Pets in the workplace can relieve stress

“There can often be a lot of pressure and stress in a work environment that can dampen the mood. It can be difficult to detach yourself from work in the office, which means people end up spending extended periods at their desk and become unhappy at work. This creates a negative atmosphere, making the work atmosphere very stressful. One way that you can relieve the stress of the workplace is by allowing pets in the office. Sociable animals instill a relaxed atmosphere and give people an excuse to get away from their desk for a brief period and the advantages of an office pet don’t end there.
Health Benefits
Office pets don’t just have an impact on the happiness of those in the office; they even provide some surprising health benefits that are invaluable. Pets can be a great way to improve the physical and mental health of your staff. Mental health is particularly important as it can prove difficult to keep staff happy at work. There are three major health benefits that you could gain from having pets at work;
They keep you active – having pets at work provides plenty of opportunities for your staff to exercise or play with the pet. This is important because it gives people an excuse to get up and move away from their desk, which many don’t often do. It offers people the chance to stretch but also to disconnect their thought from work for a brief spell. Research suggests that we should be more active in work roles and have regular breaks. With a number of health problems associated with sitting down for a long time, such as back pain and weight gain, it’s a great reason to get your staff active and have a pet at work.
They can reduce stress – it allows people the time to get away from their work and switch off for a short period. With a pet at work, people have the chance to relax and relieve stress. It has been proven that playing with pets can lower our blood pressure and increase the levels of oxytocin in our body, even if only for a small amount of time. Dogs and other pets have also been known to have a calming influence on people, which can be reflected in the office. Just by having pets in the office you can create a much more relaxed environment.
They can improve job satisfaction ­– it can mean that people are happier in their role and it is a great perk to have in the office. Many people are unable to have pets at home for one reason or another, so having a pet at work can be a real bonus for some people. It can be a great way to keep people happy in their role, which is important for staff retention.
What kind of pet should we have?
Cats and dogs are some of the best pets to have in an office environment and are proven to help with all of the above, but you could also go for a smaller pet, such as a rabbit or hamster. If somebody in the office has their own pet that they’re willing to bring in from home, then it can be a great way to introduce a pet. There can, of course, be a few issues with having pets in the office. You would need the pets to be house trained and make sure that none of your staff is allergic to pets, but otherwise having a pet in the office is something you should definitely consider if you recognise any of the above issues in your staff.”