Pets of RELX

meet Our new
colleagues

Images from around RELX

Kaleigh Shamp [LexisNexis Risk Solutions] has had two of her pups, Zaza (left, 10 year old Vizsla mix rescue) and Fred (right, 2 year old pitbull mix rescue) keep her company during this time where we are all working from home. They are the best co-workers ever!

This year has been a challenge for us all. A year that nobody could have predicted, one that has been full of constant worry and uncertainty about what the future holds. Some of the most significant changes have been the adjustments made to people's working lives. At one stage, 97% of RELX's 33,000 employees worldwide were working from home.

For those of us who are used to a bustling office, sitting among daily chats about the weather, the new must-watch TV series on Netflix and weekend plans, it has been an unusual experience. While many had thought this would only last for a short period of time, a few months at most, many are still grasping this new way of ‘remote’ working.

However, as we have shifted over the past year to this entirely new way of life, there has been one major upside that has been making this transition a little easier - pets, or shall we say, ‘our new colleagues.'

Our pets on video

The benefits of pet ownership for health and wellbeing have been well-documented and widely accepted for many years; reducing loneliness and anxiety, providing daily structure, and lifting mood to name just a few. Never have our pets' companionship been so meaningful and appreciated. Pets are proving a lifesaver for many, providing consistency, joy and companionship in challenging times. The mental and physical advantage of having a pet is proving to be particularly pertinent during this stressful time. This has been no different for us at RELX.

As seen in this 'behind the scenes' photo (first photo on the right), Darren Sugrue from Elsevier had a helping hand from Frodo while taking a new LinkedIn photo during lockdown. Although, when taking a closer look, it turns out Frodo is in fact waiting patiently for his walk and taking more notice of the SLR remote control in Darren’s hand, thinking it is a new toy.

While Leo (second photo on the right) has been very busy helping Kristen Salierno from Reed Exhibitions answer Zoom calls and draft responses to emails. It looks like he has got his new working set up 'just right.' Besides that, Leo has mainly been a huge source of comfort and joy for Kristen. He remains very goofy and reminds her to laugh even when times are tough.

No matter what, our pets have managed to bring fun and happiness to our lives in spite of everything; our ‘new colleagues’ have been hard at work keeping our spirits lifted. Let's take a look at what they have exactly been up to that has kept us smiling and cheerful.

Click on an image to expand and find out more from the caption.

Darren Sugrue [Elsevier] with his new assistant Frodo

Leo helping Kristen Salierno [Reed Exhibitions] with calls and emails

Ashlynn Freestone [Reed Exhibitions] has a new favourite co-worker called Sabine (no offense to the rest of the ReedPop team.) She uses the morning sunspot that shines on Ashlynn's desk to advise her while she works on spreadsheets and uses the keyboard as a pillow for naps

Tinkabell is looking fabulous as always, even when she's relaxing. She reminds Robin Tapp [Reed Exhibitions] how important it is to stay looking sharp in lockdown

Nayla has been covering for Dineen Berni [LexisNexis Risk Solutions] when she takes a break from work. She always wants to help out by typing and rechecking Didi's work. What is she is going to do when Didi has to go back to the office next year?

Amanda Goncalves [Reed Exhibitions] has a new assistant, Kona

Jackie Brown has been a great co-worker for Paola Vega [Reed Exhibitions]. She has been chatting with Paola between calls and stopping her on the way to the restroom for coffee refills, just like her Reed coworkers. She is a bit of a “cat” dog and snoozes on the couch most of the day but makes sure Paola gets up from her desk in the afternoons for a long walk!

Solana Claudio-Albarran [Reed Exhibitions] has had Bob brighten up her time working from home by snuggling next to her whilst she is on calls or working through emails. Bob happily lounges most of the day, but periodically gets up for some play time. Seeing that reminds Solana to get up and take little breaks like he does, which she definitely needs!

