The benefits of pets in your workplace

Eat. Play. Love.

There’s no doubt pets have been a group of unsung heroes while we’ve been working from home to help flatten the Covid-19 curve. Our four-legged friends have been joining us on Zoom meetings or sitting by our feet while we work, keeping our laps warm and our spirits high.

The team at Spenda has definitely noticed the benefits of having our furry, feathered, or even scaled friend around, and we’re not the only ones. Many studies have been conducted that reinforce the sentiment that pets in the workplace make you happier, less stressed, and more productive.

While our pets may have disturbed our digital meetings with barks and meows or hogged the spotlight with their natural charm, they are always a sure bet to produce a few smiles during our office catchups.

A study from a Virginia university discovered employees at a retail business who brought their pooches to work reported a higher than normal response in terms of job satisfaction, while their stress levels also went down throughout the day.

In fact, of the dog owners who brought their pets to work, more than half revealed the presence of their dogs had a direct impact on their productivity and stated they worked harder with their dogs around.

Another study found having your pets in the workplace boosted positive response to stressful situations and reduced anxiety, and depression.

People with pets are also more likely to have healthy habits baked into their routines. Having a dog, for example, increases the likelihood of staying active, which experts have confirmed is important to maintaining sound mental and physical health.

Dog owners also tend to live longer lives due to their more active lifestyles and overall better cardiovascular health.

Australians have backed up these studies and started adopting animals en masse, with many shelters running out of animals to adopt.

In New South Wales alone, inquiries on foster care and adoption have spiked 300 per cent, according to the RSPCA.

While there’s no denying pets can be an incredible addition to any home and make those long days working in isolation more comfortable, before you rush off to adopt a dog or a cat remember they are for life and not just for Covid. Ask yourself if you have the time to commit to looking after a pet if you go back to working full time or no longer work from home.

If you do, great! Be sure to check your local animal shelter or the pound and give an animal a second chance.