As it’s Mental Health Awareness Week, allow us to introduce you to one of our recent recruits: Otis, our office dog, a real team player who brings smiles and positivity to the workplace.
A beautiful black labrador, Otis belongs to our Chairman, Noel Corcoran, and, for the last couple of months, he has started to accompany Noel to work. He has his own bed in Noel and Mark’s office but makes regular trips to say hello to the rest of the team.
Noel says: “I wanted to bring him in because I feel that having a dog around the place makes a lot of people feel happier. Even people who don’t own dogs enjoy having him around.”
And you don’t just have to take Noel’s word for it, because there is plenty of research to underline the benefits that dogs can bring to the working environment.
In a study of more than 6,000 participants, the University of York and the University of Lincoln found that pets help reduce stress because they tend to be tuned into humans and provide emotional support.
Over in the USA, the Virginia Commonwealth University found that dogs make the office a friendlier place, with people more likely to get to know each other and have more conversations.
At Ideal4Finance, we promote a mutually supportive and caring environment, encouraging staff to talk to one another and even to enjoy impromptu bouts of table tennis in the meeting room! Otis, the office dog, is just another factor in creating a happy workplace.
“Anyone can have a bad day every now and then, but a quick pet of Otis just seems to make them feel better,” says Noel.
To find out more about Ideal4Finance, click here
