Why Supporting Pet Parents Is an Overlooked Employee Wellbeing Opportunity

Organizations once focused primarily on traditional healthcare benefits and physical wellness initiatives. Today, wellbeing strategies have expanded to include mental wellbeing, financial wellness, caregiving support, emotional health, and programs designed to help employees manage the realities of everyday life. This evolution reflects a broader understanding of what drives employee engagement, productivity, and satisfaction. Employers increasingly recognize that employees do not separate their personal lives from their professional lives. One area gaining increasing attention is pet ownership.

According to Employ Borderless Research, 71% of U.S. households now own a pet, representing approximately 94 million homes. Research also shows that 97% of pet owners consider their pets to be members of the family. Historically, workplace discussions about family responsibilities focused primarily on children, spouses, and aging parents. Today, concerns about pets often carry emotional weight similar to concerns about other family members.

For millions of employees, pets are not simply companions. They are family members, daily responsibilities, and an important source of emotional connection. In fact, 97% of pet owners consider their pets members of the family. This deep emotional bond helps explain why concerns about a pet's wellbeing can influence how employees feel throughout the workday. Research shows that more than 80% of pet owners worry about leaving their pets home alone. Additionally, 47% of pet owners report experiencing separation anxiety themselves when away from their pets.

When employees are concerned about a pet's wellbeing, those concerns do not disappear when they arrive at work. According to a 2024 Wagmo survey, 65% of working pet owners report being extremely or very distracted at work when their pet is sick. The same research found that 75% of working pet parents missed at least one day of work due to pet care responsibilities, while working pet parents take an average of 7.3 days off annually for pet health issues. These findings demonstrate that pet-related concerns are not isolated events. For many employees, they represent recurring realities that can influence workplace experience throughout the year.

Organizations are no longer evaluating benefits solely based on cost or utilization. They are also examining how benefits contribute to employee experience, engagement, retention, and overall workforce wellbeing. According to recent research, 56% of working pet parents have considered changing jobs to gain access to better pet-related benefits. Additionally, 65% of employees say pet-related benefits are important when evaluating a job opportunity.

Modern wellbeing strategies are increasingly built around a simple principle: employees bring their whole lives to work. For millions of employees, pets are part of that equation. As pet ownership continues to grow, support for pet parents is becoming an increasingly relevant part of that broader conversation.

The future of employee wellbeing will likely be defined by personalization, relevance, and a deeper understanding of what matters most to employees. For a workforce where pet ownership is now the norm rather than the exception, supporting pet parents represents a meaningful opportunity to evolve wellbeing strategies in a way that reflects modern life.