June 24th is International ‘Take Your Dog to Work Day’, this day not only celebrates the companions dogs but this day offers employees the chance to introduce their dog to their co-workers promoting the benefits of pet ownership and encouraging animal adoption.
Many scientific studies have concluded pets in the workplace positively impact your employees’ morale, their work productivity by reducing their stress level. The presence of pets can substantially increase job satisfaction and morale. Companies that welcome pets in their offices have reported a decrease in employee absenteeism from work.
It’s important however to ensure that you have put into place a pet-friendly office policy that takes into account the health and welfare both of your employees and their pets. We have put together some general notes on basic safety tips in order to make the experience run smoothly.
- Create safe areas for pets such as at the employees’ cubicles or inside an offices so they will can feel relaxed. You can try using child-proof safety gates so pets can be accommodated within one area.
- Ask your employees to bring in their pet’s favorite blanket, dog bed, toys, food and water bowls so animals feel comfortable and safe in the new environment.
- Research if the plants around from your office are poisonous to pets. Do not assume that if they are not poisonous to humans they will not make your pet sick if.
- Check the ventilation openings and make sure they have covers; as small pets could get on into the ventilation system, while large pets could get stuck while trying to succeed. Also ensure there are no openings or spaces in the wall behind various appliances as pets could also find their way getting in this hidden places
- If you want to make pets feel like they are part of your office family you could try placing a bag of treats around the office. Lint rollers, clean up bags for waste as well as a good carpet cleaner should be kept handy in case things go messy.
Let your cleaning company know about bringing the man’s best friend into the workplace policy. Ask them to thoroughly wash and sanitize floors and all other surfaces where pets had been located. In case there are any employees with allergies you should also consider not only vacuuming the carpets but also shampooing the carpets once every quarter in order to get rid of dander and animal hair.
By following these pet-friendly guidelines you could create a fun, safe and positive work environment for your employees as well as for their beloved pets.
It’s time to give your dog a job!