“Take Your Dog to Work Day,” is occurring again on June 21. Of course, many companies, every day is “Take Your Dog to Work Day,” as dogs are welcome every day. I have seen as many five dogs – all well-behaved, of course — at the office at once.
While some big brands are getting credit for creating dog-friendly workplaces (companies such as Google, Salesforce, Etsy, Autodesk and VMWare welcome employees’ dogs), but small business has led the way in letting dogs accompany their human companions to work. And, recently, to help attract Millennials, some businesses have added pet-oriented employee benefits, such as company-subsidized pet insurance or “paw-ternity leave” (days off when an employee adopts a new dog).
In a recent article in USA today, Rhonda Adams Listed the benefits of a dog-friendly office:
â–º Helps in recruiting employees. Employees love their pets, and companies large and small that recognize the importance of pets in employees’ lives have a competitive edge in attracting talent. Rhonda lists “dog-friendly office” in every help-wanted ad, helping her small business attract quality staff who are delighted to bring their dog to work or just work in a friendly atmosphere.
â–º Helps in retaining employees. Bringing a dog to work is viewed as an incredible perk. Once someone can bring their canine companion on the job, it takes a long time before they’ll give that up.
â–º Improves morale. Dogs make almost everyone happier. Getting down on the floor to play with a dog, petting a pooch as it walks by or just seeing a well-behaved dog across the room lightens the mood.
â–º Makes it easier to stay late. Employees don’t have to worry about rushing home to walk or feed their pet.
â–º Creates connections. Dogs make it easier for employees to connect with one another and to communicate. It gets people up from their desks for doggie breaks from time-to-time.
â–º Gets people moving. Your employees will be more productive if they get up and walk around a few minutes throughout the day. A dog makes that happen.
