In the stress of a world returning to a new normal, people are suffering from anxieties about their health and their future. One of the ways that people can improve their mental health is by adopting a pet. Pets have many mental health benefits and have helped their owners through the recent macro-changes in health and at work.
Petting an animal can feel soothing and interacting with an animal decreases levels of cortisol in your system. Cortisol is a hormone that is related to stress and it can make you feel edgy and jangly, affect your memory, and your ability to focus. Petting your furry friend can help you calm anxieties brought on by stressful situations.
The companionship a dog or cat offers can give their personal feelings of stability and safety. Caring for their needs makes you feel needed and wanted. A pet is another soul to share your day with.
Dogs need to be walked multiple times a day which gets their person out the door and into the fresh air. The exercise helps their concentration and frame of mind and has the side effect of promoting heart health.
Pets also help their owners engage with their day through the added routine. In the morning the pet needs feeding and then walking. Mid-day a dog would like to go for a walk again and the cat may want playtime. Later in the day, the animal will need feeding and tending. These small acts can ground a person. Focusing on another’s needs can help ease depression or anxiety.
There are so many benefits to having a pet that it’s not surprising so many people adopted during the pandemic and that companies like Wagmo offer pet wellness programs.
Pets in a World of Remote Work
With the understanding that employees can be even more productive at home (up to 47%), business leaders have made the decision to allow hybrid or continued remote work situations post-pandemic.
Many employees moved out of major urban areas during the pandemic and are hoping not to have to return to the high costs and the bustle. Certainly, the spiraling costs associated with commuting are becoming a real issue. Employees want hybrid work situations. In one study, at least half the respondents wanted to work over half of their hours from home.
Another reason employees want to work from home is their pets. During the pandemic, 1 in 5 American households adopted a pet. Those pets are still there, pandemic or not, and 85% of those households are planning to keep their pandemic pups and kitties. Many of these pets expect their person to be home most of the time.
Employees don’t want the guilt of leaving their furry friends at home alone or in a kennel situation. But also, the added costs of commuting might make it difficult to care adequately for their pet. Many pandemic pet owners are scared to do the math because they don’t really want to know how much they are spending.
Helping Employees Afford Pet Care
Employers are aware that pet maintenance costs have increased like everything else. Their employees see these animals as beloved members of their families. No one wants to see these pets go. It’s as much about preserving employee well-being as it is about the bottom line.
As employees start their hybrid situations, employers can help their employees afford health care by offering them pet wellness employee benefits. This group approach to pet wellness allows employees to opt-in at very reasonable rates.
The Wagmo Pet Wellness benefit plans require no wait time; so employees can see benefits immediately. The plan allows employees to be reimbursed for up to $650 worth of necessary care from vet visits to immunizations and can even include grooming costs.
If you are an employer who is invested in their employees’ mental health and want to see them keep their beloved pets healthy and happy, contact us today for a demo of the Wagmo Employee Pet Wellness plans.