Having Pets In the Office Can Improve Atmosphere And Reduce Stress, According To Study

Jun 15, 2019 by apost team

You may know that having pets at home reduces stress levels and provides for more enjoyment in life, but did you know that having pets in the office can have a similar effect?

A recent study has shown that having pets in the office can actually reduce stress and boost productivity levels.

Science has finally presented us with some good news: Allowing employees to bring their pets to work can literally work wonders! And it's not just tiny provincial offices we're talking about here. Companies such as Google, Etsy, and Amazon have started permitting pets in the office with fantastic results.

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The study was completed at Virginia Commonwealth University and showed that employee's stress levels who had pets in the office actually decreased throughout the day, while employees who didn't have pets in the office experienced an increase in stress levels.

Even more compelling, Business Insider also did a study on the benefits of bringing your furry friend to work. Their findings? After interviewing the Dutch company, Wallaart & Kusse Public Affairs, who have an office cat, it was reported that the office cat significantly improved the atmosphere.

Marie-Jose Enders, who completed research on the relationship between humans and our furrier counterparts, stated that allowing pets into the office could no doubt improve the atmosphere and general mood. She found that cortisol – the hormone that controls stress – actually drops when you pet a dog. Not only that, but she found that petting an animal also increased your level of Oxytocin – the hormone that makes you feel loved.

If that's not compelling enough evidence to allow pets in the workplace, then I don't know what is! What do you think, should pets be allowed in the workplace? If enough people read this article, we could soon all be taking our four-legged children to work! Spread the love for animals!