These days, more and more companies are going pet-friendly, but it's not just a clever incentive to bring in new talent. There are surprising benefits to having our four-legged friends in the office with us. Discover what they are.

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It should come as no surprise that people love their
pets. In Australia alone, 83% of the population has had a
pet at some point, and in America, 9 in 10 people say
that they consider their pets a part of the family.

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Workplaces all over the world are taking notice. Indeed,
it’s become a growing trend among companies to offer
perks such as the ability to bring your pet to work as
well as special incentives like pet insurance. Some
of the most popular companies in these ranks include:
Amazon, Etsy, Bissell, and Google.

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So what are the benefits
of converting your workplace
into one that's pet friendly?

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1. Stress Reduction
Approximately 40% of employees experience persistent stress or
excessive anxiety on a daily basis in the workplace. Countless
studies, however, have shown that interacting with animals can
dramatically decrease stress in humans. This is one of the reasons
why the popular web hosting service, GoDaddy, allows pets in their
offices.

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1. Stress Reduction
An article at Fortune Magazine says this: “At GoDaddy, dogs are
part of the company’s resources to help its employees care for
their mental health. [GoDaddy] provides employees with free on-
site appointments with psychologists, and several of them have
adopted dogs as assistants."

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1. Stress Reduction
"These canine companions help reduce stress and anxiety, and are
treated as part of the company.” As a result, the ability to have pets
in the workplace decreases employee absenteeism due to stress
or poor health, improves employee retention, and helps people to
derive more happiness and fulfillment from their work.

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2. Peace of Mind
Many pet parents aren’t particularly fond of the idea of
leaving their beloved, four-legged friend at home for eight hours a
day, and with good reason. Dogs especially can suffer from
separation anxiety when left along for extended periods of time,
which can impact their health and happiness.

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2. Peace of Mind
This understandably weighs heavily on pet parents in the
workplace who worry about being away from their animals for so
long. By allowing pets in the workplace, however, companies
effectively remove the guilt and worry and allow an employee to
focus 100% of their attention on their work.

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2. Peace of Mind
Of particular note: it allows employees to stay in the office longer
in order to meet important deadlines, which means more
work is ultimately getting done and it’s getting done on a quicker
timeline.

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3. Better Physical and Emotional Health
Pet-friendly workplaces encourage employees to take more
regular breaks—something that’s essential for boosting
productivity and creativity. Sitting in front of a computer all day
doesn’t help employees come up with creative solutions to
problems, and yet people often need to be reminded to step away
from their desk for a few minutes each day.

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3. Better Physical and Emotional Health
When their pet is beside them, however, employees are more
likely to step outside for fresh air if only to give their furry friend a
nice walk. As for emotional health, pet-friendly workplaces have
reported higher interaction and collaboration between employees.

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3. Better Physical and Emotional Health
Perhaps this is because it gives employees a common ground
and demonstrates the many shared interests they have. In fact,
Google has a special club called ‘Dooglers’ specifically for dog-
loving employees, which helps to build community. There’s
even a dog-themed café at headquarters, where employees can
interact alongside their pooches.
Why is this important? Countless companies spend millions of
dollars every year on team-building exercises in order to improve

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3. Better Physical and Emotional Health
Why is this important? Countless companies spend millions of
dollars every year on team-building exercises in order to improve
cohesion among employees. When we work better together,
there’s a boost in morale and productivity, and we achieve more.
Pet-friendly workplaces are able to achieve just that…without
spending a dime!

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4. Greater Loyalty
2/3 of employees and 3/4 of HR decision makers from pet-friendly
workplaces say they would be more likely to continue working for
their company if they were to implement a pet-friendly policy. In
fact, millennials make up the largest segment of pet owners, and
they’re especially known for making job decisions
based on perks and incentives.

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4. Greater Loyalty
To attract millennials, it would therefore behoove a company to
offer pet-friendly perks. When pet parents feel that their animals
are acknowledged as a part of their family and as a valued part of
the company as well, they feel a greater sense of pride in and
loyalty to their company. In other words, pet-friendly workplaces
can improve employee retention.

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4. Greater Loyalty
Plus, considering the amount of people allowed to bring their pet
to work is still very small, implementing a pet-friendly policy could
give your company a competitive edge.

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The benefits of implementing pet-friendly workplaces are
clearly many, and they all point to one unmistakable fact: being
around their pets makes a person healthier, and a healthier
employee makes for better work quality, better productivity,
greater loyalty to a company, and an improved
sense of well-being that boosts morale and has a positive
impact in countless areas.

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You may very well want to consider ‘going to the dogs’ in
this capacity. Even designating one day a week or month
when employees can bring their pets to work is sure to
reap many benefits.

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We hope you enjoyed this presentation!
Visit www.shapingchange.com.au for more resources on
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