How many times have you had to leave for work and your pup gives you the "don't leave me" look? What if you didn’t have to feel that way when you left for work in the morning?
Mission Pets has a pet-friendly office, and every day we see the benefits of having our furry friends here with us in the office.
It’s not just pet companies that share this opinion. Many large businesses (Google Salesforce, Etsy, Amazon and Clif Bar) as well as co-working offices (WeWork) are pet friendly. Check out the hashtag #DogsofWeWork to see over 3,500 pics of cute pups at WeWork on Instagram.
Here are just a few benefits of bringing a dog to work:
1. Reduced Stress
A 2012 study by Virginia Commonwealth University found that stress levels declined throughout the day for employees who brought their dog to the office and increased for employees with no pets or for employees who left their dogs at home. Also, the pet-friendly office tested in the experiment had lower stress levels than the industry average, showing that there were benefits for the company as a whole, not just the pet owners who brought their dog to the office.
2. Improved Productivity
It’s been shown that taking short breaks and being active during the workday makes people more productive than sitting at a desk for long stretches at a time. What better break than taking a deserving doggo for a quick walk around the block? Even some of our own employees without pets may ask to take a coworker’s dog out for a walk, or even for a 5-mile lunch-time run (we have some serious fitness buffs here!). This allows anyone to get out of the office for a few minutes, enjoying the company of their furry colleague.
3. Employee Comraderie
Have you ever been stopped by a total stranger on the street because they wanted to pet your dog? The same thing happens in an office; everyone wants to play with the office dog. This is a great excuse to strike up a random conversation with a colleague that you may not have spoken with otherwise.
4. Financial Savings for Employees
Taking a dog to daycare or hiring a dog walker can be costly. Allowing employees to bring their dog to the office cuts down on this expense.
5. Attract More Talent
People love their pets. Not having to spend the whole day apart from their dog is a huge perk and many candidates have chosen one employer over another because of a pet-friendly policy. This is especially true for millennials. A study by Banfield Pet Hospital found that more than 70% of millennials viewed allowing pets at work as beneficial to the employees and to the workplace; for non-millennials, this rate was approximately 60%.
6. Increased Creativity
Going for a walk with a dog not only improves your physical health, but it can also make you more creative. A study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology found going for a walk (especially outside) increases creativity.
7. Improved Relationships with Clients and Suppliers
In a recent article by Fast Company, Ibex Outdoor Clothing found that its pet-friendly policy improved relationships with clients and suppliers that visited their office. Having dogs at their office helped “make the company seem more human and approachable.”
Putting all this together, having a pet-friendly work environment helps with recruiting, productivity, creativity and retention. We've definitely noticed the positive benefits of a pet-friendly work space!
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