Do Animals Belong in the Workplace?

You know what they say, “Never work with children or animals.” But maybe that is where your business is going wrong. 

Workplaces can be tense and stressful. This can be especially true for office environments where the hours can drag and motivation seems nonexistent. Even the most dedicated employee will eventually fall prey to Groundhog Day. So, it’s important to do what you can to make the workday flow better. The answer to all your problems could be a four-legged friend…

Benefits of Pets in the Office

Working on computers all day can lead to an intense focus that is hard to break. While this may get the work done, it also runs the risk of seriously affecting both employees’ mental and physical health. Focusing too much on a project can become counterproductive but animals in the workplace can break this. Pets remind us that we need to take consistent, small breaks to maintain motivation and give our bodies a break. It’s also been proven that animals in the workplace can be so calming that they lower blood pressure.

The breaks do not solely come from spending some quality time with the animal. The comic relief they can offer simply by being in the room can release an abundance of positive effects. It will encourage light communication between co-workers as well as induce contagious laughter. Pets can create camaraderie and inspire interactions among people that otherwise may not have happened. These small moments can sometimes be enough to undo an entire day of stress and negativity.

When people were working from home, they were able to experience these benefits in full. Now, many people are returning to the office worried about the animals who became used to having their owners at home. One solution to this is to encourage employees to bring their pets into the office when needed. Not every workplace will have the privilege of having an office pet so this is a great way to solve two problems at the same time. 

Some things to keep in mind…

Not everyone will be comfortable having animals in the workplace. It could be that they simply do not feel like they can work around animals or they could even have allergies. It is also important to make sure all employees are aware of the training/dietary requirements of any pets. This will avoid any upsetting or uncomfortable situations for both employee and animal.

Make sure to communicate with your team what your specific rules for having animals in the office is. Maybe there will be a need to set up a designated area where people who will benefit from the animals’ presence can go while still respecting those who work better without them.