June 12, 2013

Office work going to the dogs


I'm very sure that many of us in the big bad rat race have worked with some right donkeys in our time. In fact, there are even some times when I've uttered the words 'good lord, even my dog could do better than that'.

So when I read the story of Misty the blue Merle border collie becoming an administrator at Burlington Stone in Kirby-in-Furness part of me reckoned that it was a wise idea.

Misty not only returns credit/debit cards and cash back to customers (without teeth marks, but sometimes slobber), she takes weighbridge tickets for processing and doesn't argue with anyone.

Sounds very much like the perfect employee to me.

But what do customers think of being served by a dog? Do think that it's cute or that they aren't important enough to be attended to be a human?
According to the Telegraph, Lex Ward, who is using the quarry's slate to makeover his garden, said that he has no issues being served by Misty, adding: “She lovely. She doesn't argue and I was delighted to see her when I came here for the first time."

Misty's owner Elaine Prickett first brought her to work as a pup and by the time she grew up she had become a valuable asset to the company.

The other staff enjoy having her around the office too which backs up the claim by the International Journal of Workplace Health Management last year, that having a dog in the office can reduce stress levels.

When I worked in a nightclub I would often take my dog to work, he was great for security, have-a-go thieves will think twice about stealing from a place with a German shepherd kicking about. He would play fetch with the cleaners kids and keep them occupied with cuddles and kisses, as long as he got a bit of their rusks.


However, as cute and stress relieving as having a dog at work with you can be its not all fun and games as Tatler found out when their office dachshund Alan was killed in a revolving door accident.

I'm not sure that Alan had a job to there or whether he was more an office mascot.
I'd like to take my dog to work with me, but I'm not sure she would be any good answering the phone.

The rest of these pictures are courtesy of my fabulous mum. I can't take any credit for them, but they are widely available on the old t'internet. 

Enjoy them any way.