Having a dog in the office can dramatically improve employee productivity and wellbeing while at work, research conducted by flexible office specialist, Workthere, reveals.
Workthere conducted research to determine UK office workers attitudes towards having a canine companion at their place of work and found that almost half (44%) think having a dog in the office would be beneficial to their productivity. What’s more, a third (34%) believe a workplace pooch would make them happier, and a quarter (25%) think it would improve their work/life balance.
Delving further into the research findings, Workthere also found that it is, in fact, the younger population that are most in favour of having dogs at work, with nearly half (43%) of 18-24-year old’s admitting they would be more likely to apply for a job that allowed dogs in the office.
Alternatively, while the survey found that two in five (41%) of 45-54-year olds currently own a dog, the highest of any other age range, a vast majority (80%) have never worked somewhere that allows them to bring their dog to work.
When it comes to the gender divide, it seems dogs aren’t a man’s best friend - they’re a woman’s! The research found that a third (32%) of women would be more attracted to a workplace that allowed dogs, compared to just a quarter (24%) of men.
Commenting on the research findings, Cal Lee, head of Workthere, says: “Whilst having a dog in the office may not be for everyone, and you must understand the needs and consensus of your employees, it is clear that a canine colleague can boost overall productivity, mood and happiness, while reducing stress. It could therefore be a great consideration for employers to bear in mind looking forward.”