Pets in the office: Unique ways to promote a fun-filled workplace

When your employees have fun in the office, they tend to get more accomplished  — just look at the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For. 

Not only do these companies boast higher bottom lines and more-satisfied customers, by and large their employees actually enjoy showing up for work. In fact, 93% of workers at the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For reported experiencing a “friendly workplace.”

Looking for ways to make Finance a more fun-filled place? Here are a few low-cost perks that can help it happen:

1. A sporting event. Hosting an event where employees compete against one another in a friendly competition (a softball game, a golf outing, etc.) is a great way to boost camaraderie. It also helps with teamwork and communication. You can pit different departments against each other or randomly select employee teams.

2. Off-beat holiday celebrations. A cookie swap around Christmas is a great way to get employees into the holiday spirit – and boost the mood in the office. But what about the less-celebrated holidays? Some other options: Costume and pumpkin-carving contests around Halloween; a rib-off or chili cook-off around the Fourth of July; or a cake-decorating challenge for Valentine’s Day.

3. Pets in the office. It may sounds crazy – but it works for some companies. Example: A California-based company rolled out a bring-your-animal-to-work program when it needed workers to stay longer hours. As a result of the unusual perk, employees were happy to comply when asked to work longer hours.