Whether you’re a proud pet owner or even just fancy yourself as a bit of a Doctor Dolittle, you don’t need us to tell you that our furry, feathered and scaly friends are a huge part of our daily lives.

In fact, Percy the Dachshund and Willow the Cavalier King Charles are regulars in the TAP office and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

So, as the boundaries between our personal and professional lives become increasingly difficult to distinguish, we’re proposing more pets in the workplace!

Who’s with us? Lunchtime laps around the block and sharing your 3pm snack with a little snuffling nose under the desk – what could possibly go wrong?

It’s not all fun and games though so we’re now going to (reluctantly) don our Sensible Caps and explore both the pros and cons of a pet-friendly workplace to help you form your own opinion on the matter.

Benefits of a pet-friendly workplace

Google, Amazon, Etsy and Ben & Jerry’s are amongst the big wigs who are all hopping on the bandwagon of animal-friendly offices.

For good reason too:

Lower stress levels and better wellbeing

Nestle Purina released some research which demonstrated that a whopping 86% of employees say having pets in the office reduces stress levels. 

Improved attraction and retention of great staff

Nestle Purina’s survey also revealed that 47% of 18-24-year olds consider being able to bring their pets to work a perk.

The same study also showed that 82% of employees feel a greater sense of loyalty to a pet-friendly company.

It seems that if you want to keep a tight grip on new talent, implementing a pet-friendly policy might be one of the most effective ways forward. 

Stimulating social interaction between staff

Having a pooch about the place will definitely give staff something to bond over and it goes without saying that stronger social relationships make for more productive communication back at the desk.

Cons of having pets prowling around the office

With so many benefits to sway your stance on an animal-friendly workplace, it can be tricky to see the downsides. But in the interest of balance, here they are:

A-a-achoo! A-a-allergies

If the presence of pets is going to create streaming eyes and endless sniffles for even one member of staff, you might want to reconsider. 

Four-legged distraction

There’s no escaping the fact that allowing pets in the workplace might be an inevitable source of distraction. You might want to think twice if your employees require peace, quiet and focused concentration.

The boring legal responsibilities

While most domestic animals are all cute ‘n’ cuddly, playtime often means complete and utter destruction.

Permitting pets in the workplace could potentially result in damaged property, chewed wires or even injured members of staff so just be aware of the legal implications.

Let us know where you stand on pets in the workplace over on Twitter or Facebook. Better still, share your office pet snaps with us so we can show Percy and Willow their competition!

About The Author

Karl Bilby

We work very closely with our expert accountants to bring you the latest factually correct tax and accounting news. We also enjoy writing about small business news that we hope you find useful!