When we first launched Uber Pet in March this year, never did we think that pet ownership would skyrocket and become an antidote to the stresses and loneliness of a pandemic. 

In fact, 1 in 2 Aussies say they or someone they know has purchased or adopted a furry friend while working from home amid COVID-19. Whether we adopted our own or saw a colleague’s furry friend pop up on our virtual team meetings, pets have helped a lot of us get through the work from home grind.

Now, as cities open back up and Australians begin moving again, many believe it’s time for our workplaces (and not just our home offices) to be more pet friendly. 

Research by PureProfile conducted for Uber Australia has revealed that around 3 in 5 Aussies believe pets make the workplace better.

When asked what the biggest benefits to having your furry friends with you from nine-to-five, the findings showed:

  • 62% of Aussies believe pets in the workplace help boost their mental health
  • Gen Zs across the country are the biggest believers in pet therapy, with more than 3 in 5 stating that a flexible pet policy is the number one way to improve mental health in the office 
  • 1 in 5 Aussies said pets in the workplace help decrease stress so they don’t have to worry about their pets being lonely at home after months of lockdown
  • Around 1 in 10 Aussies believe having furry friends in the office helps build team rapport and positive relationships

The research comes as Uber data shows the number of Uber Pet trips has increased by around a quarter since June, with 1 in 5 Uber Pet trips now happening during weekday commuter hours.

While Uber data shows people are already taking their furry friends to the office, the research shows more Aussies want the option. 4 in 10 say their workplace doesn’t allow pets and 25% say they are concerned by a lack of safe transport options to get their furry friends to and from work. 

“When we launched Uber Pet, we really expected it to be something people used mainly on weekends. To see now that 20% of Uber Pet trips are happening during the weekday commute was really startling. It showed us people had a use case for the product that we just didn’t expect,” said Uber’s Amanda Gilmore. 

“Uber Pet can help solve the transport problem, but as the research shows, there’s a real need for flexible pet policies as well, both for pet owners adapting to the work day without their furry friends, and for their pets to transition to being used to being home alone again,” Ms Gilmore said. 

“With workplaces across Australia looking for ways to entice people back to the office – perhaps a flexible pet policy is the way to go!”  

About the research:

Uber surveyed over 1,000 Australians, aged 18 to 65+, in collaboration with PureProfile to learn more about the reasoning behind the pet surge during lockdown and to understand the changing nature of the workplace. PureProfile collects and crunches feedback from millions of surveyors and turns these numbers into valuable insights. 

Uber Pet is now available to Australians in capital and large regional cities across Australia.