Benefits of Pets at Work for National Take Your Dog to Work Day

This Friday, June 26 2015, is National Take Your Dog to Work Day. Arguably the happiest of holidays, the Spaces’ team is a huge advocate of Pets at Work. We love celebrating this holiday around the office by giving lots of treats to our black lab mascot Regan and any other pooches or horses that decide to come to work that day. If you are using National Take Your Dog to Work Day to test out your Pets at Work policy, here are some workplace wellness benefits of bringing your pups to the office.

Transform Your Company CultureIf your company culture needs some assistance, starting a Pets at Work policy can help create a relaxed and happy culture. Businesses that have instituted a pet policy have reported higher employee morale because employees with dogs get to bring their pooches to work instead of having to leave them at home. This makes employees more excited to come to work.Additionally, bringing pets to work helps encourage employee bonding and interaction to create a cohesive team network. People who would not normally socialize at work start conversations over the dogs running around the office. Not only does this improve morale but also fosters teamwork.Reduce Stress without ExpenseBusinesses that are in stressful industries will often invest in more expensive stress reduction programs and efforts for their employees. However, allowing dogs at work can reduce stress without the expense. A study from Virginia Commonwealth University reported that people who brought their pets to work had an 11 percent reduction in stress levels while people who did not bring pets in had a 70 percent increase in stress.Encourage Exercise and Better HealthWorkplace wellness initiatives are important to improve overall employee health, increasing productivity and reducing illnesses. There are many great workplace wellness programs out there, but bringing dogs to work is a simple start to getting your office more active. People who bring their dogs to work are more likely to take a lunch break with their pooches instead of powering through work without eating lunch. Employees are also more likely to take their dogs on walks when their pets get restless. Not only does this help the dogs, but employees are taking more breaks to prevent injury and increase activity. More activity at work and taking regular breaks improves productivity and health.Get Creative with Your Office DesignThere are many companies that instituted a Pets at Work policy then decided to change their office design to reflect their fun and happy furry culture. Instituting a pet policy means you can get creative with your office design. Explore some of the coolest Pets at Work office designs here.