Animals in the office help reduce stress

The office isn’t usually the kind of place you’d expect to see furry friends wandering around, but one company is allowing employees to bring their pets to work in a bid to reduce stress.

The Purina Petcare office in Sydney, Australia has taken research conducted by US-based Virginia Commonwealth University in 2012 to heart. The study compared employees who brought their dogs to work with those who didn’t in the areas of stress, job satisfaction, organisational commitment and support.

Those who brought their dogs reported lower stress levels throughout the day and felt more satisfied than those who worked in an office without animals. Although there wasn’t a difference in tested hormone levels among the different groups, participants said they generally felt better about their jobs.

At the Purina office, which is based in a building owned by Nestle, business manager Lal Meyer says pets are part of the company’s DNA. He says in addition to providing health benefits, the move has encouraged employees to interact with each other.

The Nestle complex allows one day a week for employees to bring their pets to work, as well as time on Wednesdays and Fridays for workers to relax and balance their workloads. The Purina office also has a resident cat called Monty, a white long-haired cat that “rules the office”.

Perhaps it’s time to make a case for Fido to follow you to work.

Read the original article at bit.ly/1OyOgNH