This week is is Take Your Pet To Work Week™, and while most of us that contribute to PetsBlogs actually work from home, some of us also have outside jobs – some of which allow pets, and some of which don’t. Working at home is great for a lot of reasons, but working in the comfort of your own space, surrounded by your favorite furry friend, is one of the greatest perks.
The week-long celebration always starts on the Monday following Father’s Day and ends with Take Your Dog To Work Day® on Friday. Pet Sitters International actually created the day (and also registered TYDTWDay®) to celebrate the great companions dogs make and to help promote their adoptions. The event encourages employers to experience the joys of having pets in the workplace and to show support for their local pet community.
In celebration of the celebration, we’d like to share a few statistics about animals in the workplace and we’d also like to point out that while it’s super-cool to have a chance to bring your dog to work, it’s also essential to respect your dog-fearing or allergic co-workers in the process. Pet-friendly companies have pet policies in place to ensure the safety of everyone (humans and pets), but if you have permission to bring a pet to work this week, be sure you are also mindful of your co-workers and follow your office’s rules.
More companies seem to be welcoming dogs into the workplace as pet-friendly offices continue to trend for good reason.
Charlie is an ideal colleague. He’s energetic, knows how to handle bullies and has serious people skills. His work mostly entails riding on a cart pushed by Kim Headen, who fills orders in the warehouse at Replacements Ltd. The company currently has 400 employees and 30 animals that come to work.
Recent studies show that having pets in the workplace helps reduce stress, makes workers more productive, attracts and retains happy employees, and make jobs more satisfying for everyone in the office. (Virginia Commonwealth University Study, for example).
According to a Banfield study, 83 percent of employees feel a greater sense of loyalty to companies with pet-friendly policies. And, according to Forbes, companies allowing dogs in the office tend to attract more millennials to their workforce.
Kurgo, a company created by a couple of entrepreneurial brothers (Kitter & Gordie Spater) who have been innovating great products that let people and their dogs explore the world together, has put together a nice infographic this year for TYDTWD:
Interesting side note, Kurgo was featured as the world’s most dog friendly office with a nice slideshow of what it might be like to work in such a place (Inside the World’s Most Dog-Friendly Office).
PSI (Pet Sitters International) has a dog-at-work photo contest running through the end of July to celebrate Take Your Dog To Work Day. So, if you’ take your dog to work this week, you might want to snap a few photos and enter to win the $500 gift certificate – a gift certificate to Kurgo!
Follow “Take Your Dog” . . .
- Take Your Dog To Work Day on Facebook
- Take Your Dog To Work Day on Twitter
- Take Your Dog To Work Day on Instagram
Event creator Pet Sitters International says one work day can change a pet’s entire life and encourages businesses to open their doors to employees’ dogs for the 19th annual event.
