One of our employee’s brought this interesting article to my attention as she’ s been asking to bring her new puppy by the office. The article was called “Study: Office Dogs Reduce Work-Related Stress” and it was published on Inc.com.
The article centered on a research study through the Virginia Commonwealth University showing that test employees who brought their dogs to work with them each day:
- Had lowered levels of stress throughout the day
- Reported higher levels of job satisfaction
- Had a more positive perception of their employer
The study was conducted at a company in Greensboro, NC (which is only about an hour down the road from our corporate office in Cary, NC), and involved the use of both surveys and chemical testing to establish a baseline and then monitor results.
However, the study wasn’t without some conflicting opinions, as some of the participants who didn’t have a dog to bring to work reported that the dogs provided more of a distraction than an increase in productivity. The study also opened the door for discussions about defining a “well-behaved” animal and how to deal with not so well behaved animals.
While I like animals as much or more than the next person, I don’t think Business-Supply.com is quite ready to consider pets in the office. So Becky, before you ask, the answer is no, you cannot bring your 3 dogs to work.
