June 26 is Bring Your Dog to Work Day, an event that aims to raise money for charity and improve the office environment. We look at some of the claims that dogs can benefit your employees and your business.

There were a number of employment stories in the news last week, including another ruling about holiday pay and overtime.

Top news stories

Holiday pay: “nothing in principle” to prevent inclusion of voluntary overtime

In a Northern Ireland Court of Appeal hearing, the employer’s legal representatives have conceded that there is “nothing in principle” to prevent purely voluntary overtime from counting towards holiday pay. Although the case is not binding on tribunals and courts in England, Wales and Scotland, it is of interest to all UK employers.

Hiring times almost double in four years

Research shows that the average UK job application took 28.6 days to process in 2014, up from just 14 days in 2010.

Company reputation in the top three factors in deciding who to work for

When choosing an employer, job seekers look at salary and the level of stimulating work, followed by a company’s reputation.

Poor job descriptions driving staff turnover

51% of HR managers believe poor job descriptions can mislead employee expectations, 68% say poor job descriptions contribute to weak candidate pools and 59% believe they result in wasted time with irrelevant candidates who have the wrong skills.

Small businesses are growing at their fastest rate since 2008

Data from the Enterprise Research Centre showed that last year net private sector job creation became positive, with businesses growing at the fastest rate since the start of the financial crisis.

Key dates for your diary

26 June: Duty to participate in education or training until the age of 18

A change to the statutory framework means that all young people need to stay in education or participate in training until the age of 18. More information can be found on the government’s legislation website.

Animal magic: does an office dog help your business?

If you’re looking to improve your business, an office dog might not be top of your list. But research shows that companies with a canine colleague see a range of benefits. So, with Bring Your Dog to Work Day happening this week, is this a good time for your business to consider a furry friend in your workplace?

The benefits

Research has shown that there are many benefits to having an office dog:

• Lower stress levels: Employees with access to dogs were less stressed as the day went on than those who had none, according to research.
• Less time off: Half of businesses with an office dog said that absenteeism dropped
• Better productivity: 50% of employees say they are more productive when there is a dog in the office, according to research by Virginia University.
• Improved staff morale: Blue Cross research showed that 90% of employees who work in an office which has a dog say they have noticed a positive change in the working environment.

This is certainly the experience that Tracy Playle from Pickle Jar Communications. “The youngest member of our team is Scout, my black labrador. We’ve really found that having her in the office helps the team. She provides a distraction by letting staff have some time away from their screens or getting some fresh air by taking her for walkies . She really is a great health and safety initiative.”

Getting involved in Bring Your Dog to Work Day

If you’re thinking about having a dog in your office, then Bring Your Dog to Work Day is a great way to try it out.

Of course, it’s a good idea to make sure your business won’t be breaching any legislation (for example, dogs + food handling is a bad idea) and also to let your employees know, in case anyone is allergic.

Once you’ve done that, you can find out more about getting involved on the Bring Your Dog to Work website.