Dog lovers, rejoice: More employers are welcoming pets in the office

Dogs are important at the workplace too.

(Image credit: WANG ZHAO/AFP/Getty Images)

published 26 August 2016

Good news for anyone who hates saying goodbye to their pup every morning: With studies now showing the advantages of having pets in the office, more companies are opening their doors to dogs, NPR reports. Seven percent of U.S. firms now let employees bring pets to work, up from 5 percent five years ago.

Bringing man's best friend to the office can lower workers' stress and boost productivity and morale, studies show. There's a social component, too: "They tend to see that the dogs increase co-worker cooperation and interaction, particularly when people would go by and see the dog just to visit," said Randolph Barker, a Virginia Commonwealth University professor who researches pets in the office.