Cape Town - A global pet food manufacturer has launched its very first pet-friendly offices at its headquarters in Johannesburg.
Mars Africa launched its newly renovated office space in Woodmead earlier this month as staff returned back to the office after working remotely due to the Covid-19 pandemic for two years.
The company has opted for a ‘pet office’ for dogs to help reduce their separation anxiety as their owners return back to work at the office.
Corporate affairs director at Mars Multisales Southern Africa, Tumi Masekela said they realised the return to office for staff may have a negative emotional impact on many dogs who have become dependent on having human interaction during the work day.
“As a leading global pet food manufacturer, well known for brands such as Pedigree, Whiskas, Royal Canin, Iams and Eukanuba, we are intensely involved in the science of pet nutrition and physical health, however we believe it is just as important to consider their emotional well-being as we all return to the office.
“Enabling our associates to bring their pets into the office is the perfect foundation on which to develop a truly pet-centric culture and encourage pet ownership, not only among ourselves, but also more broadly in our wider communities,” Masekela said.
The company, who refer to employees as associates, has ensured the renovations were not only modernised but spacious enough that it promotes a more collaborative approach for meetings and team building.
The company has also introduced a flexible, hybrid approach called the Future of Work, which is based on only a portion of the working time spent in the office.
This new system is based on feedback from associates around the world and will allow them to carry out their duties in an environment that best suits their activity.
“Another important area of the Future of Work strategy focuses on a changed approach to meeting and travel.
“To reduce the number and time spent at meetings, as well as to keep the health and safety of associates in focus, Mars associates are only required to travel and organise a meeting for specific purposes and are supported by several online tools to do so.
“The introduction of this new work model will also reduce business trips around the world, by at least half, compared to the pre-pandemic level.
“Remote work also benefits the environment by reducing the carbon footprint of associates travelling daily to offices.
“All this to increase work efficiency in balance with health and well-being and the implementation of Mars’ sustainability plan,” the company said.
Mars said the Covid-19 pandemic had highlighted the importance of one’s connection to pets and it has transformed both the pet care industry and pet ownership.
It said this pandemic had also placed the spotlight on vulnerabilities in the systems that care for pets and make pet ownership accessible and sustainable.
It said with more associates becoming pet parents, it wishes to continue creating a better world for pets with pet-friendly offices being the core of its workplaces.
“Science tells us that pet ownership brings a multitude of benefits to our health and well-being: from improving our heart health and physical activity to building empathy and strengthening our sense of community.
“The pandemic has highlighted the role of pets in our lives, having them become an extension of our families. We would like to encourage all citizens and companies to help build a better world for our pets in the post-Covid society.
“The new ‘pet office’ is the first of a few animal welfare developments that Mars Africa are focusing on in 2022, including a new ’State of Pet Homelessness Index’ that the company is scheduled to launch as a first in South Africa later in the year,” Masekela said.
She said the company has partnered with eight animal welfare experts from leading organisations across the globe to guide the development of its brand new index.
Masekela said the index was built on data from across 200 data sources supplemented with quantitative data on consumer attitudes, ensuring a holistic view on pet homelessness and covering three key focus areas influencing the issue of pet homelessness.
“The index is the first, methodological measure of pet homelessness, currently covering data across nine countries including South Africa.
“We look forward to sharing the findings which we believe will go a long way to informing how we care for homeless pets in South Africa and support the animal welfare organisations that work so hard to provide food, shelter medical care, and most importantly, forever homes for our loneliest furry friends,” she added.
robin.francke@inl.co.za
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