5 Reasons You Need A Pet Friendly Office

How to convince your boss your pet should come into work with you

Pet-friendly offices are becoming increasingly common, from giants like Amazon and Google, through to local Australian businesses such as Pantera Press, Polkadot communications and of course Rufus & Coco.

Australia has one of the highest rates of pet ownership in the world with 61% of Aussie households having a pet. This number has increased significantly during COVID! Despite Australia having one of the highest rates of pet ownership globally, we’re behind when it comes to welcoming pets in our spaces.

At Rufus & Coco, our mission is to improve humanity one pet at a time. Having our pets close by while we work comes with enormous health benefits which you can read about below. 

1. Pets are proven to be good for both mental and physical health

Having pets around helps reduce our stress and anxiety levels by lowering our heart rate and stress hormones.

According to the International Journal of Workplace Health Management, a survey found that those who brought their dogs to work had decreased stress levels throughout the working day.  So, if you’re at work and starting to feel the heat, having your pooch on hand for constant cuddles might (definitely) make you feel better instantly!

2. Pets are fantastic Ice Breakers

Dogs don’t just spark joy, they could also spark new acquaintances. Office pets are great for inspiring a friendly office culture. They encourage connection and community and are great conversation starters! They are great for bonding and help us meet new people. With greater social connectedness comes greater self-esteem.

3. Pets encourage much needed breaks

We aren’t robots and need to take breaks throughout the day to manage our health and do our best work. Pets can act as a prompt for people who might otherwise eat lunch at their desk on a busy day. They need to be taken out for toilet breaks and fresh air, as do we!

4. Work Life Balance

We all recognised how much we need our pets during the pandemic. As we start returning to our offices, there is a lot of anxiety around leaving our best friends at home for long periods of time. 80% of Australian pet owners avoid going out or return early so that their pet isn’t left alone for long. ⁷

With COVID changing the way we work there’s greater flexibility than ever before in the workplace, and thus greater opportunities to work from home with our fur-babies. There is a greater push as well for offices to create more nurturing environments for us to return to.  After all, life balance is about harmony and integration between different aspects of your life.

5. Dogs at Work = Increased Productivity

More and more companies are allowing employees to bring their dogs into work because they're starting to realize what dog owners already know: Dogs make people smile, start conversations and make the day a whole lot more enjoyable. And, business owners and managers know that happy employees equal increased productivity. Just because your company doesn't currently allow pets in the office doesn't mean that the policy can't change. Perhaps it was never even brought up for discussion or maybe the boss isn't aware of all the things dogs can do to increase the company's bottom line (that'll perk your boss's ears up)!

In a survey made with companies who allow pets in the workplace the results confirmed the benefits of allowing employees to bring their dogs into the office:

• 73% said that having pets in the office increased productivity.
• 58% of employees worked longer hours when their pets were in the office with them.
• 73% said having pets in the office lead to a more creative environment.
• 27% noticed a decrease in employees being absent (of course, who wouldn’t look forward to going into work with a ready-to-pet furry, cuddly pooch there?).
• 100% agree that pets in the office reduces stress and relaxes employees.
• 96% said that pets create positive work relations.

Friday, June 25^th is international take your dog to work day – a perfect opportunity to convince your boss that your dog should also head into the office with you!