Making Your Office More Pet-Friendly

Leaving their pets at home is the worst nightmare for pet owners. A full-time job and occasional social activities leave you with very little time to spend with your dog, cat, duck, or whatever pet you have.

This is why a lot of employers decide to turn their office space into a pet-friendly oasis.

A study conducted by Virginia Commonwealth University showed that pets boost productivity among employees.

Pets induce the release of Oxytocin (so-called the “love hormone”) into the hypothalamus which leads to stress reduction and lowers blood pressure.

Another perk of pet-friendly offices is that pets can increase creativity during teamwork due to their role as a “social catalyst”.

Simply put, pets bring people together.

But, making your office pet-friendly is not that simple.

It takes some effort and organization.

Here’s what you need to have in mind:

Here is what you need to make your office more pet-friendly

Know your facts

First of all, ask your employees what they think about turning your working space into a pet friendly area.

Some pet owners would probably agree, but among them might be those who disapprove.

Also, many people are allergic to animal hair or dander, so you might want to check that with your employees.

Pet allergies are usually not life-threatening, but still – you can’t expect people to work under those conditions.

Even if they’re not allergic, it’s still fair to ask people if they feel comfortable around animals.

If you’re renting your office space, you better check your lease first.

Your landlord might prohibit animals on his property.

Adapt your office space

When it comes to pets spending time inside, it’s important to consider their biologically conditioned behavior.

So, hygiene should be your number one priority.

Make sure your workers have enough time to take their dogs out for a walk and provide litter boxes for cats.

Pet’s hair may pose as another problem – it gets stuck in carpets which could be a real nightmare for the cleaning lady.

Luckily for you, there are a lot of carpet cleaning services in Sydney.

You just need to pick one, choose a date and time, and let the professionals do it for you.

Another thing to think about is providing some personal space for every pet.

You know what they say about cats and dogs, but dogs might not get along with each other either.

You could solve this problem by providing baby gates or tethers for every pet.

Also, you should secure the electrical cords to prevent the animals from damaging them.

Keep in mind that some plants are poisonous to animals, so it is a good idea to double-check anything you keep inside your working space.

Make a strict pet policy

Clear rules are essential if you want everything to function properly.

For example, the pet owner is responsible for his pet – they need to watch them, take them out for a walk or have them on a leash when walking around the place.

All pets must be current with their vaccinations, clean, and flea-free.

You can even establish some kind of body for regulating these pet-related issues.

Let’s call it a pet director.

A pet director should monitor the pets and their owners, and make sure no rules are broken.

Of course, every employee must be familiar with and agree with these guidelines.

Pet-friendly offices are the latest hit.

Offering this possibility might help in recruiting and retaining workers.

It may seem like a lot of work at first, but it’s really not that hard.

If you are not a pet owner, and you don’t really know what a certain animal needs, don’t hesitate to ask your employees.

Include them in the process – they will appreciate it.

Not to mention all of those cats, dogs, or ducks who will no longer be alone for the most part of the day.