Lives enriched by companion animals at work
Pets in Business
Now, more than ever, pets are an
integral part of our lives
Many companies continue to have people working both from home and in the office. We want to help employers and employees adapt to the new situation.
Research shows that having pets in the workplace improves productivity and collaboration, and alleviates stress. Employee satisfaction and morale are top-of-mind for most HR leaders, and pet-inclusive policies can help.
Australia CAN works directly with companies and employees to develop policies for an integrated workplace that meets the needs of the company, non-pet owners and pet-owning staff.
Research shows that having pets in the workplace improves productivity and collaboration, and alleviates stress. Employee satisfaction and morale are top-of-mind for most HR leaders, and pet-inclusive policies can help.
Australia CAN works directly with companies and employees to develop policies for an integrated workplace that meets the needs of the company, non-pet owners and pet-owning staff.
Pets in the workplace reduce stress, promote happiness & increase collaboration.
What are the benefits of a pet-friendly workplace?
Work is a leading source of stress worldwide, with notifications and bad habits preventing us from leaving work at work. In fact, one-in-five Australians take time off the job due to work-related stress and anxiety. That’s why we reckon our workforce could benefit from some creature comforts.
Companion animals are essential for
wellbeing-psychological, spiritual and physical.
For those of us who have shared a workspace with pets over recent months, returning to the office and leaving our pets behind feels unjust and insensitive
What people think about pet-friendly workplaces
40% of people believe pets in the workplace enhance work-life balance.
40
%
24% of people believe pets in the workplace enhance relationships
24
%
45% of people believe pets in the workplace create a more relaxed atmosphere.
45
%
50% of employees see pets in the workplace as a benefit
50
%
* Research sourced by Purina
How to make your workplace pet-friendly
Education, clear guidelines and fair ground rules will be your best friend here. Making pets a valued and beneficial part of your workplace centres around 3 key themes:
- Everyone feeling safe (pets included)
- Avoiding chaos (smart rules are a must)
- A little supervision
To make pets in the workplace a success, understand that each is magically individual, with their breed, preferences and moods contributing to their personality. For example, some pets love pats, while others will be wary of strangers.
Making your workplace pet friendly has been proven to:
- Reduce stress levels, enhance coping skills and lower blood pressure.
- Squash pet-owner guilt about leaving a pet to their lonesome for the day.
- Wipe-out brain fog with lunchtime walks, toilet breaks and forced time in the sun.
- Jack up office morale and communication…“Have you seen Teddy’s bandana today?”
- Spread the benefits of chilling with a pet to the less fortunate (i.e. non-pet owners).
- Build an environment of camaraderie between the manager and their employees.
Preparing your office for furry friends
It’s important to consider your infrastructure. The more people or the smaller the space, the more to consider. Try to:
- Provide some gated or inaccessible areas to control movement and give pets a safe and secure place to roam. Focus your pet-friendly zones on places with easy-to-clean floors, or nearby cleaning products. Hopefully it’s only fur that you have to worry about, but accidents do happen.
- Provide a grassy patch outside for toilet breaks. Providing eco-friendly poo bags here would be a big bonus, for your employees and the environment. In the early days, employees could consider buddying up: watching each other’s dog when somebody needs to use the bathroom, attend a meeting, and so on.
Pets in Business Resources
Resource downloads to support your workplace:
Contact us for your personalised workplace kit.
Pets in Business Tales
CANA’s pet friendly policy benefits Eastern Innovation, their clients and pets
Posted: June 2024
Eastern Innovation (EI) is a co-working space in south-east Melbourne with suites, labs and offices for more than 40 future-focused businesses. The company became a CANA Pets in Business partner in 2022.
[Read More]
Peanut the office dog at Dogs’ Homes of Tasmania
Posted: June 2024
Alexandra Bray is a self-proclaimed dog-obsessed individual and working with Dogs’ Homes of Tasmania as the marketing and development manager probably shows that!
[Read More]
Can your office be pet-friendly?
Posted: June 2024
During COVID, we could spend hours at home with our pets while we worked. Many of us even adopted a new furry mate during this time! Now that many workplaces are asking for their colleagues to head back into the office, our furry friends are sadly left at home again without our warm companionship.
[Read More]
A story of Workplace Giving inspired by rescue pets
Posted: June 2024
Nicola has been an employee of JB Hi-Fi in Townsville, QLD, for nearly 10 years and involved in their charity program Helping Hands since day one. Her donations are matched by JB HI-Fi dollar for dollar and go to Companion Animal Network Australia.
[Read More]
