“To whom it may concern,” the cover letter begins, but despite the banality of the greeting, the image of the friendly-faced candidate urges you to read on. “My name is Bella, and I am writing to you to apply for the role of office dog…”
Office managers and CEOs around the country are receiving increasing numbers of applications to allow pets into the workplace. And with the findings of the latest Job Seeker Study revealing that workplace culture is still very important to more than a third of employees, employers need to be taking notice of the growing body of research into the ways allowing dogs into the workplace can benefit productivity and healthy, positive office culture.
What skills can they bring to your workplace?
“I believe my non-verbal communication skills, friendly and approachable demeanour, and ability to really listen and empathise with people will make me an excellent asset to your team…”– Bella’s cover letter reads.
Despite the wet tongue lolling out of her mouth, Bella’s profile image brings out her warm and intelligent eyes.
Although the trend of bringing pets to work seems may seem like a fad, dogs have been working side-by-side with humans for thousands of years. Canines have undeniable skills in outdoor occupations such as shepherding or hunting, and their instincts for detection have been utilised for uncovering drugs, explosives, cancer, epilepsy, and even forensic tracking. Dogs are capable of learning new skills, of conveying information, and like humans they possess individual personalities and temperaments. So how can these skills transfer to your workplace?
What other factors do you need to take into consideration?
Much like making any new hire, there are many factors to bear in mind when bringing a dog into the workplace.
Research conducted by the Animal Behaviour, Cognition and Welfare Group of the University of Lincoln, identified not only the size and breed of the dog as important factors to consider, but that the size and type of your organisation also play significant roles in the success of bringing a dog into your workplace.
But while not-for-profit organisations were more likely to have employees bringing their dogs to work than educational organisations, all employees who brought their dog to work often had higher rates of vigour, dedication and engagement at work than those who brought their dogs only sometimes or never.
“I have obtained training certificates in obedience, and hold myself to exemplary hygiene and behavioural standards for which the provided references below will attest.” – Bella’s cover letter continues.
But there’s a glitch. As your eyes flick down to see the details for a puppy preschool completion certificate, you also note the lack of accreditation as an Assistance Animal.
Certain pets with Assistance Animal certifications are required by the Disability Discrimination Act of 1992 to be reasonably considered within a workplace when requested by an employee with a physical or mental disability. However, even those of sound body and mind can reap the benefits from the unconditional love and companionship of an animal.
The Emotional Support Co is a team of specialists that advocate the physical and mental benefits of emotional support animals such as lower levels of stress, increased activity and reduced blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Further experimental studies detailed last year in the Journal of Human Relations found that the presence of dogs within a group has a positive effect on the positive emotions and prosocial behaviours of the group, even increasing creativity and the effectiveness of collaboration.
However, while their benefits are undeniable, emotional support animals are not recognised to be carrying out any specific tasks to assist their owners, and as such are not protected by Australian Law in the way an Assistance Animals are. This means the decision to allow Miss Bella into your organisation lays completely in the hands of your organisation’s leadership team.
While the possible health and safety implications of any employees with allergies or phobias need to be considered, so too must the potential improvements to employee engagement, productivity and retention.
Like any potential hire, there needs to be a consideration for not only workplace culture-fit, but culture-add, and Miss Bella may just be the good girl your organisation needs.
Jacynta Clayton puts her degrees in psychology and professional writing to good use at Lightbox Communications, Brisbane. As the Content & Projects Co-ordinator, she helps give organisations a resounding voice to their recruitment marketing and employer branding content.