This past Friday, FORMost employees (and their K9 companions) celebrated the annual Take Your Dog to Work Day. Although bringing your dog to work is something that FORMost welcomes any day of the year, it was fun to have an excuse to commemorate our furry friends as a group. All-in-all it was a fun and mostly uneventful day with lots of petting and milk bones and smiles from employees. Having dogs in the office really does improve the overall morale. It gives us a reason to ‘stop and smell the roses.’ To break away from our computers, have a laugh, and have a little fun.
According to Randolph T. Barker, a professor of management at the VCU School of Business, “Dogs in the workplace can make a positive difference.” Barker has studied the effects of the presence of pets on employee stress levels. “The differences in perceived stress between days the dog was present and absent were significant. The employees as a whole had higher job satisfaction than industry norms,” Barker says. (Source: Entrepreneur Magazine)
Here is a snapshot of the dogs in attendance. (Notice they are separate portraits. We didn’t even attempt a group picture!)
Ivy the Boston Terrier (Left):
Office Charm: Affinity for belly rubs. Office Offense: Excitement incontinence.
Sophie the Designer Mix (Top Right):
Office Charm: 3 pounds soaking wet, dainty and demure. Office Offense: Squealing at 194 decibels.
Bentley the Beagle (Bottom Right):
Office Charm: Playful with puppy dog eyes and ears. Office Offense: Trash can incident.
Tips for Bringing Your Dog to the Office
Bad to the Bone – Don’t bring your dog to the office if he is not well-trained. An aggressive dog in the workplace is an accident waiting to happen.
Achooo – Check with everyone in your office before bring your dog in as some employees may have allergies to dogs.
Potty Breaks – Throughout the day, be sure to take your dog out frequently enough that she won’t have accidents. You know, like, in your boss’s office!
Haters – Find out if anyone in your office dislikes dogs or feels uncomfortable around them. Keeping your dog away from these people will be best for all involved.
Pack a Bag – Make sure to bring food, water, a bed and perhaps a baby gate to help make your dog’s visit to the office run smoothly.
FORMost Graphic Communications
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