Member Article

Bring your dog to work - unless you travel

The third national Bring your Dog to Work Day takes place on 24th June this year, and with 24% of all households in the UK now owning a dog it is a good excuse for people to introduce their work colleagues to their pets.

For some companies, however, Bring your Dog to Work Day is an every day event.

Nestlé has been a fully dog-friendly office since early 2015. The programme forms part of the company’s health and wellbeing agenda, with studies showing that people are happier when they bring their dogs to work.

A recent survey by pet food company, Purina, highlighted that people are happier and healthier when they are able to take their pets to work. Results also showed that 47% of 18-24 year olds see bringing a pet to work as a work perk.

Pet owners are also more likely to have jobs they enjoy according a recent poll by animal charity Blue Cross who found that 10% more pet owners said they were ‘definitely’ truly happy in their current job roles than those without animals. The study also found that in general pet owners are happier, earn more money and are fitter than people who don’t own a four-legged friend.

Research published in the Human-Animal Interaction Bulletin also points to the fact that companies could improve their productivity and profits by letting staff bring in their dogs. The theory is that people become more trusting, relaxed and nicer towards each other after interacting with a canine, and playing with a dog can reduce stress by up to a third.

But while offices are gradually becoming more pet friendly, what happens when people need to travel for business?

Whilst technology has reduced the need for some business travel, many people still value face to face meetings, and the GBTA suggests that business travel spend in the UK is expected to grow by 6.2 per cent in 2016 .

According to the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) the six hot spots for business travellers in 2016 are India, China, Colombia, Mexico, Singapore and Australia.

Some people see business travel as a barrier to pet ownership - but this doesn’t have to be the case.

One option for business people is to use a home and pet sitter whilst they are away.

Many people don’t like the idea of putting their much-loved pets in kennels or catteries but as a home and pet sitter will move into the home, pets can stay in familiar surroundings and follow their normal routines, with the added bonus that the home is also safe and secure.

This is particularly important for people who travel to long haul destinations regularly and have to leave their homes unoccupied for weeks at a time. Employing a homesitter reduces the threat of the home being targeted by burglars or squatters, as well as reducing the risk of damage from flooding, storms or power cuts.

Homesitting is becoming an increasingly popular choice for pet owners. We have seen a 40% increase in client demand over the last year. We employ over 1,000 carefully vetted homesitters around the UK who can be called upon at the short notice. This takes the stress away for people of having to find someone to look after their pets at a time when they are busy planning their trip and preparing for presentations or meetings.

Clients get to meet with their homesitter beforehand to check that they are happy with them and to give them all the information they need. If they travel regularly on business, it’s beneficial to use the same homesitter each time as they will understand their pet’s routine and know their way around the home, without them having to brief a different homesitter each time.

So, bring your dog to work on 24th June – but leave him at home when you travel for business.

About Homesitters Ltd

Homesitters Ltd was established in 1980 and is now one of the UK’s leading nationwide live-in home and pet sitting companies, available throughout the year. It has looked after 70,000 bookings and has around 1,000 employees throughout England, Scotland and Wales.

All home sitters are meticulously vetted and are conscientious, sensible and responsible homeowners. Many have been pet owners and have experience looking after all different types of animals. It’s tantamount to the outstanding reputation and professionalism of the company that 70% of new clients re-book with Homesitters within two years and many have been clients since the 1980s.

http://www.nestle.co.uk/media/pressreleases/pets-at-work https: //www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-owners-are-happier-healthier-and-more-successful http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3511852/How-bringing-dog-office-BOOST-productivity-Expert-says-workers-stressed-trusting-playing-canine.html

http://www.meetpie.com/Modules/NewsModule/newsdetails.aspx?newsid=21866 http://www.gbta.org/PressReleases/Pages/rls_072115.aspx

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Alan Irvine, Chairman, Homesitters Ltd .