Companies these days are trying their best to meet the needs of their current and future employees. Many employees are looking for companies that offer additional benefits that support a work life balance and add a sense of comfortability to their work environment. One of the ways that companies can do this is by offering employees a pet friendly office! For workers that still come into the office, this can be a great way to increase engagement and motivation. For some employees, this may even offer a deep sense of relief by being able to bring their dogs or pets to work and ultimately spending less money on care for their animals during the day. In addition, it helps your company appear more friendly and welcoming to potential clients! Our pets are an important part of our lives, and if our place of work embraces an important part of our outside lives, it also helps build a sense of trust and belonging between employee and employer. We spoke to several top business leaders about the benefits of a pet friendly office and why it’s something businesses with the capability to do so should absolutely consider!

Pet Friendly Offices are More Relaxed

Pet-friendly offices pay attention to life details outside of work, which is becoming a major priority for the workforce today. It also shows that the company is easy going, relaxed and wants their employees to feel at home! “Allowing pets in your office shows not just a relaxed attitude, but one that supports your employees’ external lives and priorities other than work. It allows your employees to feel a little more at home and more seen by the people they work for,” said Vino Jeyapalan, CEO and Founder of Kabo. Showing empathy for animals shows a wider sense of value for all life, something that will bring a wonderful energy to any work environment. Hector Gutierrez, CEO of JOI said, “In some way, the presence of animals invokes feelings of relaxation and empathy in most people. This is a great energy to bring to the office, allowing team members and leaders to feel a little more human, and a little softer during their work days that can become stressful quickly.”

Pets also offer stress relief for your team! Seeing a cute, happy animal as they walk from meeting to meeting or to take a water break can be really uplifting during a stressful day. “Pets can provide a number of benefits to any office,” said Marc Atiyeh, CEO of Pawp. “However, reducing stress always ranks at the top of the list. Whether you’re watching fish swim about an aquarium or are taking the company dog out for a walk, it can help you forget any tense situations — even if just for a moment.” This can help us keep a calm and focused mind, even when our work lives seem overwhelming and stressful.

Increases Engagement

Pets bring an upbeat and positive energy into the office, and this can make your employees feel excited and happy to come into work every day. Some offices even have pets that live at their place of work like fish or cats. This can add a common sense of responsibility among your team members. “Having office pets can be a great way to connect employees over a common non-work activity in the office. If you have an aquarium in the office, for example, different team members or departments could take turns feeding or even decorating the aquarium,” said ​​James Shalhoub, Co-founder of Finn. This type of collaboration is a way to practice working together and being a stronger, more empathetic team.

And again, employees will ultimately be more excited to be at the office if they know there might be a new animal friend to meet! “It sounds silly, but having pets at the office or allowing pets to come from home will make employees more excited to come to work. A job is a job, but what makes us want to come back are the things we get to experience during our days. Animals can add that little bit of excitement to make work feel like a fun place to be!” said Cody Candee, Founder and CEO of Bounce. It’s exciting for coworkers to get a chance to be acquainted with each other’s pets. This is a great way for employees to bond and get to know each other a little bit better!

Pets in the office also have tended to encourage another important aspect of office life: regular screen breaks. “Pets encourage employees to get up and take needed breaks from screen time during their days,” said Justin Chan, Growth Manager of JuneShine. “There are many ways to do this, of course, but having an office pet or allowing dogs in your office will definitely do a lot to encourage employees to get up and come say hi to their new office friend!”

Relief for Dog Owners!

Not only does it create a relaxed environment for employees and clients, it’s also a topical benefit for companies to offer their employees. Many young workers have relied on their animals companionship through the pandemic, and many are needing additional care when returning to in-person activities. Laren Kleinman, Co-Founder of The Quality Edit said about pet-friendly offices, “This could be an essential relief for employees who are dog owners needing a better balance between work and life responsibilities. Dog owners know how hard it is to leave your pup alone for the day, and it shows a lot of respect from employers to allow dogs in the workplace so their employees can feel a little relief from their daily responsibilities.”

Dogs need lots of love, and lots of activities to keep them expending their energy! “This is also a great way to socialize your dog if you already work in a place that allows animals! Dogs need to be social, and this is a great way to get them used to seeing other people. And not to mention wearing their energy out!” said Michael Waxman of Sundays for Dogs. It’s no secret that dogs bring higher energy wherever they go, and that in and of itself can be great for employee morale. Michael Jankie, Founder of The Natural Patch Co said “Pets in the office can do wonders for morale, especially in offices where work can get long and dull. There’s nothing like a friendly dog wagging its tail to bring a little spark of joy into your office each day.”

Pets Create a Friendly Atmosphere for Clients

Pets in the office give the aesthetic of a laid back, go-with-the-flow kind of attitude, which can be a very attractive quality for clients visiting your office! This shows that you have a committed attitude and a relaxed and positive lifestyle. “Having pets in the office has been proven to have positive benefits on workplace atmosphere and culture. For clients, you’ll appear more friendly and down to earth allowing pets in your workplace,” said Ryan Lee Co-founder & CEO of Rooted. This will make clients feel more at home and comfortable in your meetings. Of course, make sure the animals you invite in have good habits! Ryan Howlett of WellPet had this to say, “Clients will appreciate a relaxed atmosphere that supports a balance between work and play. Make sure that the animals you do allow in your office are well-behaved and trained of course!”

It also shows a sense of empathy for everything around you, something that business partners will value about your company. Inesa Ponomariovaite, Founder of Nesa’s Hemp said, “Respect for animals equates to respect for all living things, and that kind of mutual respect is essential for building loyalty at your company. Pet friendly companies will appear to have a greater sense of empathy for their fellow humans and the other animals we share the planet with.”

Ultimately, allowing pets in the office shows your employees and customers alike that you are a relaxed, down to earth business that respects animals existing in the same spaces as us! It also provides a necessary outlet for pet owners that may need to save money on care by bringing their dogs to work with them, provided that they are well trained and not too much of a distraction. For your entire office, this can be a great way to provide a little extra joy from day to day, especially for those working in fields that require long sitting hours in front of a computer. Animals to interact with will offer a reprise from the grind, and bring a bit of light into your office on a daily basis.