Pets in the Workplace

To dedicated animal owners their pets are more than possessions; they are important members of their family. After work these individuals rush home to be greeted by four paws and a friendly face.

What may only be an eight hour work day can seem like forever when worrying about Fido, whether the concern be his happiness and health or the damage he has done to the house or yard during the course of the day.

For a myriad of reason, many employers are beginning to see the benefits of allowing pets in the workplace, thus making the daily separation of loyal friends unnecessary.

Long used as a method of stress reduction for nursing home residents, the presence of loved pets in the workplace has a similar effect. Aside from the comfort of knowing that their pets are well, employees are encouraged to take "play" breaks throughout the day.

Although these may only last for five to fifteen minutes at a time, many workers find that the time away from the cubicle resets their mind. This often results in employees having a fresh perspective on a previously perplexing problem.

Without these breaks an employee might continue to puzzle of the same issue for several hours. Because of this, many companies have found that allowing pets in the workplace ensures that more actual work gets done. A survey done of pet-friendly businesses conducted by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association found that 73 percent of companies who participated said pets created a more productive work environment.

When paired with a better moral throughout the office, it's easy to see why many employers find it beneficial to allow pets in the workplace. Almost all of the businesses that took part in the survey, 96 percent, said that they saw an increase in positive work relations. After all, it's hard to be grouchy when a fuzzy face is peering upward with "love me" eyes.

With 58 percent of the workplace's surveyed saying that employees were more likely to stay late if animals were present, the benefits of allowing pets in the office is may be most obvious in companies that require longer hours than most.

Often job seekers rush home to feed or otherwise see to the need of their pets and are therefore unable to stay very late. Since, in these offices survey, the pets commuted with their owners these individuals are more likely to be free to devote time to seeing a project finished before the end of their day.