Pets at work? What a PAWful idea!

Horrendous and thoroughly forced title-pun aside, in our latest blog we take a closer look at the concept of Pets At Work (PAW) – and the benefits thereof.

You may think you work with a bunch of animals already – and to some degree you are probably right, but some of the world’s biggest brands, including Google, Amazon and Nestlé, have introduced pets as part of their Health and Wellbeing programmes – reporting significant success in terms of employee stress, health and general levels of positivity.

What the white coats say

As can be expected these days, several studies into the topic of PAW have seen the light of day, including one by Central Michigan University who tested the interactions of teams where there was a dog present against those where a pet was absence.

“The study found that having pets in the workplace is a proven way to lower stress levels, heart rate, and blood pressure, whether it be through access to employees’ own pets or other people’s,” writes Hannah Watkins from HubbleHq. 

“Offices can often be stressful places and playing with or petting an animal can increase levels of the stress-reducing hormone oxytocin and decrease production of the stress hormone cortisol. Office pets can also help individuals who work alone feel less lonely – ideal if you’re a freelancer or part of a small team.”

This research is echoed by Virginia Commonwealth University, The Human Animal Bond Research Institute and pretty much every person with a shred of common sense.

We know that owning a pet provides us with emotional support, encourages physical activity and generally brings joy to our lives.

However, it’s also true that you probably cannot bring your Pitbull “Canine the Destroyer” to the office and, of course, employers need to provide workplaces that are hygienic and safe for all to enjoy.

So, how do we make PAW a more realistic option in a country where our workplace policies and practices tend to be a little archaic?

All aboard?

Some of the following ‘dog-in-the-workplace’ policies may sound a little “silly” to the average South African but these are proven to do the job (and, of course, can be applied to other types of pets, too).

Says Zoe Conrad, writing for thebark.com;

“Start off with a dog-committee made up of dog owners and non-dog owners to draft a policy.

• Dogs must be friendly to human and other dogs.
• Make sure there are readily accessible outdoor areas for dog “breaks.”
• Have a three strikes rule concerning behavioural breaches or human-non-compliance (like not picking up after a dog), but if a dog displays aggressive behaviour, he/she must be removed from the office immediately.
• Some dogs might not be “ready” for the workplace, make sure the office environment is amenable to your dog too. Fearful and shy dogs might not flourish in a busy office.
• Basic training is a must and dogs should have a good social personality.”

There’s more where those came from, of course, but the key starting point is employee buy-in and everyone understanding the do’s and don’ts clearly, so there’s no confusion or arguments when things go wrong.

And somewhere along the line they will go wrong. That’s just normal – just as normal, in fact, as colleagues freaking out or doing something wrong in the workplace. When that happens you just need to be clear and deal with the issue in context.

If you do not own the building you need to check with the landlord / building manager and, of course, it’s best to have a “pet roster” so that everyone gets a fair chance without your office looking like the last few days upon Noah’s ark.

Pets and office design?

Bar a few basic steps, like assigning a dedicated ‘bathroom break’ area, making sure the right type of cleaning products are available (either provided or brought in by employees themselves), checking access controls to some parts of the office and having stain-proof flooring in “common areas” where you expect the furry friends to roam – there’s not that much that needs to happen.

Allowing pets at work, within the right structures and circumstances, contributes to employee well-being in the same way as natural light, plants, colour use, water features and other design aesthetics.

Getting a combination of the above right helps your people, and your business, in more ways than ever imagined.

And that’s the point of reimagining our workplaces, is it not?

Bark once if you agree.