Bringing Pets To The Workplace! Is Your Office Ready For It? | #hrmanagement #hrexecutive

Workplaces worldwide are a continual source of stress and negativity, and employees working in such a tense environment remain stressed. For those workplaces, a pet can bring many benefits to employees and employers.
Bringing a pet to the workplace has been seen to benefit the employee, but certain factors improve workplace morale, lower employee absentee rates, and promote a healthy work-life balance.
During the last few years, more and more offices accept pets and become pet-friendly. This is because many of the employees are pet lovers. With their pleasure in mind, many industries have adopted a policy of bringing pets to work.
The research found that 8% of workplaces in the United States are pet-friendly. A survey conducted among those offices found that between 75 and 95% of workers have an outstanding balance between work and life, an improved steadiness, a good relationship with the worker, and better working hours.
This article will discuss the benefits of bringing pets to the workplace and how employees and employers feel more confident and stress-free.

Benefits of bringing pets to workplaces 

Pet-friendly workplaces are not just a trend; they are much more than that. Offices that allow their employees to bring their pets to work are becoming more popular, and that is for a good reason. Those employees who bring their pets to work have more engaging and productive work lives. Such employees have been seen to look less worried and happier throughout the day.

Here are the most common benefits of bringing pets to the workplace:

Reduce stress in the workplace

With each passing day, employees and employers discover that bringing their pets to the workplace will make them happier, keep them comfortable, lower their stress level, and make the environment flexible.
Your pet is like your best friend in the workplace and will create impossible interactions without it. According to a study by the International Journal of Workplace Health Management, workers who bring their pets to work were found to have a reduced stress level than workers who do not have pets.

Improve relationship with a co-worker 

It is impossible to get along with everyone in the office because most people do not enjoy working with other people. If you have a pet in the office, it can be a good source of connection between people, especially those who have some kind of conflict or do not know each other well.
Having a pet in the office will also create a bond of love and break the ice of stress that would otherwise be impossible. Pet owners also like to talk to each other even if they do not know each other names.
According to the study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, pets can be an excellent source of physical and psychological benefits for their owner and provide social support that can help decrease the negativity caused by social rejection.

Improve Work-Life Balance

Many companies are open to pets in the workplace, and this is because they improve their work-life balance. In different surveys, many employees and employers state that having a pet in the office helps, them spend long hours and stay happy, and because of their pets, they take the necessary breaks.
When you spend too much time on a project and face many problems, this will inhibit your work productivity and cause you a lot of stress. If you have a pet around you at the time, he will remind you to take a break from whatever you are doing. You can take a short walk with your furry friend, enjoy the game time. Although it is a bit of a distraction, this break is necessary for your mental health to not stress from overwork.
Some companies allow pets in the workplace because it keeps spirits up and provides relief to their employees. Positivity and laughter are as contagious as stress and negativity, so a pet can provide you with positivity and improve your morale.

Improved health status 

There are many health benefits of having your pet in the workplace. According to the Centers for Disease Control, a pet can help you lower triglycerides, cholesterol, and lower blood pressure.
When you have your pet around you at work, you will get up more often, go for a break several times a day, and all those extra steps you take during the walk will improve your health. It will also increase your opportunities to walk and exercise, leading to a healthy lifestyle and improved health.

Increase office attendance

Most pet owners have such a strong bond with their pets that they may not even leave them for a few seconds, and it is difficult for them to leave them alone when they go to work. This problem can be exacerbated when your pet is anxious or ill.
In such circumstances, when a pet owner brings his pet to the office, he will worry less about the pet-related problem and focus more on work. In fact, when their pet is in front of them, a pet owner will do a more productive job.

Fewer worries about pets

If you have recently had a pet, or your pet feels ill, or have an elderly dog, it is challenging to leave your pet at home for more than eight hours. You will care more for your pet, whether he is feeling lonely or not feeling well in such a situation. As Dr. Sara Ochoa notes you can give multivitamins for your pets as a preventive to avoid different types of health problems. In most cases vitamins come as a tasty treat, that also will help them. You just have to choose the most suitable for your pet, and you are ready to go to the office without worries.
If you take them with you to the office, you will feel relaxed because you have your eyes on your pet all day. Likewise, your pet will also feel happy and healthy when he spends all day and night with you.

Increase the creativity of the mind

As you know, taking a walk can enhance your mind’s creativity and is useful for improving your research abilities. If you have a pet around you during work time, it will keep you moving. You will have to take it outside from time to time because he needs feeding and regularly going to the bathroom. A pet will also force you to be active at all times.
According to Stanford University research, walking can increase the creativity of the mind by 60%. It has been seen that when people are given a choice, they mostly eat lunch at their desk instead of getting up, but when they have a pet in the office, they will go for a walk, and it will increase their creativity.
Another study by Johnson & Johnsons indicates that walking can improve employee focus and engagement in the company. After walking meetings, employees will feel more energetic.

A pet can improve the image of your company. 

According to Kramer, an animal expert, “if you allow pets in the office, it will change the customer’s perception about the business.” It has been seen that those customers who get the chance to interact with the employee’s pet will show positive response and they will feel relax during their visit to the company. Similarly, Kramer says that the presence of pets in the office gave a soft image of the company and the business seems more broad-minded with progressive thinking. 

Higher overall job satisfaction

Job satisfaction plays a significant role in maintaining a happier office environment. If employees are allowed to bring pets into the office, they are likely to be less stressed. 
As you know, stress is one of the main reasons for low attendance, loss of resources, and productivity in offices. The employee will follow the office policy more in the presence of pets, resulting in greater job satisfaction. The office environment will be better and happier.

Contribute To Flexibility

As you know, pets are a full-time responsibility, so pet owners have to meet their needs at specific times. For example, the dog must be fed 2 to 3 times a day, so the pet parents must be there at mealtime. If pets are allowed in the workplace, employees will be more flexible about office hours because they no longer have to rush home to get things done. They can also work overtime without worrying about their pets.

Conclusion

Workplaces can be stressful for employees, but if pets are allowed, the scene will be different. There are many benefits to bringing pets to the workplace, such as less stress, improved relationships with co-workers, an excellent work-life balance, better health, and creating a better company image.

Photo by Drew Hays on Unsplash