By Kelly Jackson, Staff Writer, Built in Austin / Startups are known for their perks. But even with flexible work hours and wide-open vacation policies, awesome amenities in the office and professional development stipends, one perk rules them all: the dog-friendly office environment.
And Austin tech loves its furry office buddies. Cuteness aside, local tech companies shared a few of the sundry benefits to inviting pups on site, including cross-departmental team building and an increase in work productivity. Here’s why these five startups chose to embrace pooches at work.
uShip has nearly 50 employees who bring their dog to work regularly — and even have its own Instagram handle dedicated to the startup’s dogs. Angie Meier, uShip’s senior manager of talent acquisition, filled us in on why they went with the policy.
“We prioritize the mental health and well-being of our employees, and it’s been proven in many studies that having our furry friends around is a real stress reliever. It’s very therapeutic to have the pups in office…there’s nothing better than having a tough day and then being able to relieve some stress by way of puppy love!
“It’s also a great motivator for employees to step away from their desks and take the dogs out throughout the day, thus breaking up our tendency to sit and stare at our screens all day,” she added. “In general, it’s simply a great morale booster, and gives our dog-owning employees peace of mind knowing they don’t have to deal with the guilt of leaving their fur babies at home alone. It’s a win-win for both the employees and the dogs, and that’s what we care about.”
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