Matchmaker is going to the dogs. Literally. I like to think that our company is a great place to work. After all, we offer respectable benefits, a great group of co-workers – and even the chance to be a superhero!
Yet, when a few months ago, a company goal-setting session started a discussion about employee benefits and employee motivation, we compared ourselves to Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For. We looked with awe at some of the benefits offered by larger companies. Big corporate giants have the ability to offer their employees anything from unlimited vacation days, to personal assistants, to free daycare, to daily meals in the cafeteria. (It’s worth noting that some of those big corporations offer such perks because they expect you to essentially live at work, but that’s beside the point…)
Since we’d like to make Fortune’s list one day, it inspired us to get creative on ways our little company could keep pace with what the best and brightest corporate giants are offering their star employees. We upgraded our benefits with a few tweaks here and there, like adding an extra vacation day on an employee’s birthday. And one new benefit is sure to have our employees wanting to “Stay!”.
That’s right, Matchmaker employees can now bring their pets to work on certain days. And before you think we’ve gone doggone rabid, hear us out: a 2012 study says that having animals around the office can reduce stress and increase positivity in the workplace. And why shouldn’t it?
We love our pets, and having them within arm’s reach makes everyone happy. Some employees at animal-friendly workplaces report that having pets around even fosters inter-workplace friendships. After all, you may have trouble remembering all of your new co-workers names, but Spot’s name is easier to remember – he’s the one with the spots.
Animals in the office can even provide a healthcare benefit, off-setting ever-increasing insurance costs. Every dog needs a daily walk, and with Fido at hand in the office, an employee is more likely to use breaks to walk him. Additionally, petting dogs and cats has been shown to reduce blood pressure – (bow) Wow!
With all those benefits, you can see why we’re looking forward to having some four-legged interns around the office any day now. We promise we won’t let them answer the phones!
Enjoy a cat nap this weekend,
~Bob
