For years now, Millennials have been at the forefront of the movement towards improved workplace culture where the old-fashioned ideals of office working, 9-5 hours and working without enjoyment, are put in the past. We Love Pets is also passionate about providing a new and improved work culture that breeds success from enjoyment and flexibility, and by working with animals, we can ensure a brightened attitude towards work!
6 Ways to Improve Work Culture
- Ditch the office
Working from home has never been a more prevalent idea, with work settings switching between the office and home so frequently in the last few years! 73% of employees would prefer to keep the option of working from home, which isn’t a surprise considering that 65% of remote workers recognise they are more productive at home while away from distractions and noise.
As a We Love Pets branch director, the office is the great outdoors, or cuddled up on the sofa with a furry friend! Our franchisees have complete control over how they work, meaning that they decide when to spend time with animals and when to get the paperwork done.
- Drop the 9-5
Flexibility increases productivity. The old-fashioned ideal of the 9-5 and the “workaholic” culture it breeds can lead to a loss in personal time. Less time for hobbies, relationships and sometimes even sleep. A Stanford Business study noticed that working flexibly and allowing time for personal interests and self-care increased employee productivity. Since countless studies have shown that our brains work more efficiently when content, it’s no surprise. The workday at We Love Pets is entirely up to you, allowing you to adapt your schedule around your hobbies and personal relationships.
- Advocate for enjoyment
Surveys show that 1 in 3 people are unhappy in their current 9-5 gigs, and 64% of the general adult population would prefer to work at a job that they enjoyed but paid poorly than a job they hated that paid well. So why is it still the norm to work in a job we dislike? By making the workplace enjoyable, you can considerably improve employees’ work ethic, and it is quite simple to enhance enjoyment in work.
We Love Pets is passionate about making work enjoyable, and what’s more satisfying than working with animals?
- Physical Benefits
Working with animals has numerous benefits, but the most obvious is the physical benefits. With dog walking being one of the most popular areas of work at We Love Pets, staff have the joys of getting outside for fresh air and plenty of exercise. Getting out with the dogs improves blood flow, can reduce inflammation in joints, improves sleep, boosts vitamin D levels, and generally increases overall happiness. These physical benefits of working with animals are something you simply won’t receive from the traditional work culture.
Working with animals, in general, has proven to decrease cortisol levels (a stress-related hormone), lower blood pressure, and help you relax more easily, which is always beneficial to the body.
- Social Perks
We Love Pets has a unique social side that you can’t get with the old-fashioned work ideals of the traditional workspace. While boardroom meetings and office life allow for some social interaction between co-workers and managers, there’s always that feeling of separation from them or a power imbalance. At We Love Pets, you don’t only get interactions with the animals and their owners, but the whole network of franchisees is always there to chat with and support you, and there is never a disbalance of power. The network is brilliant for making and maintaining friendships!
- Learning Opportunities
Scientists have estimated that memory lapses are on the rise as a result of people living more pressurised lives. The pressure to work certain hours in an unfulfilling job and losing out on friendships and family time can all lead to high stress. Adding this to the typically repetitive nature of the 9-5 job, traditional work often leads to a less active brain and memory. Since we are a very logical species, humans need to learn to maintain brain power and boost our mood, confidence and connection to others.
We Love Pets offers the opportunity to learn more every day. Not just about the animals you care for, though that definitely helps with your happiness and empathy, we provide professional training and continued chances to learn more about animal welfare. Keeping your brain occupied and learning new skills help maintain memory and boost your happiness levels!
The traditional values of work have never really changed since the very first time they were introduced, but as people change, develop and adapt, their work needs to as well. The old way of working simply doesn’t work anymore. With a push towards bettering the way we work and how we understand work, we can step away from the emotionally draining office life and move into a happier, more gratifying way of working that benefits employees and employers!
