Dogs at work - Positive according to American study

Hundar på jobbet - Positivt enligt amerikansk studie

According to an American study, dogs in the workplace have a positive effect on how stressed the staff feel. Swedish legislation is relatively permissive regarding dogs at work. Allergy to fur animals, on the other hand, is an important aspect that must be respected.

More dogs at work! Today, however, there are clear rules and restrictions for having dogs at work - but until we see a change in legislation, we are happy to hear all the positives that dogs give us humans!

American survey on dogs at work

Virginia Commonwealth University in the USA has surveyed 550 people at a company in North Carolina how they experienced having dogs in their workplace. The result showed that the people in the study felt less stressed than before the dogs made their entrance. Another research from Sweden's Agricultural University , SLU, shows that every second dog owner likes to bring their dog to work if there is an opportunity. However, it was only 16 percent of these who brought their dog to work.

dogs at work in new study

Possible to bring the dog to the workplace

Today, there is no national law that specifically prohibits it dogs in the workplace . On the other hand, it is the employer's task to follow the work environment legislation - where the well-being and needs of allergy sufferers is an important factor. In this case, this means an assessment of whether dogs pose any health risk to those staying there. That work includes other possible measures regarding, for example, tobacco use, as well as strong scents in the form of perfume, where there is often a policy regarding these issues at each workplace.

As long as everyone staying at the workplace agrees that dogs are welcome, and that there are no health risks, there is now research that proves that it can have good effects on the employees' mental health. In particular, the stress of the dog owners themselves seems to decrease. It shows that humans and dogs have an invaluable exchange with each other.

We work so that more people can experience the joy of spending time with a dog - despite allergies. That way, more people can have more fun together! Read more about how Allergenius®  Special products can help reduce problems with fur allergy in families and in society