Furry friends at work, should pets be part of your office culture?

Are you thinking it would be out of this world for you to bring your pets to work? Think again—Companies today are slowly hopping on board to this idea. Studies have attributed less stress, high job satisfaction and improved wellness thanks to furry friends on the job. Hold the phone—according to a recent Office Team survey, 84 percent of Canadian HR managers polled said pets are not welcome in the workplace!
On the other hand, in the same OfficeTeam survey, 57 percent of employees said they would enjoy having animals in the office. So if you are thinking of having pets in the office here are some tips and “tricks” on how to handle it:

1. Renting? Check the fine print of that lease you signed first before welcoming the fur babies to their new home away from home!
2. Feedback is key! Make sure all your employees are on board. Some might find they are distracted by all the cuteness. Alternatively, some might be concerned about allergies.
3. Excuse me, do you have pet insurance in this office? Probably something you’ve never been asked before! You may want to update your policies.
4. Does the “you break it, you buy it” policy apply at the office? You might want to consider a damage deposit by the pet owners.
5. Personal Hygiene. Enough said—Take little Molly to the groomers once in a while.
6. Pit stop. Decide where pets can and cannot enter. Set aside a place for them to relieve themselves outside as well.
7. While you’re watching Suits with your cuddly friend at night, ask Harvey Spector to review your pets-at-work policy! (Always be proactive)

Pets in the office won’t be for every organization. When a pet policy is put into place at the right office, and for the right employees, they can be a cheap and fun way to reduce stress. Remember to set expectations and responsibilities with your staff and owners!

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Beyond Rewards Inc

Human Resources and Risk Management Consultants and Training Provider at Beyond Rewards Inc

Beyond Rewards is a boutique firm offering a full suite of Human Resource, Safety, Workplace investigations, Accessibility Standards and Risk Management solutions, online training programs and customized face to face training for our clients. Several exceptional expert consultants led by Lynne Bard, HBa, CHRP, CES, President/Senior Consultant,will be blogging regularly on First Reference Talks on behalf of Beyond Rewards Inc.

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