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Alternative stress relief: pets in the workplace?

General, General information October 17th 2017
Alternative stress relief: pets in the workplace?

According to recent research, the latest most desirable item of office furniture could be your dog. Some small companies already allow their workers to bring their pets to work with them, but recently even larger corporations have joined in by holding “Bring your dog to work” days to raise money for charity.

So, what are the benefits of bringing a dog to work and why should you consider allowing your staff to do so?

Stress relief - Pets in the workplace can be a great stress reliever. Employees have reported that they experienced better morale and felt more motivated to work harder when their pet was at work with them.

Dogs can help to calm anxiety and reduce blood pressure, and they can also act as social catalysts, encouraging workers to exercise at break times and relieving low moods. In addition, having their dog at work also meant that people were more likely to work later, as they weren’t worried about rushing home to see to their pet.

Bring Your Dog to Work Day - If you are not sure that allowing workers to bring their dogs into the office is a good idea, you could give the idea a trial run by joining in with the annual Bring Your Dog to Work Day.

Bring Your Dog to Work Day raises money for nominated animal charities. In return for a donation of just £50, companies have their website and logo featured on the Bring Your Dog to Work Day website

Companies who participated in the fundraising day benefitted from being perceived as caring and responsible, as well as enjoying higher productivity and better morale from their staff members. In addition, the power of social media ensures that employees’ ‘Pooch Selfies’ could go viral with celebrity endorsement from the likes of Ricky Gervais and ITV’s Loose Women.

The practicalities of dogs in the office - Although having dogs in the office is clearly likely to be appreciated by staff members, there are a few practicalities that must be considered.

Owners must be allowed to take their pets outside for comfort breaks regularly to preserve the cleanliness and hygiene of your flooring. Remember that some people are allergic to pet dander, so always check with everyone who works in the office to make sure that no-one will experience an unpleasant allergic reaction to their colleagues’ pets. Dogs must be kept under strict control to avoid potential scrapping and disruption; the office is still a working environment, after all.

To find out more about kitting out your office so that it’s pet-friendly, why not contact the helpful team at Office Reality?

Sources:

1. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/may/06/pet-dogs-are-the-new-must-have-accessory-at-the-smarter-office
2. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/pets/news-features/bring-dog-work-day-scheme-bosses-should-sit-beg/

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