We have long read about the benefits pets can bring to our lives, from companionship to being actual life savers for those with serious illnesses. They are an important member of many a family. But what about pets as part of the work family – what benefits can they bring to an organisation? This is something I will be exploring in this latest blog with all you Fans of Plans. 

You’re on mute Mittens! 

A cat walking across your keyboard, dogs barking in the back-ground (time for the mute button!) are just some of the experiences we can have when we are on video calls at home. I find this enjoyable – it can bring a bit of light-heartedness to yet another video call, and allows you get to know your colleagues, customers or stakeholders better with this personal interaction. 

Some clever people even made a business side-line out of animals on video calls… with the ingenuity of small holders and farmers hiring out goats, cows and sheep for video calls. I’m not sure if this is a trend that will stand the test of time, but it certainly was a bit of fun during those lockdown months.  

 Pets in the workplace – the boss’s dog… 

I have worked for different organisations where there has been a dog in the workplace. It’s usually the business owner’s pet and they bring them to the office and hang out in that space with us all day. The owner of one particular organisation I worked for even liked it when employees offered to take the dog for a lunchtime walk – wellbeing activities all round, which is a huge benefit. 

This pet can even be the organisation’s mascot and customers enjoy coming to the premises to meet the dog that they have seen on the organisation’s social media accounts.  A pet can be a very useful marketing tool (what a good fury co-worker)! 

Employee’s pets 

What about employees being able to bring their pets to work? Sure, it’s ok if you’re the business owner – you can write the rules as you wish. Many pet owners who work full time need to pay for pet sitters or dog walkers to look after their animals while they are at work. But could there be another way? 

Many military personnel have pets and there are still military bases that permit dogs in the workplace. Of course, there are strict guidelines as to where the dogs are allowed to be, usually restricted to the owner’s office; they must be well behaved (both owner and dog!) with a sign on the door to let people know that there is a dog in that space. Having rules in place sets out from the start what the expectations are – there needs to be an element of safety here too. 

This brings me onto the subject that we have to be mindful that not everyone likes pets, and there is also the question of allergies. When I worked for a military contractor specialising in facilities management, we had to have guidance for our cleaning and maintenance staff about military personnel’s’ dogs in the workplace. This was of course to protect our staff – some of whom may not like dogs, and also what to do if they felt unsafe around the dog.  

The calming effect

If you were to introduce a pet to your work place, surely this would have a negative effect on productivity as employees would spend their time on the novelty of having a pet in the workplace? Well, maybe at first, but it is quick to be normalised and the pet becomes part of the furniture so to speak. Studies have shown that pets have calming effects on people and can help to relieve stress, calm our minds and boost our mood; simply by stroking, sitting next to or playing with the pet. This can be very useful in the workplace – a place that can be a stressful environment at times.

Why not think about whether having pets in the workplace is right for your organisation – how could you use this to your advantage for:

• Employee wellbeing
• Customer relations 
• The wellbeing of yours and your colleagues’ pets

As you can see, there are both pros and cons to having pets in the workplace; I have always enjoyed the experience of having a pet in the on-site office, it certainly adds a different dynamic. I love that my cat comes and goes as he pleases when I’m working from home (I call him the office manager) and does occasionally join in on a video call – when it suits him of course!