The unlikely work colleague

It is easy to feel demotivated, stressed and tired at work. Have you found a way to combat these problems yet?

Some Australian workplaces have adopted an increasingly popular method of easing the tensions in the workplace. It includes some fur, some barking, a wet nose, a tail and four legs.

Many companies are now introducing pets in the workplace to boost morale in the workplace. These unlikely colleagues will occasionally let out a bark, run around the office wagging their tail, however a study in 2012 has shown employees have reported feeling less stressed around pets in the office as well as helping to spark conversations between employees, including those who don’t typically talk to each other.

Steven Fledman, Executive Director of Human Animal Bond Research Initiative (HABRI) Foundation, said that employees are happier with pets around the office as they feel supported by their employers and are more likely to collaborate and work in teams.

In Sydney’s Purina office, the country business manager stated that he has seen staff relax as soon as a pet approaches them. He has also said there’s been some heated meetings with other departments, however the atmosphere changes as soon as a dog or cat walk into the room and sometime resulting in a change in conversation.

Almost half the employees who brought dogs to the office reported an increase in productivity however there’s been no report of decrease in productivity for those who did not bring their beloved pets to work.

Many employees sit and work for long hours during the day, by having a dog in the office, it reminds the staff to take a short break from their tiring work and go out for a short walk and come back refreshed. 

Employees have also said that they would never dread coming into the office if they had their furry friends with them.  The Brooklyn, a New York based company said that office pets help to lift the spirits and gives a sense of community and connection between the employees.

In Sydney’s Purina office, they have found that pets have helped to attract new talent as well as retain their employees.

With all these benefits, are you going to introduce your furry friends into the workplace?

To finish off, here’s a picture of my favourite work friend from my previous role, Blue, hard at work.

Being brought up in a typical Chinese family in Australia, Vivian takes pride as an ABC (Australia-born Chinese) where she happily embraces both the Chinese and Australian cultures. 

In high school, Vivian wanted to become a fashion designer, however she has developed a passion for running events after working backstage for multiple live shows. Prior to starting at Akolade, Vivian worked 4 years in the wine industry and she misses the wine tasting sessions and openly drinking on the job. As the Marketing Coordinator, Vivian enjoys using her creativity to design unique and fun campaigns for each event. In her spare time, Vivian loves to spend time with her two adorable pets; a cat and a dog.