A national competition to find Britain’s best-loved office dog has been launched by Bath-based workplace design company Interaction.
Dog owners from across the UK can nominate their canine colleagues and share a photo of their pets at work – with a winner being chosen every month next year.
Interaction, which has been designing award-winning offices since 1992, said the contest aimed to highlight the important role that dogs play in workplace wellbeing.
Some 3.2m pets were bought by UK households during lockdown, meaning a lot of dogs had to be taken care of by employees post-pandemic.
Interaction believes by supporting dog-friendly policies, companies can encourage these individuals back into the office, while also reducing stress and improving engagement.
It points to the impact on is staff of its own workplace four-legged friend, Kiwi, pictured below.
The monthly prize-winning pooches will each receive an upmarket doggy box from Bella’s Box and their owners’ offices will get a hamper of delicious goodies for their human work colleagues to enjoy.
The contest will culminate in a grand finale to name Britain’s Best Office Dog next December – with the top prize a luxurious two-night stay at one of Britain’s finest canine-friendly hotels for the winning dog and its owner.
The expert panel judging the competition will include Emily Birch, a clinical animal behaviourist and owner of The Office Dog, which helps businesses create pet-friendly workspaces.
She will be joined by Dr Eloise Warrilow, an occupational psychologist and researcher who has written an academic thesis on dog-friendly workplaces, and Garry James, marketing lead at FOUNDRY, an Interaction client that operates four dog-friendly coworking offices in London, Dorset and East Sussex.
Interaction managing director Dieter Wood said: “We’ve spent over 30 years designing and building offices that enhance wellbeing and foster community.
“But what’s one thing that no fit-out or furniture can replicate? The boundless energy, unconditional love and occasional chaos that a dog can bring to the office.
“They offer undeniable benefits in terms of morale, mental health and even productivity.
“That’s why we’re excited to launch Britain’s Best Office Dog, a nationwide competition celebrating the furry friends who make our workplaces better.
“By highlighting the role dogs play in workplace wellbeing, we hope to inspire businesses to think creatively about how they can support their teams.”
To enter, owners need to share how their dog adds joy to the office. A great photo of the pet in the office is vital, and extra stories and anecdotes will bring entries to life.
To download an entry form, click here
Interaction has been behind a raft of state-of-the-art and wellbeing-focused offices over recent years, including international law firm Osborne Clarke’s HQ in Bristol, which recently won the Fit Out Workplace title at the prestigious British Council for Offices’ (BCO) annual awards.
It has also created new workspaces for Bristol-headquartered national law firm TLT, global engineering consultancy Arup and for fast-growing software development and digital services specialist Amdaris.
