A recent study* has found that canine colleagues can help improve wellbeing in the workplace. It found a massive 81% of Brits believe that dog-friendly companies are happier places to work.
At PAAW HQ we already know how amazing it is to have dogs at work. Vinnie, our 5-kilo bundle of excitement, is always here to be a distraction when we need one. He’s the little guy that makes us take breaks so we don’t end up sitting at our desk for hours on end.
He loves nothing more than causing chaos when the rest of his doggy pals are in the office. Its properly chaotic when Pablo, Bibi, Barry and Vinnie get together, think doggy board meeting with tasty snacks and relentless cuddles.
In this fascinating study many people said having a dog in the office almost certainly has a strong positive impact on employees’ wellbeing, some said they ranked dogs at work higher than other job perks and even more unbelievably a whole 17% said they’d be willing to take a pay freeze to be able to bring their dogs in with them, it’s true, love of your dog trumps nearly everything.
As companies are becoming more competitive in order to attract the right talent it’s no wonder U.S. companies like Amazon, Google and Ben & Jerry’s are opening their doors to canines and laying on the red carpet for their four-legged friends.
Here in the UK it’s not such a rosy picture as only 8% of the UK population are able to bring their dogs to work despite all the positive findings of surveys such as the one referenced. We at PAAW House hope that more companies follow our lead and that of those U.S. companies and change their policies. We firmly believe that a more relaxed approach to dogs in the workplace can help to lower work-related stress.
We won’t be changing our positive pet policy as we see first hand the amazing effect Vinnie and his friends have.
That said if you are thinking of persuading your employer to let you bring your dog to work do think about your dog’s wellbeing first. For instance:
Is your commute suitable for your dog?
Is your office a safe environment for your dog?
Are all your colleagues on board with the idea?
Will your dog be looked after if you’re in a meeting?
Is your dog likely to want to be in your work environment all day?
If the answers to the above are a resounding yes like they were for us, then it’s time to make your case. Let us know how you get on at our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/PAAWHouse/
* Study by Purina. September 2019 and had 2000 participants
By Gabby Kuehn