In 2026, workforce stress, disengagement, and retention pressures remain persistent concerns for employers. At the same time, pet ownership in the United States remains widespread, with a majority of households owning at least one companion animal and nearly all pet owners describing their pets as family members, according to recent Pew Research Center data. For many employees, pets are not peripheral. They are central to daily emotional life and household stability.
Research in human-animal interaction has linked companion animal relationships to measurable physiological and psychological effects, including reductions in cortisol, increases in oxytocin, and improved stress regulation. These effects are associated with emotional resilience, social bonding, and mental well-being showing why the human-animal bond is an increasingly relevant dimension of employee experience.
This session explores how pet-supportive workplace strategies can be integrated into broader wellbeing and talent initiatives. Going beyond “bring your dog to work,” the discussion will examine employee pet ownership support, including pet insurance, flexible scheduling, bereavement leave, telehealth access for pets, and thoughtful pet-friendly workplace policies. Attendees will leave with practical guidance on how to adopt pet-supportive strategies aligned with workforce needs and organizational cultures.
Why now?
Pet ownership surged during and after the pandemic period and remains elevated. At the same time, employers continue to invest in mental health and retention strategies. As organizations reassess well-being portfolios in 2026, supporting employee pet ownership is emerging as a culturally relevant and psychologically grounded area worth structured evaluation.
What attendees will learn:
- What current research says about the physiological and psychological impact of human-animal interaction
- How pet ownership connects to stress regulation, social bonding, and mental wellbeing
- The range of pet-supportive policies beyond pet-friendly offices
- Implementation considerations, including risk management, culture fit, and equity
- Practical steps HR leaders can take to assess interest and feasibility within their workforce
Meet the Presenters
-
Steven Van Yoder
Steven Van Yoder is Co-Founder of the Returns on Wellbeing Institute (ROWI), a strategic advisory firm that helps organizations improve workforce wellbeing to achieve strategic business outcomes. ROWI develops actionable, real-world frameworks that help HR leaders, companies, and industry associations build effective well-being strategies that boost bottom line. ROWI also conducts original research, such as the Workplace Wellness: Best Practices Study, which analyzedand validated leading employer wellness programs. Its work has appeared in CNBC, SHRM, Harvard Business Review, HR Executive, World at Work, Chief Executiveand Corporate Board Member.
-
Mark Cushing
Mark Cushing is the Author of Pet Nation, which explores the economic, cultural, and policy forces behind the rise of pets as integral family members—an evolution that increasingly shapes how people live, spend, and work. Cushing brings a policy and economic perspective to the growing role of pets in people’s lives, and what that shift means for employers seeking to better understand and support today’s workforce. He is also the Founder and Managing Partner of Animal Policy Group, with offices in Arizona, Oregon, Minnesota and Texas. His firm advises a wide range of veterinary, animal health, and pet industry organizations on strategy, public policy, and regulatory issues across North America. Since 2004, Cushing has specialized in animal health, veterinary medicine, and animal welfare policy, providing high-level strategic counsel, lobbying, and regulatory guidance to clients operating at the state and federal levels, as well as to universities and industry groups. He has led multiple industry coalitions and played a key role in advancing veterinary education, including guiding successful AVMA accreditations for a growing number of veterinary colleges. A frequent speaker animal policy conferences, he also serves as an adjunct professor of law at Lincoln Memorial University’s Duncan School of Law, Lewis & Clark Law School, and the University of Oregon School of Law.
SHRM certification has approved this webinar for 1 PDC toward SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP recertification. A program code will be provided at the end of the webinar.