Keeping Pets In The Office: Advisable Or Not?

Bring your furry friend to work! They offer entertainment and good company here, there, and everywhere. A survey in 2015 conducted by Society for Human Resource Management found that, of workplaces in America, 8% allowed employees to bring pets to work (up from 5% in 2013). Will this trend continue to grow?

Pets in the office are a new trend that companies are becoming more open to for several reasons. Some reasons, among others, are open spaces and low cost of living on city fringe locations or suburban areas where there is plenty of room outside the office buildings for animals to have breaks from the office.

Pets in the office can be a great stress reliever. It’s always nice to have someone new come into work and break up your day with chit chat about their pup or love for cats! Plus, they’re not just pets – studies show that having animals around makes people more productive at work because of increased social interaction. This may sound counter-intuitive, but happy employees definitely do better work.

Employees might find it hard to focus at work without their pet’s company. But that doesn’t mean they can bring them in! Pets may have a calming effect on the workplace, but there are legal and safety requirements to consider before introducing your new best friend into the office space.

Pets in the office can be great for your company and culture, but this decision is ultimately up to senior management. Building managers may also have a say if you, or your company, do not own the building. Maybe pets can be allowed into the office if they have separate laboratories.