June 23rd is ‘Bring your Dog to Work Day’, a fantastic opportunity to introduce Fido to the office. Even if you work from home, having a dog loitering by your home desk bring many benefits alongside an ergonomic and stylish home office.
But if you think that taking your four-legged canine pal to work is just about being trendy, you need to know that there is evidence to suggest that pets in the work place make people happier and healthier.
So how do dogs take the edge off a stressful day at work?
1 They’re stress-reducing
Studies over the years have shown that humans interacting with animals reduce stress. By petting Whiskers the cat or walking Fido, the stress-reducing hormone oxytocin is produced which can cancel out the stress inducing effects of cortisol.
Frankly, spending just a few minutes in between tasks making a fuss of your pet is a great way to lift your mood too.
2 They increase productivity
The modern workplace, including the home office, can mean several hours a day of screen time.
You may be comfy in the best office chair at your modern desk, but health experts warn that breaks away from the screen and varying your physical position is important to maintain physical and emotional health.
A five to 10-minute break every 50 minutes of screen time is not a bad rule to follow, and is likely to be better for you than a 15-minute break every two hours.
With a puppy in the office, you could take a quick spin of the grounds to stretch their legs and your own too – the perfect working partner!
3 They improve bonding
A workplace can be a stressful place, fuelled by tension and unease. Working together with a unified spirit is essential for the culture of your workplace to be attractive to both customers, partners and, when you need it most, new talent to fill vacancies.
There are many thinks you can do to pull people together, from team building exercises to designing the office, complete with reclaimed wood desks and funky comfortable chairs.
But sometimes, you need something more – and that is where your pet dog comes in! There is nothing like a cute pet in the workplace to get people talking. Why not try it?
“What about health and safety?!”
There are of course, health and safety issues to bear in mind. So before you take Fido and hide him away under your contemporary desk at work, you need to consider the following;
- Allergies – not everyone can tolerate pet fur, leading to sneezes, swollen eyes and other uncomfortable allergic reactions.
- Fear – not everyone loves Fido. As hurtful as this may be, not everyone finds the eyes of your dog soppy or the dribbling cute. Some work colleagues could be scared witless of your daft puppy.
- Dog-friendly amenities – it sounds great but, it may just not be feasible to have your dog running in and out of your small office desk and chair.
But with a few basic things taken care of, and agreement from colleagues, your dog could soon be enjoying your work too!