A Japanese company has taken up a unique initiative to boost the creativity of its employees and maintain a chill environment at the workplace. Qnote, a Tokyo-based tech firm which specialises in web and app design, has become home to 10 cats and their work is to play with the 32 employees during their shifts. The company believes these feline buddies keep the office crowd relaxed and help improve their creativity. Qnote started to adopt cats in 2004 and the first one named Futaba was found at a sushi restaurant.
With time, nine other cats have joined the group and each of them has designated office roles. Being the oldest in the team, 20-year-old Fatuba holds the highest rank– “chaircat” and enjoys more privilege than Qnote CEO Nobuyuki Tsuruta. Among the other cats, there is a “chief clerk” as well as a “manager”.
The tech company decided to shift its office to a four-storey building in 2020 to provide the cats with more comfort and a bigger space to roam freely. Upon moving to the new office, Qnote immediately refurbished the second and third floors where those cats would live. They have as many as 12 custom toilets and cat shelves. The walls were also redesigned to withstand scratches.
According to Nobuyuki Tsuruta, many people working for Qnote have cats. So, they naturally feel relaxed while being around these pets. The initiative has also prompted several people to join the company. “Many of our employees have cats at home, and their presence in the office has become a crucial factor in attracting new talent,” Tsuruta shared during an interaction with Mainichi Shimbun.
These “cat employees” are well aware of the daily operations at the workplace. When the office is closed, people voluntarily feed the four-legged companions and clean their litter trays as well. During the interview, Tsuruta acknowledged that the cats have helped in increasing mutual understanding between managers and the other members of the team.
The cats, however, sometimes cause interruptions during work but the employees have no complaints about that. Tsuruta reckons the” interruptions force the employees to take breaks, which helps refresh their minds and boosts overall productivity”. Qnote has added cat-themed elements to its official website. The company’s logo also features the design of a cat.
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