Lynn Palumbo [Reed Exhibitions] has had Dexter diligently helping her work on her cash flows

This is Juliet, the diva supreme. She has made a few meeting appearances, but thankfully hasn’t answered any emails yet! As you can see, she’s great at keeping Krista Majewski's [Reed Exhibitions] seat warm for her

Daisy has become an active participant in the LNLP mission by helping Neal Kennedy [LexisNexis] help customers get value from Lexis Advance

"I have found that having Cooper around in these challenging times has been really helpful for my mental health. He keeps me on a steady routine and provides stress relief when things feel overwhelming. As seen here, he loves to jump into my desk chair and manage my emails when I step away for coffee breaks" - Tracy Rhine [RELX]

Caroline Herz [RELX] has had Bronx keep her company while working. He does not leave her side except when he curls up on the couch next to her workstation for a nap, where he can still keep an eye on her

Daisy has become an active participant in the LNLP mission to help promote the Rule of Law with Neal Kennedy [LexisNexis]

Cockatiels Bella (yellow) and Binky (grey and white) have been crucial in surviving Covid lockdown for Amanda Lines [Reed Exhibitions]. They are always ready for a cuddle and scratch on the head (them, not Amanda). Playing with pets always lightens Amanda's day, which is a lovely grounding, especially if it has been a tough day. They also join Amanda in the kitchen for coffee breaks, and sit down for lunch together. All of her work colleagues are used to them popping into conference calls, sitting on her head or shoulder, or having a little chatter in the background

Max has been great at helping Pam Sebastian [LexisNexis Risk Solutions] maintain a healthy a work-life balance. He has been taking her keyboard hostage for a session of kitty-yoga, one of his favourite ways of forcing her to take a break

Oliver has been a constant source of joy and comfort for Kim Fox [Reed Exhibitions]. To the point of being VERY impatient on a regular basis! Seeing Kim home all the time delighted him, which translated to: "Yay, more walks! More playtime! Don’t look at that computer look at me!"

Kahlua and Gracie have helped Julie Stockman [LexisNexis] stay healthy by taking over her desk chair which makes her use the stand up function of her desk

Mark Shewhart [LexisNexis] has had Charlie spending most of the day hanging around his office, and sometimes he is even engaged in Mark's work

Gabby is a Blue Fronted Amazon. This is her usual perch when Shannon Skumanich [LexisNexis Risk Solutions] is working. Sometimes she likes to try and help by pecking at the keyboard, trying to type up a message. She isn’t very good at taking dictation, though

there have been new additions to the family...

...of the furry and not-so-furry kind

Meet Pebble, the newest member of Chris Bernard’s [LexisNexis] family. Pebble is a very social cat and likes to be around people. He also enjoys helping Chris with work and is angling for a key paw-sition at PSL. He always likes to check out the Lexis PSL Financial Services webpage. As you can see, one of his favourite activities is playing with his toys

Janine Raymond [Reed Exhibitions] has had her very own babysitters. Here is Piper and Zoe on baby duty while mom works!

Adam Balsam [Reed Exhibitions] rescued Ozzy during the onset of Covid. Ozzy has helped teach his young boys responsibility and offered them loyal companionship as many of their regular activities have been off limits for months

This is Boba and Chai (yes, they’re both named after Asian teas), Pryanka Pratt's [LexisNexis] new pet niece and nephew. They’re 5 months old and have grown to become very cuddly and affectionate, most often found snuggling next to somebody on the sofa or crawling across the keyboard hoping to catch your attention. They love playing together, climbing on furniture and, despite their small size, they are real foodies

Michael Salyers [LexisNexis Risk Solutions] volunteered at a cat rescue in Atlanta during the pandemic and took several foster cats home. She assisted with taking in a pregnant cat named Margout for 3 weeks before she had her litter of 7 safely in her home. She was able to enjoy watching these tiny kittens grow and be cared for until they were big enough to go into the shelter, where they were all adopted within the first week of being there, including mama cat Margout! All of these cats have given much needed companionship and entertainment for Michael - in different ways, as they’ve all been unique purrsonalities!

Khiron Samerotti [Reed Exhibitions] had a traumatising experience of a wet diaper, which led to the waiting of a bottle to be heated. So a furry friend, Caddy the cat came to shorten the wait