10 Reasons For A Dog-Friendly Office

Are you a fan of our four-legged friends? How would you feel if you could go to work every day and be greeted by one? Research has shown that there are many benefits to creating an animal-friendly office environment. However, any issues that may arise because of our furry friends will be outweighed by the benefits. Still not convinced. Check our top ten reasons for having a dog-friendly office below.

1. Improves Employee Morale

There’s something about animals that just makes us all a lot happier. There’s no greater feeling than having a wagging tail greet you as you come home, so how amazing would it feel if it was in your workplace? Offices that have a resident pet have been shown to improve employee morale, with animals, increasing levels of staff happiness. More content employees mean a better work ethic. If your staff are happy and enjoy their day then they will be more productive than employees counting down the hours until they can leave.

2. Employees Are More Likely To Stay In Their Roles

Many employees have pets at home and pay big money on dog walkers or pet day-care facilities. If they can bring their dog into the office, this is an added bonus and is an even better reason to stay in their job role. By offering this bonus of a dog-friendly office, your employees will be happy to stay in their role with you, as it works not just for them, but for their pet too.

3. Pets Help To Reduce Stress In The Office

There is nothing like a pair of puppy dog eyes to make your heart melt. Not only will a four-legged friend help to create a happier workforce it will also ensure you have a less stressed one. Studies show that by having animals in the workplace employee stress levels can be reduced without affecting their overall productivity.

4. Creates A Better Workplace Environment

Allowing employees to bring their pets to work helps them create a better balance between work and home. It also creates a better workplace environment. Pets make a great conversational piece and can help forge new relationships between co-workers. Not only that but knowing that they can bring their pet to work will be a relief to some employees as this means they don’t have to fork out high costs for doggy day-care.

5. Added Health Benefits For Staff

Did you know that studies show pets have a positive impact on your health? Dogs can help you regulate stress, improve your blood pressure and play a role in helping improve your mental health. By having a dog in your office, you will be offering all of these benefits to your employees.

6. Staff Will Be More Active

When you have a dog in the office, there’s no doubt that your staff will be more active. Employees will get up and move away from the desks more. They may take turns to take the dog out to the bathroom, take the dog on a lunchtime stroll or to just play a game of fetch. The extra energy a four-legged friend can bring to an office is infectious. Everyone wants to get a puppy cuddle, give a belly scratch and join in the fun.

7. Better Workplace Atmosphere

When there is a dog in the office, the overall atmosphere tends to be happier. The office feels more like home and if your staff are stressed or anxious, they can stroke the dog, take it out for a toilet break or have a puppy cuddle. Many employees won’t get the Monday blues and dread coming to the office as they know that little button nose and furry tail will be waiting for them. This will improve productivity overall and will always make it easier for customers to work overtime, as they tend not to mind so much if they get to hang out with a dog.

8. Makes Life Easier For Pet Owners

Owning a pet is just like having a child, there I said it! It’s true! To many, their pet is a member of the family and they make decisions based around their animal’s happiness. By allowing staff to bring their pets into the office, you are making their job more convenient as this simplifies the choice of what to do with their dog during the day. They won’t have to worry about sending their dog to day-care or trying to arrange for a dog walker, meaning they will not only save money but have a closer bond with their animal as they no longer leave it for long periods at a time.

9. Improves Employee Relationships

You may not have much to talk about with every team member in your office but bring a dog into the mix and conversation will flow. Dogs are great conversation starters and will make any social collaboration or interaction with employees easier. Employees will always have something to talk about and bond over. This can also be utilised into staff events, such as a lunchtime dog walk.

10. Your Company Will Be More Attractive To New Talent

It isn’t often that you hear of a company that lets you take your dog to work. By having this feature, not only are you offering you employees better mental health, physical health and exercise, but you are offering them an experience hard to find elsewhere. Many new talented millennials are not just content with the standard 9-5, they want a job that fits around their needs and gives them something back. By having a workplace that allows employees to bring in their pets, you are offering a unique selling point, that sets your business apart from others and will make you a more lucrative recruiter. This unique quality can be the thing that will set you apart from your competitors in acquiring the new talented employees that are right for you.

Written by Sarah McCann, Blog Editor at MyBaggage.com. She loves the dog friendly policy that My Baggage has and the owner’s dog Heidi has become a valued member of the team.