The finance department of an Ohio-based company recently hired two new “employees” to help improve the department’s workflow by infusing a bit of fun into the office, and we think it’s safe to say that these two individuals are definitely fit for the job.
The part that’s really strange, though, is that their new hires aren’t people. They’re kittens, and we’ve only got one question for this company; where do we apply?
The transportation company workers have dubbed the adorable kittens Debit and Credit since bringing them on full-time, and by full-time we mean round-the-clock employees. Yes, they actually live in their office space.
When you think of the basic skills required to work in any type of office environment, there are several things that come to mind. The ability to multi-task, for one. There are also computer skills, the ability to communicate and work closely in a busy environment with others.
Now maybe kittens aren’t the first species you’d consider for a position like this, but Debit and Credit actually do bring some of these all-important skills to the table…in a way.
While Debit and Credit might not be able to type out an email (at least not a legible one) in under 30 seconds, that doesn’t mean they don’t add their own value.
The kittens bring the power of preventing employee “burnout” to the office, a skill that is unquestionably invaluable.
Staring at a computer screen all day and worrying over complex financial planning issues can take a serious toll on a person’s mental endurance, and it’s all too easy to forget to stop and give yourself a breather.
Having office kittens around completely abolishes that problem because when they decide to get your attention, they aren’t taking ‘No’ for an answer.
Debit and Credit know how to have fun, and they want all of their “coworkers” to do the same.
When you think about it, it would be pretty hard not to have a good day at the office when every time you peek around the corner, there’s a fuzzy little monster hiding in your cubby or tearing around the room as they chase each other.
These two kittens are so comical, in fact, that one employee in the department just couldn’t resist posting a video of their antics online, sharing their crazy shenanigans with the rest of the world.
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The video was uploaded to Reddit with a caption that read: “Office kittens, Debit and Credit, were working hard today!”
With that single post, the whole world fell in love with these two office kittens, and we can’t blame them a bit. One commenter wrote:
“This is adorable. I wouldn’t get any work done.”
The employee who posted the video couldn’t agree more:
“It is so hard not to play and snuggle all. Day. Long.”
The video blew up online and it wasn’t long before people were begging to see more of these silly office kittens.
Seeing as how everyone could benefit from taking a quick break from their daily lives to watch these feisty furballs bring a little comic relief to their workplace, the finance department employees created an Instagram account entirely dedicated to Debit and Credit and their crazy work routine.
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The employees named the account ourofficekittens, and within days Debit and Credit had officially built up a huge following.
If you’re wondering how many people would follow two kittens just to watch them “work”, try thinking upwards of 32,000!
While passing the kittens off as “employees” that improve office workflow might just seem like an excuse to have these charming little cats around upfront, you might be surprised to learn that there is actually some science to back this theory up.
As it turns out, there is solid reasoning behind why “company pets” are becoming an increasing international trend.
Lotte Spijkerman, a behavioral scientist based out of The Netherlands, said that pets at work create a beneficial physiological response in employees who interact with them and that it produces a measurable increase in overall employee productivity.
“They reduce stress and increase productivity, mainly because they interact with you of their own accord and, when they pop over to your work station, it’s a good reminder that you might need to take a break,” she tells Business Insider.
Even though there are proven health and business benefits to having pets at work, there a few considerations that must be taken when a company makes a decision that affects everyone in the workplace.
For example, while pets may reduce stress, for some people they trigger allergies that could potentially cause major health concerns. In other words, workplace conditions have to be suitable for both pet and people.
Fortunately, in the case of Debit and Credit, the conditions are set up in their favor…mostly.
“My building is small—there are only 6 of us. One of them is allergic, but she doesn’t care. The others stay in another building,” the employee who posted the initial video that made the kittens famous explained on Reddit.
It’s safe to say that these office kittens have passed their probationary period with flying colors.
Not only do they receive full medical benefits, but they also get paid food and housing! Debit and Credit love their new job because their bosses actually encourage them to spend time hanging out and having fun with the other employees. It’s literally every kitten’s dream job.
Of course, you’re not an official employee until you have a nametag, so Debit and Credit’s coworkers bought them some swanky collars with new nametags.
You’ve got to admit, they wear them awfully well.
The kitties are like two peas in a pod, and they love spending time together. It’s that team-player type of attitude that makes their bond so contagious.
Of course, it’s not hard to be happy when you have so many adoring humans around to keep you entertained.
The cute kitties get spoiled rotten by all of their coworkers, who can’t thank them enough for brightening up all of those long, stressful workdays.
When Debit and Credit aren’t racing around the building or snuggled up next to each other, they make sure to spread the love and snuggle up with their coworkers and settle in for an afternoon snooze.
Sometimes, however, when the mood strikes and they want you to play with them they will fully enforce the authority of their position and literally force their coworkers to take a break. No one really gets upset about it, though, because that is exactly what they are there for.
Debit and Credit are learning from the other employees, too, and are picking up new skills all the time. Some of them, though, take a little longer to learn than others.
If there is one thing department employees can’t say about their furry, fun-loving coworkers, it’s that they don’t want to learn.
Followers of their Instagram account will often see pictures and videos of Debit and Credit inserting themselves at the center of another employee’s work, completely absorbed in what they are doing. These kittens might love to play, but they try to be helpful, too.
Debit and Credit also make sure to take care of each other’s needs. In addition to playing, exercising, and cuddling together, they also take care of one another’s hygiene.
Of course, just because they’re coworkers doesn’t mean they’re codependent, and each of them likes to squeeze in a little alone time now and then to just chill out.
These hard-working office kittens joined the company with a job to do, and it would seem that they are getting it done with great success.
With everything Debit and Credit have managed to accomplish at their company there is one thing that is certain…
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Employees that take time to play together end up working better together in the long run, too.
With all the love between these two besties, we’re not surprised that their coworkers feel so happy to be around them. We doubt the turnover rate is very high here but all we can say is that if they have an opening, you can consider it filled!
