Have you ever thought about bringing your pet to your office? We spend most of the time at work and most of us are constantly stressed out. If you have a cat or a dog, you can significantly reduce your stress levels and boost your productivity by having your pet in the workplace. If you’re an employer, creating a pet-friendly office will literally help you grow your company.
Numerous studies have proven the benefits of allowing employees to bring their pets in the office. This helps to fight stress by creating a more comfortable and relaxed environment. When employees are positive and happy, they tend to be more motivated and work more productively. Read on to learn how office cats and dogs reduce stress and improve productivity.
1. Banish stress
Today life seems to be incomplete without stress. But unfortunately, stress is the number one culprit for numerous serious diseases and conditions. It’s important to manage stress and not let it affect health and life. Pet owners tend to stress more when they’re in the office as they worry about their furry friends. Dog owners, particularly, get stressed as they need to walk their pets.
Anxiety is another reason to create a pet-friendly office environment. Whether it’s triggered by stress or another factor, anxiety significantly reduces productivity. Pets radiate mood-boosting power. They help to ward off panic attacks, depression, and can even strengthen your heart health.
There are many triggers of stress in the workplace, including jam-packed schedules, poor communication, failed or complicated projects and tasks, etc. Office cats and dogs will make employees happier and calmer and help to cope with all tasks and problems faster.
2. Improve communication
When employees are stressed out, communication can’t be good. Pets like cats and dogs help to reduce stress and help their owners to communicate better. Besides office problems and exhausting projects, employees will have other topics to discuss. The best part about having pets in the office is that cats and dogs trigger interactions, which might have never occurred without them.
Communication is highly critical in the workplace. Great communication helps employees be more productive and operate more effectively. On the other hand, poor communication inevitably leads to angry and unmotivated employees who consider quitting their jobs not because they hate what they do, but because they dislike the environment they work in.
3. Increase productivity
Most people are happy to miss a day of work regardless of the reason. Studies show that those who work in the pet-friendly office are eager to show up to work on time and stay highly productive during the day. Dogs and cats in the workplace eliminate pressure, stress, panic attacks, communication gaps, and negative thoughts.
Plus, when you feel like you’re about to give up on the task or project due to brain fog, just take a dog and go for a short walk or play with a cat. You’ll feel more relaxed in several minutes, get rid of brain fog, and complete your task faster.
Happiness is another factor that aids in boosting productivity at work. The pet-friendly office is overflowing with positive moments that breed happiness. Pessimistic employees confess that they feel and think more optimistic in the pet-friendly office.
If you’re a company owner who is looking to improve the productivity level of employees, consider allowing your staff to bring their pets to work. Or, you can adopt a few cats or dogs and give them shelter in your company. Sure, you should do it only if your staff doesn’t mind. Making your staff take care of animals won’t increase productivity or happiness.
4. Boost employee health
Having cats and dogs in the office encourages employees to move throughout the day. A sedentary lifestyle has a negative impact on health and it can cause numerous illnesses, including osteochondrosis, headaches, chronic fatigue, cardiovascular diseases, etc.
Employees, who bring their puppies to the office, get out from their desks and go for a walk regardless of the workload or weather. Dog’s walk requests and bathroom breaks can’t be ignored, after all. Cats can make employees move inside the office, as well.
Overall, both cats and dogs have an amazingly positive impact on employee wellbeing. From helping to lower blood pressure to banishing stress, pets – particularly dogs and cats – in the office will help employees feel healthy, not chronically fatigued. Healthy employees tend to be happier and more productive.
5. Attract new talents
If you’re thinking of starting a company or you’re already running the one, you’re more likely to be on the lookout for new talents. Finding a professional isn’t easy – especially if you’re not willing to ensure high salaries. Nowadays, the pet-friendly offices grab the attention of talents. Plus, if your employees are happy with their work, they can recommend your company to others, increasing your chances of finding the best professionals.
There are many perks of having cats and dogs in the office, but you shouldn’t forget about the downsides, too. Creating a pet-friendly office when you already have a lot of employees can start a serious argument. Not all employees may like the idea of having animals in the office. Plus, some of them might suffer from allergies.
It’s important to discuss this idea with all of your employees. If you have enough space in the office you can create two separate workplaces so that every employee experiences your support and understanding. This way, your staff will respect you more and try to work more efficiently.
If you’re starting a new company and want to create a pet-friendly environment, this idea can bring you enormous success. Make sure you have enough space for pets and accept the fact that your employees won’t spend their work hours in front of screens like robots. You’ll hear lots of laughs and your office is going to become a fun place to work in. Who would refuse to work in such a positive environment?