While not everyone may like pets around, bringing pets to the office is actually very beneficial for employees. A recent study published in the International Journal of Workplace Health Management stated that stress declined for people who brought their dogs to work. When owners left their dogs at home, their stress level increased throughout the day. Therefore, it is predictable to see that more offices around the U.S. started to adopt a pet friendly office policy for the past few years.
Let’s look at the pros and cons of a pet friendly office.
Positives
Lower Stress
Employees who take their pets to work have lower stress levels compared to other employees who don’t bring their pets with them. Pets create physiologically a better environment. For example; if you had a bad meeting, petting your cat or taking your dog for a short walk will automatically help you refresh yourself and take a break to clear your mind.
Improve Communication Among Employees
Having pets around will help employees get socialized more quickly because pet lovers will find a common interest to start a conversation. Also, stopping by someone’s desk to pet their cat or dog will spontaneously initiate a conversation.
Improve Health
When you bring your dog to work, instead of hiring a dog walker, you can take your dog for a walk yourself. This will help you exercise during the day and give you an excuse to get out of the office to take some fresh air.
Increase Employee Commitment
Bringing your pet with you will help you feel like you are at home. As a result, you can stay in the office longer if you need to and don’t need to worry about your pet anymore. Moreover, this pet friendly office policy will help bring new talent to the company and keep the existing talent longer.
Drawbacks
Workplace Environment
Unfortunately, you cannot allow pets in every type of environment. For example, it is not appropriate to let the staff of a restaurant bring their pets with them. Same statement holds for a supermarket as well.
Health Conditions
Some employees may have allergies to pets. In this case, they should sit in areas where pets are not allowed or pets should only be allowed in some parts of the office. Also, pets should be healthy, trained and well-behaved. In addition, their immunizations should be complete and up-to-date.
Republished by permission. Original here.
Pets at the Office Photo via Shutterstock
Allergies jumped out to me simply because my wife is allergic to cats. I would also be cautious unless you have some type of standard for pet behavior. If someone brings a pet that demands constant attention and is disruptive you’ll lose out on all the positive benefits (which I agree with).
shonkey
Working for an organisation that allows dogs to work I agree with all of the benefits. As a company there are clear guidelines on pet behaviour and these are followed closely as the benefit of having dogs in the office is almost immeasurable.
Our cats are involved the blogging! 😉
Darryl Wright
I totally agree my dog comes to work with me most days, tallking to him helps me to solve problems and keep me calm. He is that use to coming to work with me that I have to make him a packed doggy lunch and he waits with his lunch and lead.
Rupert evens fetches and carries some of my equiment and tools.
Please if you can take your pet and enjoy
Its an interesting way to boost moral but you have to remember that not everyone is a pet person so although your dog/cat might make you happy it could be a real distraction to others.