Free doggy daycare, extra time off for your birthday and ‘duvet days’: The perks being offered to employees by firms to lure them back to the office following a surge in WFH
- Switch to WFH during pandemic saw a 24 per cent rise in pet ownership
- Read more: More than 30% of work was done remotely in January
Employees are being tempted to head back to the office with offers of free dog daycare and extra time off to celebrate their birthday or have a ‘duvet day’.
The switch to working from home during the Covid-19 lockdowns saw a 24 per cent rise in pet ownership, with the number of dogs soaring from nine million pre-pandemic to more than 13 million.
As bosses worry about a slump in productivity levels, they have begun offering to pay to look after employees’ dogs during work hours or are letting pets in the office – and some are even giving additional days off.
Among those advertising roles with dog daycare include Lancashire County Council. Stationery firm Maison Papier said it now allows dogs into its London office ‘because it believes in the fun company culture associated with working alongside dogs’.
Employees are being tempted to head back to the office with offers of free dog daycare and extra time off to celebrate their birthday or have a ‘duvet day’. [File image]
The switch to working from home during the Covid-19 lockdowns saw a 24 per cent rise in pet ownership. [File image]
Other firms, such as Zetter Recruitment in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, also offer ‘a day off for your birthday’ and a ‘duvet day’ as perks.
Petra Tagg, director at recruitment firm Manpower UK, said: ‘When employers are really struggling to attract and retain talent, it’s a smart move to find ways to keep employees happy. That said, employers need to weigh up the pros and cons before they consider offering any pet-related perks.
‘They should ask, is the benefit appropriate to their business and will it have an overall positive effect?’
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