EDITOR ’ S QUESTION
Carlene Jackson , Cloud9 Insight CEO ( centre )
With Stress Awareness Week in mind , one Brighton-based business shared its experience of allowing dogs in the office to help reduce stress .
A lover of dogs , Cloud9 Insight CEO , Carlene Jackson , realised that inviting dogs into the office during the 2022 heatwaves seemed to boost team morale as well as reducing stress levels .
“ A lot of our employees wanted to come to the office because we have pretty good air con . But it occurred to me that WFH employees ’ pets might be struggling in the heatwave , too .
“ I took the lead , so to speak , and brought my dogs into the office . I have two fluffy Samoyeds and I encouraged employees to bring their dogs in as well .
“ Stroking a dog is known to reduce stress and increase wellbeing , releasing vital moodboosting hormones like serotonin and oxytocin into the bloodstream .
" And I think that ' s why , in our case , we ’ ve found a dog-friendly office is a stress-free office .
“ I wanted to share this experience to help anyone who runs an office which is affected by stress . I do feel that dogs can play a big part in combating the work-related stress that most of us feel from time to time ."
The Cloud9 office and its staff are welcome to bring their dogs to work , with there already being office Labradors and Jack Russells , as well as Jackson ' s two fluffy Samoyeds , Shaska and Bear , all of whom have found a welcome home within the team .
But the dog-sharing didn ’ t stop there . The Cloud9 office is in a building with a number of healthcare providers , including breast cancer clinics .
When Jackson realised what a great impact the dogs were having on the team ’ s mood , she decided to extend this initiative even further .
“ I decided to offer the office dogs to some of the patients in the clinics below us , as a way of spreading the positivity throughout the entire building . I know that my dogs have an amazing impact on my mood , and I felt that patients who are in clinics for treatment might also benefit from seeing a friendly fluffy face .”
Since introducing the initiative , Jackson has witnessed real improvements in employee morale , stress levels and productivity .
She added : " We all know our productivity levels fluctuate throughout the day , so having five minutes with a fluffy companion can help break up our workday and give us time to let our creative thinking flow .”
HOW DO YOU HELP EMPLOYEES REDUCE STRESS EITHER IN THE OFFICE OR WORKING REMOTELY ?
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