Over the past few years, work-life balance has become a hot topic and regardless of if you are happily employed at a company or looking for work, balance is what many are striving toward. Work-life balance can imply a plethora of benefits and perks, but what it means to me is accountability, trust, and respect.

Accountability in regards to ownership of your work, trust that you can and will get your work done, and respect of personal boundaries. Our lives don't start and end when we enter and leave work; we have families, friends, pets, and hobbies that make up the full story that is our lives. At Button, our company principles not only reflect that same sentiment, but encourage all employees to prioritize family and pursue happiness.

Pets for Productivity

Photo of my dog, Bebe

A big part of my life is my dog, Bebe. As a dog owner and a relatively new employee at Button, being able to bring her to work not only makes my life outside of work easier, but makes me so much more productive at work.

Studies show that spending too much time focused on one project can actually decrease productivity and create unnecessary stress.

"Pets remind people to pause and step back from whatever they are involved in. Short walks, a little playtime, and temporary distractions allow mental breaks so as not to overwork and become stressed."

Dogs in the office not only increase productivity by reminding us to take short mental breaks, but are also a great conversation starter across teams that don't always work with each other (with both dog owners and non-dog owners). A recent study from Virginia Commonwealth University found that employees who brought their dogs in to work had "higher levels of job satisfaction, and had a more positive perception of their employer".

The Dogs of Button

Our company dog policy at Button allows for dog owners to bring their pups into work, as long as they are well behaved and not disruptive. Just as employees are held to a code of conduct in the workplace, dogs are also held accountable to a code of conduct.

Photos provided by Button employees.

The dogs featured in the grid are some of the dogs owned by Buttonians. Many of the dogs pictured have spent time in the office, on any given day during the week you can find one or two pups in our HQ. We use a puppy calendar to help manage the volume of dogs at Button throughout the week.

In celebration of National Dog Day, I wanted to take a moment to celebrate the dogs who keep us happy, productive, and make work-life balance that much more easy to achieve.

Want to bring your dog to work? We're hiring! Check out our open opportunities.