by Chris Butterworth, Implementations Manager, EPIX Systems
Photo shows Mike Earl in the EPIX office with Kiki.
For many years workplaces have been welcoming dogs into their offices. In my experience this has usually been in smaller family run businesses. However since the Covid 19 pandemic (which saw a rise in dog ownership) more businesses are welcoming staff dogs into the workplace.
As a dog lover, I have always enjoyed visiting offices that have dogs. They are usually the first thing I see and are a fantastic ice breaker when visiting new businesses. In fact I often remember offices I’ve visited because of the dog! From the black labrador who sits in his own chair in the MD’s office to the spaniel that tries to imitate a door mat at every opportunity!
According to a survey carried out by The Kennel Club:
- 70% of people say that dogs alleviate stress in the workplace
- 67% of people say that dogs make the atmosphere more friendly
- 51% of people say that dogs improve morale and job satisfaction
- 51% of people say that dogs encourage employees to take breaks from the screen
- 45% of people say that dogs make the company/organisation more attractive for job seekers with dogs
- 33% of people say that dogs improve productivity
- 25% of people say that dogs make the company/organisation more attractive for job seekers without a dog
Of course now home working is more commonplace, we are getting to work at home with our pets. I try, wherever possible, to take a lunch break everyday when I work at home and use this time to walk my three dogs to the park or down the canal. If I didn’t have the dogs, I know I would work straight through the day and probably never take a break. And of course it wouldn’t be a Zoom meeting without one of the dogs making an appearance, usually at the most inopportune moment!
At EPIX several of the staff are dog owners and when you visit us you will often find Mike’s two dogs in residence: Kiki the working cocker spaniel and Nemo the pug. They make great additions to meetings and when you need that break away from what you are doing they make a perfect distraction for a few minutes while you collect your thoughts.
Cali and Ollie, two of my dogs.
