Pet Insurance is the 'In Vogue' Voluntary Employee Benefit

HR Dive

When it comes to those furry—and not so furry—members of the family, workers are seeing more options than ever for benefits from their employers. 

And it’s not just dogs and cats. Under Nationwide’s pet insurance plans, for example, employees can cover birds, pot-bellied pigs and pet chickens (emphasis on “pet”). Fish, the company told HR Dive, are not included. 

“Not every pet has four legs,” said David Hurley, director of sales of voluntary benefits for member/specialty groups at Nationwide Pet. 

As companies focus more on voluntary benefits and ways to cater offerings to individuals, more are offering pet insurance and other pet-related benefits to their employees, benefits experts said. In 2022, 36% of large employers (those with more than 500 workers), provided pet insurance options to staff, up 22% from five years before, according to research from consulting firm Mercer. 

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