The best locations in the UK for workers with pets

The popularity of remote and hybrid working has grown massively over the past couple of years, with many companies now allowing their employees to work at least part-time from a location of their choice. Thanks to this boom, it’s never been easier to balance work life with a pet at home.

But where are the best locations in the UK to work alongside your furry friend?

Analysing 29 major UK cities and towns by metrics including the number of pet-friendly co-working spaces, hot desking locations and private offices, amount of dog-friendly cafes with free Wifi, green spaces and properties available to rent with a garden, our study reveals the top locations to move to as a working pet-owner.

Each of these metrics were awarded a weighted score which was used to calculate the overall ranking.

London

The UK’s capital city takes the crown as the top destination for workers with pets. It’s safe to say both you and your pooch won’t be bored in this city with nearly 400 (368) dog-friendly WiFi cafes to spend your days working from. In addition, the capital offers a staggeringly higher number of pet-friendly co-working spaces, private offices and hot-desking spots compared to all over cities at 887.

Leeds

Outside of the capital, Leeds is the next best city for working pet-owners. Located in West Yorkshire and guaranteed to provide a lower cost of living than London, Leeds is home to nearly 40 pet-friendly co-working, hot desking and private office locations, and has 50 dog-friendly cafes, beating Birmingham (20) and Liverpool (45).

Birmingham

Famous for its red brickwork and canal network, the Midlands city of Birmingham ranks third. Home to the second highest number of places to rent with a garden at 1426, 55 green spaces and over 20 pet-friendly working spaces (22), pet owners have plenty to choose from when it comes to the perfect remote or hybrid working setup with their pet to enjoy too.

Manchester

One of the biggest and greatest cities in the north of England, Manchester is the fourth top city to live in for workers with pets. The city has 52 dog-friendly WiFi cafes you can visit and relax in whilst working remotely, and has the second highest number of pet-friendly working spaces at 66.

Get Greenhouse and Remote's guide to managing life-work balance

Learn practical insights from global HR experts at Greenhouse and Remote to help you support your team's life-work balance

Get the guide

Liverpool

Home to The Beatles, this northeastern city ranks as the fifth best location for workers that own a pet. Liverpool scores in the top 10 locations for all metrics, and as well as being home to a high number of pet-friendly WiFi cafes (45) and working spaces (35), is located by a number of sandy beaches, perfect for spending quality time outside of work with your pet too!

Other cities to feature in the top 10 locations for working pet owners include Edinburgh, Sheffield, Glasgow, Brighton and Bristol. All of these locations offer a variety of spots for you and your pet to spend time together whilst you work.

The worst locations in the UK for workers with pets

On the other end of the analysis, the data also reveals the destinations to avoid if you’re a remote or hybrid worker that owns a pet.

Luton ranks as the worst location for working pet owners, with no dog-friendly Wifi cafes and just six green spaces to go out and explore during work breaks. Wolverhampton, Swindon, Kingston-Upon Hull and Bradford are also locations that have no dog-friendly Wifi cafes available.

For workers who enjoy visiting co-working spaces, Northampton offers the least choice at just two spaces. This is followed by midlands cities Leicester and Coventry, in positions five and six respectively.

Amanda D, Head of People Enablement at Remote comments: ‘Choosing the right location both for you and your pet is key to ensuring you are both receiving the best life-work balance. For those looking to add a pet to their family, it’s important to consider the area around you and what it has to offer to ensure it’s supporting you both as much as possible.

For remote workers, companionship can often be key, and with pets proven to reduce stress and help with mental health issues, these furry friends can be a great addition to not only your remote or hybrid working life, but your social and personal life as well.’

So, will you be relocating with your pet for the perfect remote or hybrid working location?

Hire and pay your global team with maximum speed and safety

Start onboarding employees and contractors in minutes with Remote, G2’s top-ranked multi-country payroll software.

Get started nowSchedule a demo