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Pets Make Great Office Mates

Posted October 30, 2008

I look forward to the days when Chauncey is in the office.

Chauncey is an adopted, mixed-breed dog with beautiful ginger-colored fur and a sweet disposition. He regularly comes to work with Marge, an IT guru at American Humane.

We’re one of a small but growing number of employers with a policy in place that allows employees to bring well-behaved, housetrained pets to work -- in our case, once a week.

When I walk by Marge’s office and Chauncey is around, he always jumps to his feet to say hello. I consider this a great honor since he’s an older dog who enjoys a good nap. I think Chauncey enjoys my attention as much as I enjoy his…almost as much, at any rate.

It’s a brief exchange, but it never fails to put a smile on my face. I do too much traveling to have a dog of my own, so when Chauncey, Layla, Dexter, Winks and the other employee pets who regularly attend work are around, I can get in some quality animal time.

There are plenty of other reasons why I think pets belong in the workplace -- and why more organizations should give it serious thought:

• Employees are happier and more productive when their pets join them at work. More than 80 percent of American pet owners consider their pets to be family members. With those “family members” by their side in the office, employees aren’t worrying about leaving them alone all day, or getting home in time to let them out.
• Pet policies are effective recruitment and retention tools. Whenever I tell prospective employees about our pet policy, they get excited. And since more than 60 percent of Americans own pets, there are a lot of talented candidates out there who jump at the chance to work for a pet-friendly organization.
• Pets reduce stress. I’m not alone in feeling better after a few minutes with Chauncey. Every job has stress, but somehow it melts away when you see a wagging tail or ruffle a set of soft, floppy ears.
• Pets are natural “ice breakers.” I love showing guests around our building when there are dogs on site -- almost as much as guests enjoy meeting the dogs! I also notice a lot of positive communication among employees when pets are around; animals are great conversation-starters.

When you consider all of these factors, I think that pets create an unbeatable workplace culture. I’ve seen the power of the human-animal bond through our Animal-Assisted Therapy Program, which introduces highly trained pets to hospital patients, domestic violence victims and others in need of an emotional lift. I think that animals at work similarly create a warmer, more joyous environment.
It’s really about fostering the special connection we have with animals. Why not let that connection work its magic -- while we work?

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