Let's talk about dog-friendly offices ??

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This week, I’m talking about dog-friendly offices! Love them or hate them, over 15% of people are actively looking for a dog-friendly company, according to the millions of data points that we have collected at Flexa.

We love a dog-friendly office here at Flexa, and enjoy the benefits of having our furry friends in the office regularly. Many Flexified companies also offer dog-friendly offices, like Lucanet , Kairos Group (Now NewGen) , Scout , 11 Investments , LettUs Grow , 玛氏食品 , Influencer , and ScreenCloud (among many more which you can check out here).

Chelsea Dow from LettUs Grow loves having a dog-friendly office, and told me:

"Having a dog-friendly office is something we are really proud of. It gives dog owners more flexibility and generally makes for a really enjoyable working environment. Our office is next door to some beautiful woodland in Bristol and, on days the dogs are in, we like to head into the woods for a post-lunch walk. Not a bad way to spend a work day!"

So, if you love dogs, it’s an easy way to add an extra layer of flexibility to your working environment.

But it’s not just a flexible working play, there are dozens of other benefits to having dogs in the office:

?? Reduced financial burden?

It might sound trivial but, as many dog owners will tell you, doggy daycare is really expensive! Owners being able to bring their dogs to the office significantly reduces the cost of owning a dog.?

Alisha (Lish) McKenzie at ScreenCloud also points out that dog-friendly offices can really help with work-life balance:

"Having a dog friendly office is amazing! Not only is it a huge serotonin rush having pets in the office, but it’s also helpful for our ScreenClouders with pets as it provides them with more flexibility. It can be difficult working full time and having a pet, and having a non-pet friendly office can throw off that balance massively. Providing our employees with the opportunity to balance their work and life helps so much with burnout and any additional stress that finding a trusted pet-sitter may cause.”

?? Reduced stress in the office

If you’re a dog person, you’ll know the feeling of calm and happiness that you get when you give a dog a hug. That happiness also has stress-reducing properties, because patting a dog releases oxytocin.?

Carly Wilcox at Influencer described what a positive impact dogs have had on their office:

"A dog friendly office is more than just allowing our furry companions to join us at work. It promotes a positive and inclusive company culture, boosts employee morale, and encourages a healthy balance where the team take regular breaks from their work for snuggles with our furry friends!”

?? They’re a conversation starter

I’ve never met more people than when I worked in a dog-friendly office! People find it easier to talk about your dog than they find striking up random conversation, so it’s a great way to create bonds across your company.

As a large corporate, why do Mars love having a dog-friendly office? Chris Woods spoke to me about it.?

“There are so many advantages to bringing our four-legged friends into the office! For me, just having dogs around creates a much calmer environment, which does wonders for mental health, and that’s before you even consider the fact that they force you up and out of your chair every hour or so to take them out for a walk. I always find when I take my dog into the office that my focus is so much stronger, I’m always taking the right breaks I need, and it’s a great conversation starter with people you might not regularly work with too! All round, it’s a no brainer.”

Convinced? Here’s what to be mindful of when creating a dog-friendly office:

As a dog-friendly workplace ourselves, we’ve collated some of our top tips.

???????? Remember inclusivity

First of all, check whether it seems like a good decision with the majority of employees! You only want to make the change if people want it. Also, even if the majority do want a dog-friendly office, keep in mind that not all people are comfortable around dogs, some may have fears others may have allergies. Creating a dog free zone or having a different floor (particularly for larger companies) which are dog free is a great way to cater for this.

?? Lease a dog-friendly office space

Naturally, you should first check with your existing landlord to see whether the office space allows for dogs and discuss how many dogs are likely to be in the office at any given time.

?? Dog-proof your office?

Make sure the office environment is dog-friendly, keeping anything that may cause harm out of reach; put lids on bins, tie up any loose cabling from electrical equipment, and create a space for employees to keep their dog’s food (we know our furry friends like to be cheeky sometimes).

?? Create a timetable?

Create an office timetable with dates and times so that pawrents can fill out when they intend to bring their dog to work. This means that people can avoid days with lots of dogs if they aren’t keen on them, and dogs that prefer a quieter day can see when will suit them.

?? Have water bowls, treats and poop bags

Doggos need to stay hydrated so make sure there are water bowls available. Having some treats on offer is also a plus as treats will help them with introductions and meeting new people. Poop bags are also crucial!

?? Create a plan for addressing problems?

Some dogs may adjust to an office environment very quickly and easily. Others may bark and find it difficult being around too many people or other dogs.

Putting a plan in place and being clear on expectations with paw parents beforehand is important so that if any issues arise these can be addressed.?

?? Be transparent

If you’re a dog-friendly company, shout about it! It’s a brilliant way to add a competitive edge to your working environment. Also, if being dog-friendly is part of your culture, it also enables people who do not like dogs to understand whether you’re the right company for them. For us, we could never not be dog-friendly because of Gruff, mine and Maurice O'Brien ’s dog, who is a very anxious rescue. We physically couldn’t put him into daycare every day. Being dog-friendly also makes a big difference to our employees, too. Therefore, we are clear from the outset about how dog-friendly we are.?

With the right steps and processes taken into consideration, a dog-friendly workplace can bring so much joy and happiness. Check out some of the top dog-friendly companies that have the best flexible working environments.?

If you offer a dog-friendly office already, make sure you’re on Flexa getting discovered for it. Book a demo here to understand how you can use it to your advantage and reach millions of people searching for dog-friendly companies.

Or you can benchmark your whole working environment to see how you rank here.