Sarah-Jane White Dogs have forever been man’s best friend – which means there’s nothing better than starting a new job that has a pet friendly policy. Although on the increase, pet friendly policies are still relatively scarce across the UK. But why exactly should we be bringing our furry friends into the office? Natalie Crouch, Managing Director at Peaky Digital based in Cornwall, has a pet friendly policy in place for the whole team, and believes that having dogs in the office is a key to success:
“As long as everyone’s dogs are friendly and well behaved, they’re more than welcome in the office! I’ve found it wonderful for increasing staff morale, encouraging communication between the Peaky team and a great excuse to get us out walking from time to time. I’ve really seen an improvement in work culture since introducing the policy, and firmly believe it’s contributed towards overall success.”
Not only do dogs increase a sense of moral and happiness within the office, they also offer flexibility for its employees. Allowing for more flexibility creates a better work environment and helps to encourage workers back into the office.
A study by The Virginia Commonwealth University aimed to analyse whether there were differences in work stress, job satisfaction, organisational commitment and support between employees who brought their dogs into the office and those who didn’t.
The study found that when a dog was present in the office, stress levels were significantly lower than usual – employees as a whole were also found to have had higher job satisfaction than normal. As unique dog related communication was higher, this may have contributed to increased organisational commitment and support between employees.
A separate study by The Human Animal Bond Research Institute found amazing results when researching how pets can impact employees in the workplace. Aside from the benefits previously mentioned, pets were also found to encourage self expression and confidence, make the workplace more comfortable and improve group problem solving skills through verbal cohesion and cooperation.
More specifically, Banfield Pet Hospital found that 82% of employees have more loyalty to a company when it’s pet friendly, while 88% agreed that pets in the office are great for increasing office morale.
Puppy purchases and dog adoptions have skyrocketed throughout the pandemic; with 48% of employees surveyed by Banfield Pet Hospital hoping to bring their pets to the office as restrictions ease.
Although many companies have started to adopt pet friendly policies, not every company is yet onboard. Considering the benefits it can bring – we would hope to see more employers contemplating a pet friendly policy within the workplace.
Of course, health and safety is a crucial element to consider before implementing any pet friendly policies. Employees should also be made well aware of any plans, as some individuals could have allergies or feel uncomfortable around dogs – but we’re sure your employees will be more than happy to work alongside their furry friends!
