The case for converting your company to a dog-friendly workplace

During the pandemic much of the workforce stayed at home, but many employees weren’t alone. A vast majority of remote workers were accompanied by their pets, particularly, their dogs. In many cases, these dogs became their newfound companions acquired at the height of the pandemic.

According to the American Society for the prevention of cruelty to animals (ASPCA), more than 23 million American households-1 in 5 nationwide-adopted a new pet during the pandemic.

Europe saw a similar spike in pet acquisition. In the U.K. 3.2 million households acquired pets during the pandemic. The German Kennel club says that dog sales increased by 20 percent in 2020. It’s safe to say that in many parts of the world, the need for a loving companion peaked during lockdown.

Now that the pandemic is coming to a close, pet owners are struggling to navigate a full return to office now that they’ve spent more time bonding with their furry friends. After all, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) confirms that pet ownership yields mental health benefits—including reducing stress, depression and anxiety and improves overall quality of life.

Thankfully, Flowscape Solutions, the leading hybrid workplace management tool suite, has thought through the issue of bringing pets back into the office so that employees can continue to reap the benefits of their loving pet companions.

Integrating pets in the workplace can present a number of problems. Sanitation, altercations between animals and the overcrowding of pets can be messy. By adopting the use of Flowscape’s pet booking feature, employees can alternate dog-in-office shifts and bring their pets to work in an orderly fashion.

The use of the product is simple. Managers create a schedule that includes the introduction of pets in the workplace. They can decide how many pets are allowed to be in the office at one time and place a cap on scheduling. Employees can log into the platform and schedule their dog in office days accordingly. Workers alternate, and the in office staff get to enjoy the presence of dogs at the workplace.

Outside of benefitting their owners, dogs can add an element of levity and joy to the work environment and break up mundane routines. Interacting with dogs can generate more human activity and warmth at offices across the globe. NAMI says that dogs facilitate social and community interactions and integration.

In some cases, companies who are considered dog-friendly by the Humane Society report an increase in business and productivity.

With the integration of dogs in the workplace, workers are forced to take breaks and not eat at their desks, forcing them to take some time outside. This works to increase productivity.

For many, allowing dogs is a good indicator of a healthy and welcoming company culture. Younger staff—aged 18-24—are in favor of a dog friendly workplace and many are unwilling to stay at jobs who won’t allow their dogs in the office.

If you are contemplating making your company dog-friendly let Flowscape Solutions help you navigate your shift to a progressive, pet embracing model that is sure to improve the mood and camaraderie of your staff over time.

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