If you’re a dog owner, chances are you want to spend as much time as possible with your pet. Today, and increasing number of offices are becoming dog-friendly, so you can bring Fido with you to your workplace. There are many advantages to being a pet-friendly office. If your office has yet to implement a dog policy, you can suggest some of these reasons for bringing your pet to work.
Millennials are especially interested in the ability to bring their pets to work. Employers are changing their policies to cater towards pet owners, and their movements are paying off. People who bring their pets into work are more focused, more engaged with their coworkers, and more likely to give their all to the company, even when it comes to working longer hours.
Stress Relief
Having pets in the office helps relieve stress. Employees feel more at home and relaxed when they have a beloved companion with them. According to a study, people who took their dogs to work had decreased levels of hormonal stress when compared to people who didn’t bring a pet to work. Those without a pet displayed steadily increasing levels of stress as the day went on.
Improved Office Morale
Workplaces that allow pets tend to see higher levels of employee satisfaction. Employees also have a higher morale when dogs are in the office. Happy employees are more likely to encourage a positive atmosphere of teamwork and open communication. Overall, people simply enjoy going to work more than they can bring a pet with them. Their happiness extends into other areas of their work life and improves productivity.
According to Mary Kramer, an animal and workplace expert, “employees of pet-friendly businesses tend to work longer hours and have fewer absences.” This makes perfect sense. If employees have their pets with them at work, they don’t have to worry about leaving as soon as the clock strikes five to go let their pet out or feed them.
Attract and Retain Talent
As employers are well aware, staff turnover is expensive. No one wants to have high-quality employees leave. Employees everywhere are always looking for their next career step at a company with great benefits. A pet friendly office is a highly sought after perk. Prospective employees will certainly take the ability to bring their pet to work into consideration when deciding whether or not to accept a position.