Office managers and business owners are always looking for ways to boost office morale and make the work experience better for everyone. One great way to do that is to allow pets at work. If you’re on the fence about allowing office pets, consider these seven reasons why you should and how you can make it work.
1. Boost Office Morale
It’s commonly known that having animals around can help boost your mood. Even people that are apprehensive about dogs or cats will find that they acclimate to their presence fairly quickly. Research shows that dogs have a therapeutic value. Cats can do the same. They provide a sense of calm and peace, especially if your business can get chaotic.
2. Help Reduce Stress
Interacting with animals, particularly dogs, cats, and horses, has been proven to reduce stress by lowering cortisol levels. They can even help regulate blood pressure. For example, cats can sense when you feel stressed. They will even lay on you and purr as an act of healing.
3. Show Employees You Care
There are many ways to let your employees know that you care about them. Pets are just one example. You can also offer a strong benefits package that shows you care about their overall well-being. When you add paid personal days and extra vacation time to the perk of being able to bring your pet to work, you have the perfect recipe for attracting and keeping employees.
4. Ensure Pets Are Healthy and Groomed
An important best practice for having pets in the office is creating a policy to regulate how you manage their presence. You should require all pet owners to keep their pets well-groomed and healthy. If your employee brings in a dog having stomach issues, you may have a smelly mess all over the office. Similarly, if an animal that hasn’t been properly cleaned or treated for fleas and ticks could cause multiple issues for workers and the other pets.
5. Make the Office Safe for Pets
There are multiple ways that you can make the office safe for pets. First, require all pet owners to provide proof that their pets are vaccinated. You can also designate areas of the office that are off-limits to pets. Set breed restrictions if you’re concerned about aggressive animals, and get an idea about the animal’s temperament before allowing them in the office.
6. Promote Social Interaction
Having pets in the office is a great way to boost social interaction among your employees. Employees can start to feel isolated in the office, especially if they have separate cubicles, or spend a significant amount of time behind a computer. Pets can wander around the office and give people the chance to see one another as they interact with the animals.
7. Reduce Missed Work Days
Allowing employees to bring pets to the office can actually increase productivity and decrease missed work days. When employees can bring their animals to work, they don’t have to stay home for vet visits or feel guilty about keeping their pets in an isolated area for too long.
Now is the time to fill the office with sweet little cats and dogs. Talk to your employees about the idea and get a feel for how they would enjoy it. You can even get their input on more best practices.
Check out Cats Breed for more cat care resources.
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