Woman’s best friend … Do you prefer your dog’s company to that of your partner? According to a new survey by Purina dog food, lots of women do. The survey found that 50 percent of female dog-owners say they would rather spend time with their dogs than with their partner and/or family members. The survey found that 95 percent of respondents (both female and male) said they view their dog as part of the family, 62 percent sad their pups helps them de-stress after work, and 55 percent said their dogs give them emotional comfort after getting bad news. 56 percent of Millennials said they have given birthday cakes to their dogs, and 77 percent said they feed their dogs before they feed themselves. (PRNewsire)
This is really cool … Starbucks is opening their first sign language friendly location in the U.S. The company is in the process of hiring hearing impaired employees who are fluent in American Sign Language to work at a new Washington, D.C., location. Baristas will wear aprons embroidered by a deaf supplier that spells out STARBUCKS in signs, and they will also wear pins that say “I sign.” To make the space more appealing to customers with hearing impairments they are also installing “low glare reflective surfaces and visual communication tools to help when ordering and picking up drinks at the counter.” They will even be featuring merchandise and artwork designed by deaf artists. Kudos to Starbucks! (Cosmo)
Who's up for a four-day work week? … A company in New Zealand tested out a four-day work week and discovered that it had huge benefits – on both employee morale and productivity. For two months, Perpetual Guardian, a firm that helps people manage their wills and estates, had employees work four days -- 32 hours a week, instead of 40 -- but paid them for five days. The result? Employees were more punctual, creative and productive -- not to mention happier and less stressed. The company was so happy with the results they want to make it a permanent change. (Business Insider)