Pets at Work? - American Society of Employers - Mary E. Corrado

Pets at Work?

I recently attended a launch event for a new company in Detroit called PetCalls. Four-legged friends were welcomed at this event.  While there, I realized what a calming affect pets have, particularly dogs.  I can’t help but smile when I see a dog.  They also make great conversation starters and tend to lighten up the mood.  This really had me thinking that this is why some organizations allow pets at work.  Is it worth considering?

While employers allowing employees to bring pets to work is gaining popularity, it is still quite rare.  According to SHRM, only 7% of organizations across the nation currently allow this.  I’ve had a few experiences lately that make me think that this is a growing trend.

A dermatologist I go to has a dog that is there every Tuesday.  He roams around the waiting room and visits patients while they wait.  He has such a calming effect and makes the visit so pleasant.  I would assume many of their patients request Tuesday appointments.

Colleges even use puppies to calm students.  My daughter, a second year medical student, informed me that they bring in puppies for the med students when they are prepping for a big test.  The puppies are used to calm their nerves and reduce stress levels.

In yet another recent incident, I was flying home and the airport had a service dog roaming around the terminal to calm nervous flyers.  This wasn’t the normal, intimidating, drug sniffing dog you’d typically encounter at the airport.  It was a friendly golden retriever who appeared to be there for no other reason than to help flyers pass the time and reduce their nerves.

Studies show that pets lower stress hormones and that workplaces that allow pets often see higher morale and productivity.  In addition to reducing stress they also promote cooperation and interaction between colleagues.  A researcher named Randolph Barker (yes, that’s his real name!) from Virginia Commonwealth University did research on this very topic back in 2012.  He measured cortisol, a stress hormone, in workers’ systems and found that those that brought pets to work saw a decrease in cortisol throughout the day.  Those that didn’t bring pets saw an increase.

But do pets really belong in the workplace?  15 years ago I would have said no way.  In fact, there was an incident dating back that far at ASE.  I was at a conference and received an urgent call from an employee stating that someone had brought their dog to work, but the employee that brought the dog never called me.  It seemed so absurd at the time.  But in today’s world, I think it could work.  However, having said that, certain conditions would have to be met.  I think it would be important that every single employee is on board, doesn’t have any fears, and does not have pet allergies.  I recently read an article on wework.com that gave some great advice for anyone considering adding a dog-friendly policy to their office.  They include:

·       Get permission from your landlord.  Make sure pets are allowed if you are a renting the property.

·       Make sure your employees are comfortable with it.  Be sure to consider allergies or fears.  No employee should feel alienated by the new policy.  It has to work for all employees to be successful.

·       Set rules.  Be sure employees understand that common sense must be used.  Dogs must be trained and not aggressive.  Vaccinations should be up to date.  A schedule may be necessary to coordinate “dog days” among colleagues.

·       Do a test run.  Consider having a trial period and then gather feedback.  It will help to iron out any unforeseen issues and could have the potential to turn around some naysayers.

 

I’m a dog lover and think that in the right office environment allowing dogs at work could be a positive perk.  But I’m curious to hear what you think. Do you agree?  Do any ASE members currently have a pet-friendly policy at work?  Email me at [email protected]

 

I love hearing from our members. I heard from several of you regarding open-office spaces.  While the majority were in agreement that open office spaces don’t work, there were a few success stories that involved mixing both open and private work spaces.  Thanks for the feedback.  

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