Offices around the country will be going to the dogs on July 7, with Kiwi employees encouraged to take part in Pets at Work Day.
The plan is to create more pet-friendly workplaces – and we can see why it might be a good idea.
Studies have shown that people who work with pets in the office are less stressed, more productive and even nicer to their colleagues.
One set of researchers found that levels of the worry hormone cortisol were lower in saliva samples taken from employees who were allowed to take their four-legged friend to the office.
Other studies have shown that those who performed a stressful task while in the company of their pet were considerably less stressed than when they had their spouse, family member or close friend by their side.
You don’t even need to know an animal well to benefit from spending time with them. And they don’t need to be dogs or cats – even watching fish can reduce blood pressure and produce a state of relaxation.
If you’re trying to convince your boss to let you bring in a furry friend, you could also remind them that relaxed workers tend to make better decisions, have fewer accidents and are more pleasant to be around.
Pets in the workplace also help reduce absenteeism.
According to Purina, in New Zealand only 13 per cent of those who work for a company with 200 staff or more say their workplace has a pet-friendly policy, and 17 per cent of customer-facing retail businesses are happy to have pets in the workplace.
Of course there are work environments in which it’s not appropriate to have pets, and you need to consider whether any of your colleagues suffer from pet allergies or asthma, or just really don’t like animals.
Here’s what people who work with pets have to say:
“I have just left a job where we had a few different dogs come in to the office most days and it was lovely; they added a nice energy to the office. I was a bit more wary of the big dogs. And there was the time that Dudley got tangled up in the cords under my desk and accidentally unplugged my computer.” – Karyn, digital editor
“You have customers come in more to see the cat but then they happen to buy a book on the way out.” – Jenna, a book store manager who has been bringing her cat to work for seven years
“I’m a bit of a workaholic and so when I bring Max to work I have to take him out for the toilet and have regular breaks, and so that’s good for him and it’s good for me.” – Royal New Zealand SPCA Acting CEO Andrea Midgen, who takes her dog to work
If you’re thinking about making your workplace pet-friendly here are some guidelines to follow:
Check with your boss and colleagues first – even if they’re open to the idea they may not want pets in the office every day
Make sure your pet’s vaccinations and flea and worming treatments are up to date
Your pet will need their bed, water bowl, favourite toys, lead, poop bags and food (if you feed them during the day)
Take them out regularly for toileting
Make sure your pet is quiet and well-behaved
