How Pet Insurance Can Support Employee Wellness

HR teams have poured millions into meditation apps, EAPs, and wellness programs. Yet employee mental health remains stubbornly strained. Nearly eight in ten workers still report workplace stress¹, and in a Gallup survey of people who voluntarily left their jobs in the past year, 42% said their manager or organization could have taken actions that would have made them stay.²

Meanwhile, there's a mental health solution hiding in plain sight—one that 89% of people say provides greater emotional support than counselors, friends, or even family members.³ And it's not a new app or program—it's the pet lying at their feet.

Research shows pets provide consistent, judgment-free support that rivals—or even surpasses—human relationships. When people experiencing grief compared sources of support, 89% rated pets as helpful versus just 40% for family members.³ Study author Joanne Cacciatore observed that while humans often backed away from those in distress, pets showed up differently: "They came from the living room into the dining room and sat next to them and put their head in their lap."

For HR leaders under pressure to address stress, retention, and engagement, pet-inclusive benefits offer a simple, high-ROI lever hiding in plain sight.

Why traditional programs fall short

Data and survey sentiments among HR teams suggest that wellness vendors often overpromise and tend to underdeliver. Fewer than one in three HR leaders trust ROI claims from their providers¹, and utilization is chronically low. SHRM reports median EAP usage hovering around just 5.5%.⁴ Digital health apps also see steep engagement drop-offs within weeks after download.⁵ The people who need help the most are often the least likely to engage.

Even when they’re used, these programs emphasize clinical fixes but miss the need for daily, stigma-free support. Social connection is one of the most powerful buffers against stress,⁶ and pets deliver exactly that.

The science of pets as mental health support

In a 2022 American Heart Association survey, a whopping 95% of pet owners said they rely on their pets for stress relief⁷. The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) estimates reduced doctor visits among pet owners save $15 billion annually, with total healthcare savings potentially topping $22.7 billion when including benefits tied to obesity, anxiety, and other conditions.⁸

And this isn’t just about physical health. Pets provide emotional constancy at a level human support networks often can’t. That steady presence—no judgment, no stigma—is exactly what struggling employees need.

The business case

Now we get to the disconnect: roughly 95% of owners say their pets are family,⁹ yet benefits frameworks rarely treat them that way. Human family members are supported through leave policies, insurance, and flexibility, while pet family members are rarely acknowledged.

Employees notice. A HABRI–PetPartners survey found 78% of senior leaders would make major life changes, including job moves, to accommodate their pets.¹⁰ Purina research shows 72% of pet owners working from home would accept a job offer from a pet-friendly employer over a non-pet-friendly employer, assuming salary and all other benefits are equal.¹¹

Retention is at stake here, too, especially when 88% of surveyed benefits leaders say mental health benefits boost retention.¹ And companies offering pet insurance are already seeing results: HR professionals at these organizations report higher job satisfaction (84% vs. 78%) and stronger benefits satisfaction (82% vs. 74%) than those without.¹⁰ Few single-benefit changes deliver that kind of lift.

A few practical steps for HR leaders

Pet-inclusive benefits don’t have to be complex (as they’re often assumed to be). Start simply by looking through a “pet lens” at your current programs:

Insurance: The best pet insurance products can now cover preventive care, prescriptions, accidents, and even 24/7 tele-vet support.

Flexibility: Allow remote work for vet visits, or offer “pawternity leave” for new adoptions.

Recognition: Integrate pets into wellness challenges or recognition programs to normalize the role they play in employees’ lives.

Compassion: Offer one to three days of bereavement leave for pet loss, a benefit more employers are adopting as they recognize grief is grief, no matter the family member.

The message these policies send—we see you, and we understand the life you’re balancing—is as valuable as the practical support itself.

Stress, burnout, and employee retention are urgent challenges that HR teams face every day. Traditional wellness investments too often underdeliver while the vast majority of employees already turn to their pets for daily support. By extending benefits to reflect that reality, employers can unlock a powerful lever for wellbeing and loyalty. Sometimes the most effective innovations aren’t new at all. They’re right there at our feet.

References:

Grasso, J. (2025). Workforce mental health in 2025: Key trends employers can't afford to ignore. BenefitsPro. https://www.benefitspro.com/2025/01/31/workforce-mental-health-in-2025-key-trends-employers-cant-afford-to-ignore/
Gallup. (2024, July 9). 42% of Employee Turnover Is Preventable but Often Ignored. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/646538/employee-turnover-preventable-often-ignored.aspx
Bradley, L. (2024). Pets Are Better at Grief Support Than People, Study Says. Kinship. https://www.kinship.com/pet-lifestyle/grief-support-pets-vs-people
Miller, S. (2019). Companies seek to boost low usage of employee assistance programs. SHRM. https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/hr-magazine/companies-seek-to-boost-low-usage-employee-assistance-programs
Kopka, M., et al. (2023). Exploring how informed mental health app selection may impact user engagement and satisfaction. PLOS Digital Health. https://journals.plos.org/digitalhealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pdig.0000219
Ozbay, F., et al. (2007). Social support and resilience to stress. Psychiatry (Edgmont), 4(5), 35–40. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2921311/
American Heart Association. (2022). New survey: 95% of pet parents rely on their pet for stress relief. https://newsroom.heart.org/news/new-survey-95-of-pet-parents-rely-on-their-pet-for-stress-relief
Human Animal Bond Research Institute. (n.d.). Health Care Cost Savings of Pet Ownership. https://habri.org/health-care-cost-savings/
Human Animal Bond Research Institute. (2023). International Human Animal Bond Survey. https://habri.org/international-hab-survey/
Human Animal Bond Research Institute & PetPartners. (2024). How pet-inclusive benefits drive employee engagement, retention, and positive workplace culture. https://d3544la1u8djza.cloudfront.net/OnePack/resources/US-habri-small.pdf
Purina. (2021). U.S. employees eager to help pets win a permanent spot in the workplace. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-employees-eager-to-help-pets-win-a-permanent-spot-in-the-workplace-301337724.html