Maybe you want to make sure that coming into the office is a pleasant experience for your employees. How can you go the extra mile? Allowing your team to bring their pets to work is one way to brighten up their workweek! If you’re looking for your own animal companion, it might be time to look into adopting a cat from McCracken Kitty Kat Rescue. Plus, these tips will explain why becoming a pet-friendly workplace can be an enticing employee benefit and how you can go about implementing these policies in a responsible way.
Why Allow Pets at the Office?
Before moving forward with any big plans to allow pets in the workplace, it’s important to understand the concrete benefits of this policy. Hppy states that with pets in the workplace, employees tend to feel happier, less stressed, and more connected with their coworkers. When you realize the upsides, you’ll be more motivated to put this policy into place!
Round Out Your Benefits Package
Adopting a pet-friendly workplace policy is just one unique way to enhance your employee benefits package. When you give your staff lots of perks, you send the message that you truly care about their well-being and want to see them thrive. If your employees can bring their pets to work and take plenty of paid personal days and paid vacation time, you’ll have an easier time hiring and retaining talent.
Pet-Proof Your Workplace
Of course, if you intend to let your employees bring pets into the office, you’ll need to make sure that your workplace is a safe environment for their pets. How can you go about pet-proofing your workplace? Creekside Injury Law recommends placing childproof latches on cabinets to keep curious pets out, securely covering trash cans and keeping food out of reach, and putting up gates to prevent pets from entering specific animal-free zones.
Define the Rules
Once your workplace has been effectively pet-proofed, you’ll need to go over the ground rules for pets in the office with your employees. Talk to your team about the behavioral standards for pets, as well as where they can take their pets to go to the bathroom. Make sure that you have employee buy-in for these policies, and take the time to ask for feedback on any potential tweaks to the rules.
Implement a Vaccine Policy
In addition to going over behavioral policies, you will also need to get clear on a vaccination policy for pets in the workplace. If you’re unsure of which vaccines pets are required to get by a certain age, you might want to get in touch with a local veterinarian or animal welfare organization that can answer your questions.
Plan for a Test Run
Finally, it’s time to get ready for a test run of your new pet-friendly policies! You might want to schedule a special “Bring Your Pet to Work Day” to give your employees the chance to take their furry friends into the office. You can observe how the presence of pets affects your team’s performance during the workday, consider if there are any rule changes you need to implement, and decide if you want to continue with the policy.
Yes, turning your workplace into a pet-friendly business can come with some challenges. But by introducing this employee benefit, you can attract new talent and demonstrate to your current employees just how much you care. With these tips, you’ll be ready to tackle everything from ensuring your office is safe for pets to determining your specific rules for animals in the office.
Want to add a new four-legged friend to your family? Check out the cats at McCracken Kitty Cat Rescue! Apply to adopt a cat through our website today.