In today’s era, where stress is common among people, we need to determine ways to reduce the same and find some time to relax. Pets provide joy and significant emotional support for some people. Therefore, people bring pets to their homes to spend some quality time with them and relax.
Many organizations around the world know the benefits of being with pets and created pet-friendly workplaces. Banfield Pet Hospital has pet-friendly offices in the US, UK, and Mexico. Before that, they were famous for allowing employees to bring their pets to their office.
Considering the benefits of pets, many businesses are now making their workplaces pet-friendly for their employees. However, there are many disadvantages of bringing pets to a workplace, such as distraction and safety issues. Let us check the pros and cons of pet-friendly workplaces for employees.
Pros of pet-friendly workplaces
Work-Life balance
Spending too much time on a project, issue, or other work may cause unnecessary stress and affect productivity. Pets remind people to take a break and step back from whatever they’re working on. A little playtime, short walks, and temporary distractions enable for mental breaks so as not to overwork and stress.
Companies such as Inverse-Square, a custom software development firm, have been available to animals in the workplace owing to their impact on the work and life balance. Both companies and staff indicates that it helps them spend long working hours happily, and the animals remind them to take the required breaks.
Pets can reduce stress
Employers and staff are increasingly discovering that animals at work make them happier, reduced stress rates, and generate a pleasant, flexible atmosphere. Pets can create a friendly environment at workplace and initiate conversations that may not take place without them.
Pets improve productivity
Better communication can lead to more confidence, the main element of a productive job setting. Confidence and communication compete with stress and encourage productivity, leading to enhanced morality and decreased absenteeism. Also, decreased stress implies less stress-related illnesses and the health care expenses that accompany them.
No need for daycare services for pets
Allowing owners to take their animals to the job also offers a substantial economic benefit–eliminating the extra cost of dog-daycare or dog walking facilities for staff that work long hours or travel a substantial distance from their homes every day. Daycare or walking facilities can be quite expensive, so this can be an outstanding benefit for a pet-owner.
Employees work for long hours
The employees who bring pets to their workplace work for longer hours than those who leave pets at home. They don’t need to rush to their homes in the office hours or lunch break to feed their pet or offer them a medicine. Therefore, they work in the office until they complete their day to day work.
Cons of pet-friendly workplaces
Despite several benefits of bringing pets to the office, there are various disadvantages. Let us check the negative effects of pet-friendly workplaces on employees.
Pets can distract attention
Pets can distract the attention of an employee and his colleagues. A dog would have to go outside for a few walks, and it may make noise by barking or whining. Pets can also attract tiny crowds of staff looking for entertainment when they should be working at their desks.
Risk of allergies
Some people are prone to allergies when they are around pets. It would be difficult for such people to be around pets and concentrate on their work. Moreover, some employees might get scared of the pets while others may hate them and feel unsafe. Employers may need to make separate pet-free areas at a workplace for such employees.
Risk of injury to employees
Pets at the workplace can be a risk to employees, customers, and visitors. They can bite an employee or visitor and can put them in trouble. Such events can lead to potential legal issues and insurance problems.
Damage to office property
Pets can cause harm to the office equipment by occasional accidents on the carpet or by chewing the furniture. While the pet population of the office may preserve a very high standard of healthy conduct, accidents do occur. If a dog or cat damages and expensive equipment, it can cost the company thousands of dollars.
Final Words
These are the positive and negative effects of creating pet-friendly workplaces on employees. Despite several benefits like lowering stress and work-life balance, there are many disadvantages to pets. It is best to keep the pets away from workplaces for the safety and productivity of employees.
Moreover, there will be no risk of pets damaging the business property. Also, the pet sitters like dog walkers Melbourne can get their business going when people leave their pets at home. Leaving the pets at home can allow the employees to concentrate on work and maintain their productivity.
