Do you wish you could work for a pet-friendly company and bring your dog, cat, bird, reptile or other pet to work every day? Many companies have adopted pet-friendly policies, from small businesses to large corporations. If your company is not currently pet-friendly, you may be able to talk to your company’s management about allowing pets in the workplace.
What is a pet-friendly workplace?
Research shows that pet-friendly workplaces lead to happier, more productive employees who stay with the company longer. In light of these revelations, more companies are implementing pet-friendly policies, ranging from occasional days of bringing your pet to work to daily pet access.
Benefits of pet-friendly workplaces
Many studies have examined the practice of allowing employees to bring their pets to the office. Pet-friendly policies that allow pets in the office on a regular or occasional basis offer many benefits to both employees and employers. According to a study conducted by Nationwide and the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI), employees who work for pet-friendly companies are:
Types of pet-friendly workplaces
Many different types of businesses have adopted pet-friendly policies, from small businesses to large corporations. Many pet-focused businesses are pet-friendly, but many regular businesses have also made pet-friendliness a priority. Pet-friendly policies include, but are not limited to, allowing pets in the workplace and offering time off to bond with a new pet, grief counseling for the loss of a pet, pet supply allowances, and company pet insurance.
Common types of pet-friendly workplaces include some pet stores, pet groomers, veterinary offices, pet insurance providers, dog daycares, and pet product manufacturers. If you’re looking for a new job and want to find a pet-friendly company, Rover lists dog-friendly companies. The most dog-friendly companies include:
How to create a pet-friendly workplace
If the company you work for does not currently allow pets, talk to management about implementing a pet-friendly policy at your workplace. Present the benefits of pets in the workplace and offer to help create policies.
For example, most pet-friendly companies require pets to be healthy, fully vaccinated, and toilet trained, and ask employees to fill out an application before bringing their pet to work. Policies can contain the rules that employees must follow. For example, pets may be required to be on a leash, crated, or behind a pet gate in the office, and employees may not be permitted to leave their pets unattended at all times.
Pet-friendly policies may also establish specific disciplinary measures for disruptive pets, such as a three-strikes rule followed by temporary or permanent exclusion. Most pet-friendly workplaces also have a strict no-biting policy.
Consider the office space and work with management to identify outdoor restroom areas and places that may or may not allow pets indoors (e.g., the cafeteria could be a people-only area).
Management may want to survey employees to see if a pet-friendly workplace is something the majority want before implementing new policies.
Best practices for pet owners
If you work for a pet-friendly company, it is important that you are responsible, polite, and respectful to your colleagues, especially those who may not appreciate pets in the office. If pets become a nuisance to others, management may decide to eliminate the program.
