Cheil helps employees celebrate International Dog Day with their furry-friends

(Pictured L-R: Managing partner Mark Anderson with Louie, senior art director Alina Bendeli with Vincent and senior account manager Vivek Thakkar with Giddy, celebrating International Dog Day at Cheil’s office on Holt St in Surry Hills.)

Data-inspired, CX agency, Cheil is celebrating International Dog Day in its new pet-friendly office in Surry Hills. It is part of its continued focus on people and culture and ongoing efforts to evolve where and how people work, following the impacts and changes caused by the pandemic.

According to La Trobe University, Pet ownership increased by about 10 per cent during the pandemic, with almost 70% of households now owning a pet, taking the number of pets nationally to over 30 million.

Says Mark Anderson, managing partner, Cheil: “The world has changed, and we must change with it. We understand people’s responsibilities and expectations have evolved in recent years, so not only are we offering flexibility with where our employees work, we’re also finding ways to support them when they’re in the office too. We understand it is not always possible to leave our four-legged friends at home, and daycare costs can soon add up, so our new home in the heart of Surry Hills is our designated ‘Dog-friendly’ office.”

The Cheil team love their furry friends so much they are currently building a dedicated Pet Corner to keep their pups entertained during the day.

Says Anderson: “It’s just another effort by the business to evolve how we prioritise the needs and changing expectations of our employees to support them at work, following other recent changes including new Work from Home policies and increased health and wellness subsidies.”

Says Alina Bendeli (above), senior art director, Cheil: “The creative team loves it when I bring little Vinnie to work. He is an absolute joy to everyone and always boosts team morale. Benefits like this can be game changing and it distinguishes Cheil from any other employer I have worked with in the past. By bringing Vincent to work, I no longer pay to take him to doggy daycare, so I save a substantial amount of money in the long term, which is needed now more than ever for my family and kids with the increased cost of living caused by rising inflation.”

Cheil poses the question, is it time more workplaces and retailers started to accommodate pets into their environments? With retailers constantly trying to find new ways to reinvent themselves and attract more shoppers into their physical stores, is it time the barrier was brought down to attract more shoppers?

A number of retailers in the UK have already been trialing this following a staggering 3.2 million households reportedly acquiring a pet during the first year of COVID, and more than half of these new pet owners aged between 16 and 34, according to The Conversation.

More locally, Westfield has collaborated with Hanrob at its Warringah Mall to offer onsite dog sitting and day care services for shoppers. These new initiatives are a great way to help entice people who enjoy the social benefits of physical shopping back to their stores whom would otherwise be restricted due to store policies prohibiting non-service dogs.