Studies show that having dogs in the workplace reduce stress and increase satisfaction. Here are three things that workplaces that allow dogs do well.
In this dog eat dog corporate world of deadlines, stress and non-stop meetings I got thinking about the effect it has when I bring my pup Dwight to work. The minute he trots in the door people light up. They relax, they smile, they play. And Dwight loves every minute of it. Does this mean we should let the dogs out?
An article from CNN cites a recent study that says, “According to a preliminary investigation published in March in the International Journal of Workplace Health Management by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Business, employees who bring their dog to the office can cap the amount of stress experienced during the day, and improve job satisfaction for all.” Less stress and increased satisfaction? Seems like a no-brainer and some pretty successful companies including TRX, ModCloth, Yammer and Google here in San Francisco seem to have found a way to do it by doing the following:
Have a solid policy in place
Google for instance, has a dog policy that outlines a basic set of guidelines including picking up after your furry friend and being respectful of allergic co-workers. And Google is clearly a dog’s world as their code of conduct forbids cats under the notion that because Google is a dog place, any visiting felines would feel less than secure. Your policy should also spell out specifics of any breeds not allowed, as well as damages and personal injury issues. Covering your bases and being respectful to all employees will help ensure a good experience for everyone. Also consider that not all buildings and landlords are pet friendly which is a bummer, but if yours is, you may want to try it.
…to read this article in full, visit leading US small business resource, Inc.
