A study suggests that bringing dogs into work can reduce stress, improve job satisfaction and boost morale.
US researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University looked at 75 employees at a manufacturing company where workers were allowed to bring their dogs into the workplace and found they, as well as their work colleagues, were less stressed as the day went on compared to companies where there were no dogs.
Stress hormone levels were measured in workers using saliva samples during the day. In the morning, there was no difference between the groups, but during the course of the work day, stress levels appeared to decline for employees with dogs present and increased for those who did not bring pets to work. Moreover, those with dogs had work had a higher job satisfaction score than industry norms.
The researchers also noted that stress rose significantly during the day when owners left their dogs at home, compared to days they brought them to work.
Lead study author, Randolph Barker said dogs can make a positive difference, given that stress can contribute to employee absenteeism and loss of productivity.
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