pandemic – and given the recent increase in pet ownership, many new owners will be looking to their employers to see if they can provide a dog-friendly office environment in future.

Listen on as host Elizabeth Howlett, staff writer at People Management, speaks with Dr Holly Patrick, lecturer in HR management at Edinburgh Napier University; Jo Hemmings, behavioural and media psychologist; and Gemma Gillingham, consumer service manager at Purina, about how progressive, feel-good HR initiatives, such as creating dog-friendly spaces could help ease the way back to workplace for Britain’s animal lovers.

In this podcast episode, in partnership with Purina, the panel discusses:

  • The benefits of working with our dogs around
  • Why HR teams should be considering dog-friendly working policies right now
  • How implementing a dog-friendly policy could benefit your organisation and workforce
  • What employers need to think about when considering allowing dogs into the workplace
  • Some of the barriers to having pets in offices

This special edition podcast episode was produced by Wavecast and Ash Garwood.