Well, Hot Dog! More And More Companies Are Allowing Pets At Work

When you walk out the door in the morning, your dog starts whimpering. Maybe you do, too. Let’s face it, you already miss each other. And it will be several hours before you’re reunited.

Good news, though. According to a story via NPR, more companies are allowing pets in the office.

The Society of Human Resource Management reports that seven percent of employers now allow pets to come to work with their owners, which a two percent increase from five years ago. Doesn’t seem like a lot to you? It is to the pet lovers who bring ’em in every morning.

Having your pet accompany you to the office helps keep work-life balance in order. Per NPR, “Studies show pets lower stress hormones, and some show that workplaces that allow pets see higher morale and productivity.”

Randolph Barker is a professor of management at Virginia Commonwealth University. He did a study four years ago that indicated people who brought pets to work exhibited less stress throughout the day… while those without pets in the office behaved in the opposite manner.

Interestingly, it’s not just dogs but other pets that are being welcome into workplaces. The NPR story mentions a company called Replacements in North Carolina, which manufactures fine china. Replacements has an open-door policy toward pets, and employees have brought in everything from a potbellied pig to a duck, and even a possum. (Amazingly, there has yet to be an incident of a pet breaking any of the china!)

Of course, pets in the office can present a few challenges. If it’s a small workplace and some coworkers are allergic, that may be a deal-breaker. Or, some may not feel comfortable around dogs, which can effect productivity—a definite deal-breaker. And some pets may just not react well to a foreign environment, naturally. As the phrase often goes: “Your results may vary.”

Have a listen to the NPR story here: