‘Bring Your Dog To Work Day’ – how to convince your boss this should be an everyday thing!

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You are familiar with the feeling of calm, happiness, and comfort that comes when you see your furry friend cuddled up by your feet. Now imagine bringing this feeling into your workspace – sounds perfect, right? Now, the only hurdle is to convince your boss.

Luckily, this blog is the step-to-step guide on how to do so!

Did you know that companies, such as Google, Airbnb, Amazon, and Uber allow their employees’ furry friends to join them in the office each day? Yes, you read that correctly! While the success of these companies isn’t entirely due to their dog-friendly work environments, there is no denying the paw-sitive effects of having four-legged colleagues in the office.

While companies having offices open to pets is still rare, more and more employers are realizing that pets in the workplace make employees happier, lower stress levels, and create a more relaxed, comfortable environment. Business leaders know that happy employees lead to increased productivity, and therefore, more companies are now allowing pets into the office.

While you might know the wonderful benefits of having your precious pooch as the new office intern, trying to convince your boss may not be a walk in the park. Here are 5 steps of how to approach your boss about opening the doors to your furry pal.

5 Steps to convince your boss to allow dogs in your workplace:

1. First things first, chat to your co-workers

Allowing doggies into the office shouldn’t be taken lightly. Just because it sounds like a great idea to you, your colleagues might have an opposing view. Create an informal survey to gather your co-workers’ opinions. Be sensitive to those co-workers that have reservations about bringing dogs to work (due to the possible barking, allergies, and naughty behaviour that may come with the pooches) and explain to them the benefits that come with making the office paw-friendly.

If the majority of your colleagues are on board, you will then need to gather information, such as the behaviour of the dogs and if they have been trained, neutered/spayed, have pet insurance, and use this information to create a schedule of which pets come into the office on which day. This will avoid any bad puppy behaviour in the office and allow your co-workers to enjoy the presence of different dogs in the office each day.

While you’re here, read: How to stop your dog from jumping up (for good this time)

2. Explain the barking benefits

Besides dogs being adorable cuddle buddies, they offer many more benefits when they are present in a work environment. Create a list of the benefits to convince your boss, such as:

• Improving morale: Employees that have their furry best friends napping next to their desk are likely to be happier, more engaged, and comfortable in the workspace.
• Encourages team bonding: A common love for dogs can bring colleagues together; through shared games of fetch, taking your paw-fect pals for walks together, and of course, chatting about the office dogs’ adorable features around the water cooler.
• Increasing productivity: It is well known that healthier employees equal a more productive, efficient workforce. Taking regular breaks and stepping away from your desk is proven to help increase concentration and motivation. Having pups in the workspace gives employees a great reason to take a break and go outside for a bit of fresh air during the workday.
• Stress Relief (the cherry on top!): Research has shown that simply petting your precious pup reduces the stress hormone cortisol and increases the feel-good hormone oxytocin. Many pet owners will agree that a weight is lifted off of your shoulders when you spend some time with your four-legged friend (even if it is just for a few minutes). Having the pitter-patter of paws around the office can help reduce the stress of the employees.

Before you carry on, read these pet parent tips: Getting the zoomies out before your Zoom meetings

3. Offer to dog-proof the office.

This is an important step when convincing your employer to allow dogs into the workspace. Create a list of changes that you will make to the office to ensure your colleagues and their pups will be safe and comfortable in the work environment. (Looking for more ways to keep your pup safe? Consider getting pet insurance!)

You will need to ensure that there are sufficient water and food bowls, comfortable beds, toys, and places for the pups to go to the loo (number one and two!). Additionally, you will need to create dog-free zones where employees can break away from the furry interns.

4. Create an employee-led committee.

There will need to be several rules and regulations in place to ensure that everything runs smoothly when your colleagues bring their pooches to work. Set your boss’s mind at ease and create an employee committee that will write and enforce the rules. This will help to convince your boss, as it will not add any further responsibilities to their plate and shows that you and your colleagues will take responsibility for your pets.

5. Suggest a ‘Bring Your Dog To Work Day’ as a test drive.

The final step in the process to convince your boss is to create a fun event to trial bringing your puppy to work. This is an easy, effective way to test the waters. Suggest that the next casual Friday or National Pet Day be a special occasion where employees can bring their furry friends to the office. This will test the practicality of bringing pooches into the office, as well as create an exciting and fun event that involves the whole office. Remember to prepare and plan thoroughly to ensure no hiccups happen along the way that will deter your boss!

 

We hope these steps help you to convince your boss that bringing your dogs to work is a great idea!

 

Yours In No-So-Average Pet Advice,

The Petinsurance.co.za Team

#NotYourAveragePetAdvice