At Safewell, we often have employees bring their Pooches in for the day, and they get thoroughly spoilt. It always creates a buzz around the office and gives plenty to talk about. We find it helps add to an already positive office environment.
There are many potential positives for welcoming an office dog into the workplace. Research suggests that dogs at work may reduce stress levels, boost performance and employee engagement. However, animal allergies are common, and some employees may be uncomfortable sharing their work space with a dog.
Things to consider if you’re thinking of having a doggy day in the office:
1 – The impact to employees, e.g. Dog phobias or allergies.
2 – Dog behaviour, e.g. Do dogs need to be trained, vaccinated?
3 – The Facilities, e.g. Risk assessment carried out, facilities required.
4 – Are office dogs the right fit for the company? e.g. Weigh up the pros and cons of having a dog in the office.
5 – HR Policies implementing a dog friendly Policy, e.g. Creating a policy to clearly communicate your expectations with staff.
President of IOSH 2008, Institute of Occupational Safety and Health
I am pleased that you are helping dispel some of the dafter myths that surround OH&S (a passion you and I clearly have in common) and the item clearly indicates that as with so many of our professional colleagues you are not about stopping fun on the pretext of H&S. It is only with the help of people such as yourself that we will eventually get the message across that OH&S is about bringing (as you so aptly put it) purpose and value to peoples lives
