Could A Dog At Work Help Employees Quit Smoking

There have been many methods tried over the years to encourage people to stop smoking. Most of these originate between family and friends. How often has a smoker’s partner asked them to stop smoking? Sometimes it is asking and sometimes it is demanding. The problem with the second approach is that if the smoker does not quit for themselves it will never be long term. Sometimes a smoker quits because they want to ensure the health of those who are important to them and they are aware of the damage done by secondhand smoke. Sometimes they become worried about their own health and decide that quitting is an option they must seriously look into. All too often the smoker does need either a little push to stop or at least enough of a support group, friends or family, to help them stay off the cigarettes.

A recent experiment in an office in the United Kingdom may give smokers a reason to stop while at the same time increase work performance. The manager at a recruitment company was gearing up for the Christmas and New Year’s blues that he noticed his employees suffered from. He decided he wanted to try to do something to forestall this. Having read how animals seems to improve a person’s moral and sense of wellbeing he brought in a ten month old cocker spaniel to spend the day with employees. The dog was permitted to go anywhere it wanted during the work day. He was right, having the dog around improved the mood of his employees, but that was not all it did.

Twelve of the people that worked there were smokers who were known to daily take several smoking breaks to go outside and have a cigarette. They requested instead that they be allowed to take a walk with the dog for just ten minutes. This proved to be a great idea and the manager allowed it. Due to their dog walking time five of the twelve smokers stopped smoking while the others have greatly reduced their smoking. Overall morale improved and so did their work. This idea worked so well that the other firms connected to this one are thinking seriously of doing the same thing.

The benefits of this program are being considering by other businesses. Studies done in the United States have proven that dog owners would be willing to make significant changes to be allowed to bring their pets to work. Over sixty percent of them would agree to work different shifts if it meant they could bring their dogs with them. Thirty percent would even consider a minor pay cut. Many researchers are beginning to believe that this in itself could be a major benefit to the employees. This recent success at the recruiters has made some think that dogs at the office may discourage smoking, improve work ethics and make for healthier, happier employees. People are very tied to their pets and if taking the dog out for a short walked meant no time for a cigarette break employers might consider it a bonus to cutting down sick days from respiratory conditions.

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