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Bivvy
|June 1, 2019
We’re lucky that the Bivvy pet insurance office welcomes dogs and the occasional cat into the workplace. This isn’t just a perk; it’s central to our mission.
And at Bivvy, we’re mission-driven. Our goal is to help hardworking people in America by offering a pet insurance solution that supports pet parents. We believe that no one should have to choose between supporting their human family and supporting their pet’s health.
As an innovation lab, welcoming pets in the front door is just one of the unconventional things we do to help our team succeed. To tell you more about how we run a pet-centered office, we got some help interviewing one of the dogs who spends time in our office.
Our interlocutor was Joy Carroll, a California-based pet communicator. She was able to help us converse with our friend Dodo, who visits the office about once a week.
Joy connected with Dodo directly and translated his thoughts for our team to help us understand what it’s like to be a dog in the Bivvy office. In this post, we’ll share Dodo’s insights into our company culture and show you what makes it so great to be a part of the Bivvy team.
Our Space Accommodates Collaboration
We’re happy to report that Dodo loves coming into the office, in part because he loves “helping” people. While we don’t let him do any of the heavy lifting, he’s a great comfort to our staff and reminds us what we’re all here for. In this way, Dodo really is a welcomed helper.
Our office features several spacious conference rooms with SmartBoards that connect to large monitors. While most of our team is located in Madison, WI, our team includes remote workers. To make sure everyone is in the loop, we use these collaborative tools for brainstorming sessions and team meetings, where we do include our canine friends.
Dodo shared that he enjoys sitting in on meetings and watching our team stay busy throughout the day. We work hard to ensure pet parents and their furry friends are well taken care of.
Great Amenities Keep Everyone Focused
Bivvy’s kitchen pantry is stocked with snacks for humans and our canine counterparts. Our office manager, Teresa, makes sure everyone has what they need to stay fueled throughout the day.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Dodo used his interview as an opportunity to ask for more treats. We told Dodo we’d take his request for more treats under advisement. Afterall, it’s important to snack in moderation.
The office management team also schedules regular team building and bonding activities to help us stay active. An office favorite is weekly yoga, which brings dogs like Dodo and their owners to the mat. Keeping everyone healthy means encouraging folks to keep moving (who often include their pets in these efforts).
We Celebrate Our Wins
One of the ways we show our employees and guests that we value them is through celebrations. We enthusiastically celebrate birthdays for humans and pets. Finding out everyone’s favorite treat is part of the onboarding process, and we make a point of gathering the team to share a chocolate cake (or some Philly cheesesteaks) when each team member’s special day comes around.
We also mark holidays that are important to our team. This year, we marked the Chinese New Year with Dodo and his human mom, Qian. Keeping up with the calendar is part of our effort to include our team members and to help them share their personal culture with team.
Dodo is a rescue dog, and there are things we hadn’t been able to learn about his past before our conversation. Joy helped us get a few answers and learn about Dodo's previous owners. While he had a rough time in the past, it makes him extra appreciative of the time he gets to spend around pet-lovers in the office today who make him feel safe and appreciated.
Bivvy's inclusive, friendly culture always makes Dodo feel at ease, even when he’s far from home. We do our best to celebrate and love our four-legged office guests every day. Dodo’s a valued part of our team, and we’re so glad to have him here with us in the office.
We Love Our Pets and Yours
It was a pleasure to get Dodo’s take on our office culture and to hear a few stories from his past. Dodo doesn’t understand the complexities of “ pet health insurance” very well, but we asked Joy to let him know he’s covered and he said that made him feel good.
Bivvy’s pet health insurance coverage is meant to give pets and their humans peace of mind, and we feel that here in our office, too. Joy was able to help us tell Dodo that we’ve got his back with affordable dog insurance and that if anything ever happens, his family will be right there with him to hold his paw and keep him safe.
We’re lucky to work in a pet-centered industry, and we love that sharing our passion for animal welfare is part of our daily work. Knowing Dodo enjoys his time in the office means the world to us, and we hope that knowing where we’re coming from helps you decide to place your trust in Bivvy.
If you’re looking for an opportunity to invite your pet into your own workplace, you don’t have to wait much longer. Many U.S. pet owners observe Take Your Dog to Work Week at the end of June, culminating in Take Your Dog to Work Day on June 21st. Of course, the first step is to reach out to your office manager to ask if your company is interested in participating in the event.