More and more companies are becoming dog-friendly, and with good reason! According to a survey of over 1,000 employees at dog-friendly offices, 88% agreed that having dogs at work improved employee morale. The majority also agreed that the dogs improved their sense of well-being, reduced stress, created a greater work life balance, increased productivity, and made them feel more loyal to the company.
Dogs are known for being highly therapeutic forces in settings as diverse as hospitals and college campuses, so it makes sense that they could play a similar role in the workplace. The innocence, loyalty, and judgment-free presence of our furry friends is a breath of fresh air when work life gets stressful.
Those considering the idea of becoming a dog-friendly office may have some reservations. Having dogs in the office could lead to loud yapping, inter-dog conflict, and the occasional accident. These things can and do happen, but not nearly as often as you might think. Employees are generally able to use their own judgment when deciding if their dog is well-behaved enough to come into work. It’s also important to check first with your employees to make sure no one has any major allergies that may affect your decision. But in many work environments, the positives of a dog-friendly office far outweigh the negatives.
At Criteria, we practice what we preach. Our office has been dog-friendly for several years, and the results have been (mostly) outstanding. Introducing dogs to the office is not without its hurdles – you may need to establish ground rules to ensure that the dogs aren’t disruptive and to make it clear that every owner is fully accountable for their dog’s behavior. But ultimately, introducing dogs to the office can be highly rewarding not only for individual employees but for the company as a whole.
Don’t believe us? Check out our four-legged colleagues on Instagram at @petsofcriteria for your daily dose of cuteness.
