My feet never get cold. I get a big hug and smile whenever I want. I always have an attentive pal who is eager to hear about my latest problem or revel in my most recent success.
And then sometimes, I have to apologize for the barking in the background. But, hey, such is life.
For me, one of the best perks of working for JobSyntax from my home office is that I get all the quality puppy dog (and kitty cat!) time I need. The first few weeks were tough … I’ll admit that. My kids were just so happy to have Mom around and didn’t understand work time actually meant “work time.” But things run like clock-work now. They’re old pros.
I caught up on my back reading over the weekend and ran across an article in April’s The Bark entitled “Another Day, Another Collar: New website sniffs out dog-friendly job listings.” I can’t find a link to the article, but basically, it talks about a new partnership with SimplyHired and Dogster to create a “dog-friendly” job search engine. Using keywords and locations, you can search for employment opportunities which may allow your well-mannered pooch to tag along.
Bigger name software companies listed on the site include Google, Amazon, and Autodesk. And there are some interesting dog-friendly employers out there like Dairy Queen ("Mmmm, ice cream," says Oliver) and Nestle Purina (chocolate and cheap dog food! Oh my!)
And here's some interesting stats from Dogster and SimplyHired's survey of dog owners:
What dog owners would do if allowed to bring their dog to work?
66% would work longer hours
55% would commute a greater distance
49% would switch jobs
32% would take a 5% salary reduction
11% would take a 10% salary reduction
As I write this, Oliver is snoring at my feet, Andi is munching on her food, and Duncan is no where to be found … presumably he’s gone back to bed. Not a bad life. I’m not sure I could go back to a company that didn’t support time with my special 4-legged friends … and you better believe that when JobSyntax expands, we’ll be listed on the Dog-Friendly list. Woof! (And meow!)
gretchen
today’s emotion: a little under-the-weather. Need a doggie hug.