Only 8% of employees in the UK are allowed to bring their pet into work. We definitely think this should change!
The good news is that having dogs in the office could be on the rise following the recent lockdowns. Dog owners have realised that having access to their four-legged friend throughout the day is hugely beneficial for us humans and the pets too. Employers are also taking notice of this too.
As you can see, our four-legged friends are definitely no stranger to the studio.
Whether they are sat behaving nice and quietly by our feet or running riot across the carpet keeping us all entertained, there's nothing quite like taking a break from the screen to play with a pooch.
Having dogs in the office is great for all-round morale of the team including employee mental health and wellbeing, and the work environment itself.
Employee mental health, wellbeing & happiness:
- It has been proven that petting and playing with a dog or pet can lower stress levels and release endorphins making employees happier.
- Dogs in the office encourage breaks away from the screen to interact with them equalling good mental health routines.
- They help employees with their work-life balance. If they generally struggle or can't leave their dog at home for a few hours, they feel able to bring them into work.
Socially:
- Dogs are a great conversation starters, especially in a larger team where staff don't get many chances to mix with other departments. This can also boost productivity in the long term as employees get to know other sectors/people in the business.
- Having a dog in the office can represent your business in a great open and friendly manner- I mean who can resist a wagging tail?
- They can make clients who visit feel right at home. (It's always best to ask clients whether they are comfortable before letting the doggo loose though).
Work Environment:
- Use your pooch in your business's social media posts because hey, we all love seeing photos of cute doggos right. This can really help your business's relatability to your audience.
- Being a pet-friendly business can retain employees and be a real positive when it comes to searching for new staff members.
Meet our office dogs (aka Creative Dogrectors).
Elisha's dog Milo is a Jug, a cross between a Pug and a Jack Russell, as you can tell definitely more Pug than anything else. He loves nothing more than making sure he's the centre of attention and getting all the love and cuddles from everyone he meets. That or he's running around like a maniac and thinks everything's a toy.
- Age: Five but with a mental and physical age of a puppy.
- Favourite food: Everything that he shouldn't be eating, but Watermelon is a favourite to cool down in the summer.
- Favourite Toy: Hmmm, he absolutely loves bubbles and anything shiny. He will chase shiny things and shadows like there's no tomorrow.
Lewis' dog Slinky is a standard short haired, black and tan dachshund, or sausage dog as they're more commonly known. Slinky loves nothing more than curling up in a pile of blankets on the sofa.
- Age: Five
- Favourite food: He's a typical hound who eats anything and everything but he really loves blueberries and cheese.
- Favourite Toy: Like most sausage dogs, Slinky destroys all toys even the ones made for tough chewers like Kong's (as demonstrated in the picture below).
If all of those listed above isn't reason enough to keep asking your boss to allow dogs in the office then we don't know what is. We aren't encouraging you to try and sneak your doggo's into the office but if you happen to have a furry plus one with you, we'd love to see some photos of them enjoying the studio/office life.