Should the Post-Pandemic Office of the Future Be Pet Friendly?

According to a new survey from Petco, 41% of people would switch jobs to go to work for a company that had a pet-friendly workplace. Obviously that’s a convenient survey result for a company that sells pet-related supplies, but the idea that workers may want to hold onto their newfound attachment to the pets they have been seeing every day as they work from home is an understandable thing. In the coming months, I expect this will spark some serious workplace debates, and more than a few hurt feelings.

I love my dog, but I don’t consider myself a dog person and generally don’t enjoy being licked (at work or otherwise). Some workers will have serious allergies to certain pets. And if you think the debates about who should clean the office microwave are bad, wait until you have pet “accidents” to argue about. Yes, bringing pets to the office is one of those ideas that seems great on the surface, until you actually start to imagine what it would really be like.