Bring your dog to work day

Today Centacare NQ welcomed four-legged friends into the workplace

With bring your dog to work day officially coming up on Friday 24^th of June, this is an opportune time to highlight the benefits of pets in the workplace, and in everyday life.

Bringing pets into the workplace can bring about a real buzz of anticipation and positive change up to the usual work day routine.

Just see the results below from today.

Centacare NQ hosted their first ‘Bring your dog to work day’ in 2021 and Executive Director Paula Washington (pictured wearing magenta with her dog Bernard) said ’Staff enjoy the opportunity to relate to colleagues in a way they may not usually interact’.

‘Chats about pets often lead to chats about family, activities, and wellbeing more generally’.  Both of our BYD2W days have been enormously successful and really brought staff together.  Although our fur-family members aren’t able to be present in our client services areas or attend meetings, they certainly enjoy some treats and socialisation in our outdoor garden areas.

There are many studies on the benefits of human and pet bonding. Including pets boosting productivity and lowering cholesterol¹.

Centacare NQ encourage people and workplaces to consider activities like this that support Staff wellbeing. 

Whether its pets in the workplace or another Staff wellbeing activity, there are always useful pointers that can support the success of the activity.

Read Tips Below

Tips for a successful ‘Wellbeing activity’

1. Prepare, prepare, prepare
2. Scope with staff about consensus and support for an activity
3. Consider WHS provisions, and any other provisions to make the activity enjoyable for all
4. Set clear expectations around the workplace visit and staff. In the case of BYD2WD; everyone understanding their responsibilities in relation to pets, their suitability, overall safety is important.  As is timeframe and limitations.  
5. Respectfully consider all staff in the workplace – people may have allergies or other that means an activity may not work for all people or all workplaces.

Not all workplaces will be suitable for staff pets in the workplace. But they are also the type of workplaces that may benefit from a host of other staff workplace wellness initiatives.  Some may be in-house, but bringing in an external facilitator may also be an option for some workplaces.

Centacare NQ specialise in employee assistance programs focusing on mental wellbeing and assisting organisations with qualified knowledge to support Staff with a work/life balance.

Workplace wellness is an area that Centacare NQ can also provide customised training, mediation, supervision, facilitated discussions and courses, delivered by counsellors and accredited facilitators.

If you seek to provide your staff extra support in the workplace call Centacare NQ on 1300 672 273 to discuss which professional development, wellbeing programs or training would best suit you and your team goals.

¹ Hodgson, K., Barton, L., Darling, M., Antao, V., Kim, F. A., & Monavvari, A. (2015). Pets’ Impact on Your Patients’ Health: Leveraging Benefits and Mitigating Risk.