Remote-Workers and Their Furry Co-Workers: A Multimethod Exploration of New Avenues for Work-Related Exhaustion and Job Satisfaction

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic fast-tracked the remote-working trend and placed many employees in a unique situation: conducting work in the presence of household pets. Despite research on pet-friendly workplaces, little work is available on the impact pets may have on remote-working owners. A simultaneous multimethod study was conducted to explore the impact of pets on remote-working employees’ work-related exhaustion and job satisfaction. The current study reports on the qualitative findings of the multimethod study. Using purposive sampling data were collected from remote-working pet owners (n = 77) through an online survey. Qualitative content analysis shows that pets served as a social resource to remote workers and influenced participants’ willingness to continue remote working. Some remote workers also saw their pets as a demand. This study provides preliminary insight into pets’ role in job satisfaction and work-related exhaustion through social support.

Keywords

• COVID-19
• coronavirus
• employee productivity
• job stress
• occupational stress
• pets