On the eve of Bring Your Dog To Work Day, Petcare company Purina hosted a ‘Cuddle Club’ to allow dogs and employees to cuddle at lunchtime, highlighting the benefits that its Pets at Work (PAW) scheme brings.
The ‘Cuddle Club’ follows on from a successful first session held in May, during Mental Health Awareness Week.
Purina, a Nestlé business, invited employees at Nestlé’s Gatwick Head Office to get together to cuddle one of many four-legged furry friends who were there on the day.
Gemma Gillingham, Nestlé Purina Pets at Work Lead, said: “Seeing colleagues in the wider business take time out of a busy day to sit down and relax with the dogs was really special – and my dogs loved the attention too!
“Having a Pets At Work scheme offers a multitude of benefits to both our business and our employees. Our research shows ‘canine colleagues’ can be a huge help in tackling workplace stress and anxiety.
“Allowing pets in the workplace also enables employers to offer an additional attractive benefit to employees…with so many people, especially in the Millennial and Gen Z age groups, acquiring a new furry friend during the pandemic, being able to bring their dogs to work can help owners keep the costs of dog ownership down, by reducing the need for dog walkers or doggy day care. This is especially important at a time when many pet owners are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis and the increased pressure it is putting on owners’ ability to care for their dogs.
“We are encouraging all businesses to consider signing up to being pet-friendly.”
Purina believes pets and people are better together and its PAW scheme has been running since 2003. It allows employees to bring their dogs into work every day if they wish to do so, to experience a whole range of paw-sitive benefits.
Research by Purina revealed inviting pets into the office could help improve mental wellbeing in the workplace.
• 40% of people with pets at work say it enhances work-life balance
• 24% of people with pets at work say it improves relationships in the workplace
• 45% of people with pets at work say it creates a more relaxed atmosphere
• 50% of employees without a pets at work scheme would see it as a benefit
Purina commissioned the study in 2017 as part of its Pets at Work (PAW) scheme, encouraging more workplaces to become pet friendly.
About Nestlé Purina PetCare (UK & Ireland)
Purina PetCare EMENA (Europe, Middle East, North Africa) believes that pets and people are better together and is committed to helping pets live longer, happier and healthier lives through proper nutrition and care. For over 125 years, Purina has been one of the pioneers in providing nutritious and palatable products made to the highest standards of quality and safety. The Purina portfolio includes many of the best-known and best-loved pet foods including FELIX®, Purina ONE®, Gourmet® and Purina PRO PLAN®.
Purina’s passion for pets goes beyond the advancement of pet nutrition and in 2016 Purina PetCare Europe launched the 10 Purina in Society commitments to have a positive impact on pets and society, including promoting pet adoption, pets in the workplace and helping to reduce the risk of pet obesity.
A premiere global manufacturer of pet products, Purina PetCare is part of Swiss-based Nestlé S.A., a global leader in nutrition, health and wellness.
For more information, visit the Purina website: www.purina.co.uk
About Purina PetCare UK’s Pets at Work Scheme
Purina PetCare UK’s Pets at Work Scheme has been running since 2003 and they created the Pets at Work Alliance in order to encourage more businesses become dog friendly. By joining the Alliance, which is completely free, Purina will support companies to become dog friendly and share a range of materials including a Pets at Work Toolkit, based on their own experiences, to help other businesses become dog friendly.
The toolkit contains six easy steps to set-up a successful Pets at Work scheme, as well as health and safety advice, responsible pet ownership guidelines and education and advice on workspace requirements.
To find out how they can get involved, companies or employees should visit https://www.purina.co.uk/our-impact/pets-at-work
About Nestlé
Nestlé is the world’s largest food and beverage company. With more than 2,000 brands ranging from global icons to local favourites, we are present in 191 countries around the world.
Nestlé UK press office: nestleukpressoffice@uk.nestle.com / 020 8667 6005.
Follow our UK and Ireland team www.nestle.co.uk
Follow us on Twitter @NestleUKI
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