Pets at Work? Really?

PET FRIENDLY workplaces are becoming more and more popular these days, with some of the world’s largest companies, including Google and Amazon, allowing their employees to bring in their pets.

Of course, taking your Fido, Max, Chloe or Rover into work is known to have many benefits - including increasing employee morale and reducing stress - as well as providing a valuable point of common interest for fellow pet owners.

And, while pets do provide a great source of social interaction, they can also help promote a greater sense of teamwork: as well as encouraging better communication among employees.

In a recent thebalance.com article, leadership expert Mary Hope Kramer explains how allowing workers to bring their pets into work also provides significant financial benefits: by saving workers the sometimes substantial costs of ‘doggy day-care’ or ‘pet walkers’ while they are at work.

This is especially important for those employees who may have to commute long distances or work very long hours, thus effectively isolating them from their pets for long periods.

This is especially important for those employees who may have to commute long distances or work very long hours, thus effectively isolating them from their pets for long periods.

Having pets at work can also boost a customer’s perception of an organisation, especially if that customer is a pet lover.

Having pets at work can also boost a customer’s perception of an organisation, especially if that customer is a pet lover.

In fact, it is fairly safe to assume that the majority of customers would be more than pleased to pat a small and fluffy puppy when visiting a business, and that this interaction might also endear them even more strongly to the organisation itself!

Of course, allowing pets into the office can also be a great recruiting tool, with potential employees finding it hard to resist a workplace where cats and dogs are welcomed.

The decision to be ‘pet friendly’ can also have long-term implications, by making the workplace more attractive for current workers.

It may also reduce employee turnover - as the current employees are likely to stay for longer periods.

Unfortunately though, no workplace policy is perfect, and allowing pets into the workplace can have its disadvantages.

Any pet owner will tell you that pets have unsavoury habits at times, and when not properly house-trained, can be known to leave unwanted ‘presents’ around the office.

Any pet owner will tell you that pets have unsavoury habits at times, and when not properly house-trained, can be known to leave unwanted ‘presents’ around the office.

Another issue is barking and whining, which can be quite distracting for co-workers.

Also, when a pet is new to the workplace, there will always be at least a few workers who simply can’t resist making a fuss of the animal on a regular basis.

This can lead to reduced work output and major distractions, at least in the short-term.

Another area of concern is allergies - which can be quite serious with some workers.

The prospect of bringing a heavily moulting Golden Retriever into work - leaving a ‘carpet of fur’ wherever it goes - is a recipe for disaster for some allergy sufferers.

In these cases, and if an organisation does decide to become pet-friendly, some employees may be forced to work in ‘pet-free’ zones, where the chances of them being affected by widespread hair or fur are greatly reduced.

As in the home, some pets are also partial to chewing on furniture, office equipment or carpet, and this can turn into a nightmare of damage bills for affected workers.

The prospect of employees being bitten or accidentally tripping over pets, is another real problem, as is the reality of legal action being taken against the owner should something untoward happen as a result of a pet.

This is why all employers who do allow pets into the workplace are advised to draft a comprehensive pet policy that includes consequences for misbehaviour.

These could range from the outright banning of an animal - to how often it is allowed to visit the workplace.

Other factors could stipulate where an animal should be kept, or if it is aggressive, whether it should be leashed or muzzled.