Bring Your Dog to Work Day 2019
We’ve not gone barking mad, it really is Bring Your Dog to Work Day 2019 on 21st June. So how do dogs contribute to employee wellbeing?
As a company that promotes employee wellbeing via flexible working, we know dogs are increasing in popularity as a way of improving engagement generally. And believe it or not, it’s becoming more common to see them in offices. That said, Bring Your Dog to Work Day probably has more appeal if you work close to home, right?
You might think that local employers will be more likely to encourage pets at work schemes than large corporates – but we know this is slowly changing as dogs are becoming a desired employee perk amongst millennials and Gen Z.
Dogs bring employees together
We can’t imagine a big dog on a packed tube, for example, but it seems dogs can reduce stress and have overall benefits for workers. They certainly get tongues wagging, if you’ll excuse the pun. So if you have trouble getting employees to bond, bringing a dog in might help the conversation to flow.
Dogs as an employee benefit
If an employee has a dog at home, they may welcome Bring Your Dog to Work Day as an employee benefit that has legs. You could even think about introducing it more regularly to help create positive workplace culture. We know some employers that have doggie Fridays or a daily pooch presence!
Good enough for schools?
A local school near Ten2Two’s HQ has a school dog, and it’s been a big hit with the pupils, helping them to focus better and drive good behaviour. These are on the increase, particularly where students struggle to deal with pressure as a dog can be a huge calming influence.
From an employee’s point of view, if an employer doesn’t allow dogs, working flexibly can allow you to have your own dog at home. That way you don’t have to worry about leaving them for long periods without company, as working shorter hours every day still leaves room for the daily walk.
Of course, not everyone is a dog lover and employers do need to consider people with severe allergies. But with the rise in Cockapoos and hypoallergenic dogs, we’re not surprised that companies like Amazon and Google are leading the way when it comes to pets at work schemes. Paws for thought at the very least (sorry!).
If you’re an employer seeking to implement flexible working across your business, we can help. Or if you’re an employee wanting to bring your dog to work more often, a more flexible local job could be the answer. Flexible and part-time recruiter Ten2Two can help. Get in touch today to find out more.
