{"id":5543,"date":"2016-12-19T12:00:23","date_gmt":"2016-12-19T02:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.firstclassaccounts.com\/?p=5543"},"modified":"2017-04-11T11:16:32","modified_gmt":"2017-04-11T01:16:32","slug":"animals-at-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.firstclassaccounts.com\/blog\/animals-at-work\/","title":{"rendered":"Animals at work"},"content":{"rendered":"
Here at First Class Accounts, we\u2019re small business owners. Most of us work from home offices. One of the perks of working from home is having our pets with us all day \u2013 but it\u2019s not just home-office workers who can scratch Rover or pat Fluffy in between emails. A growing trend in corporate offices worldwide is allowing pets to come to work with their owners to tackle workplace stress and promote social interactions.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The decision on whether to bring animals into the workplace requires careful consideration of a variety of crucial factors, though. On the surface, the decision may seem simple. Animals are cute. People like cute. Why not add a little cute to the eight or so hours you spend at the workplace? But unlike that no-one-knows-how-to-use-it coffee machine or the family pack of Arnott\u2019s Cream bikkies in the shared kitchen, animals are living beings that need personalised care and thought. They offer immense reward while potentially creating new difficulties too.<\/p>\n But despite the obvious \u2018cons\u2019 (little accidents, shedding, allergies) don\u2019t write off having pooches & kitties in the office too quickly. Depending on the unique qualities of your workplace, animals could be the perfect way to create a huge morale boost.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n No matter how positive and harmonious your workplace is, there are usually ways you can improve conditions. Profit, success and working with tricky clients, can come with their fair share of stress and frustration. One way to ease these negative emotions is to rely on the cheering power of pets. Studies show that dogs in the workplace can decrease stress and increase job satisfaction. Decreased stress can go a long way in improving relationships and fostering both creativity and productivity where they would otherwise be non-existent.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Caring for and spending time with an animal that has no direct connection to their work can be a mental relief for employees. Colleagues can share tasks related to the animal or animals without the weight of differing positions and career expectations attached. This sort of equality can encourage collaboration between those who might never have had the opportunity or desire to do so beforehand.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Depending on the age of your business, something as significant as allowing animals into the workplace might be a welcome change.Animals can reduce stress<\/h3>\n
Animals can encourage collaboration<\/h3>\n
Animals can shake up the social environment<\/h3>\n
\nBecky and Susie have been working beside each other for a long time. Dan and Lisa have had the same conversation about the weather for ages. They might be stuck in routine and think they know each other too well. The presence of an animal energises employees to learn new things about their co-workers, bridge petty differences or dislikes and find better ways to relate to one another. Love for a pet isn\u2019t dependent on the minor successes and failures of a day at work.<\/p>\n