We know that dog owners derive significant emotional benefits from their four-legged friends, and new research from Virginia Commonwealth University indicates that bringing your dog to work may help these benefits translate to the office.
Researchers studied 75 employees at Replacements, Ltd., enabling the team to bring up to 30 dogs to work each day. They then measured levels of the stress hormone cortisol and asked participants to rate their stress levels. On the days in which workers brought their dogs to the office, their reported stress levels fell 11 percent. When workers left their dogs at home, their stress levels rose up to 70 percent. Interestingly, researchers didn't see significant changes in cortisol levels.
A separate study out of Central Michigan University found that bringing your dog to work can facilitate trust and collaboration between colleagues. Despite these benefits, just 23 percent of survey respondents believe they should be allowed to work alongside their pooches in the office.
Check out the full MBA Programs infographic below. Does your workplace encourage employees to bring their pets to work?
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