Working like a dog

New York: Putting man's best friend in the office could make him work like a horse, according to a recent survey.

The majority of dog owners, near two-thirds, said they would spend more time in the office if their pet was sleeping under the desk.

About 55 per cent would commute a greater distance to a dog-friendly workplace. Nearly half would switch jobs and 44 per cent would take a salary reduction.

The study was conducted on more than 150 dog owners by SimplyHired.com and Dogster.com.

"It's not about the dogs as much as it's about the employees," said Maxine Clark at dog-friendly Build-a-Bear Workshop Inc.

"The dogs help to create a more relaxed environment."

Build-a-Bear has welcomed pooches into its offices for about seven years, and of its 200 employees, about 10 to 15 participate. The animals range from tiny pugs to 45-kilogram mutts.

The trend has expanded in recent years to Google Inc. and Amazon.com Inc., two of the world's top dot-com companies.

"I think employers see it as a way to offer a less expensive benefit," said Kay Luo, director of marketing for SimplyHired.com.

Reference: www.cbc.ca

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