Recently, I was invited to be a guest on Employment Straight Talk, an HR talk program on Cincinnati’s WBOB a.m. The topic was, “should organizations allow pets in the workplace?” and proved to be a hotly debated issue!

On the negative side, pets can provide a real problem for employees who have allergies. Dogs can get excited and bark at the most inopportune times. There may not be enough space for employees, let alone pets. And what if a “friendly” dog gets annoyed and bites another pet or an employee or customer?

Recent research by the SPCA, the American Humane Association, and American Pet Products Manufacturer’s Association have found that companies that allow pets in the workplace have experienced lower absenteeism rates, higher productivity and creativity, less stress, and a higher level of teamwork and camaraderie among employees.

Employers today are competing strongly for the best and the brightest, especially in light of the skills crisis that many organizations are facing. In order to maintain a competitive edge, a few companies are beginning to allow employees to bring their pets to work. According to a SHRM survey in 2004, about 5% of U.S. employers allow pets. If your company is considering joining this small but growing number, I’d like to share some guidelines and resources before you take that leap.

1. Survey employees before initiating a policy on bringing pets to work. You may find that a significant number of employees have allergies or that very few people truly want to bring their pets to work with them. 

2. If you do implement a policy allowing pets, appoint an employee to keep a daily attendance log to document which pets are in the workplace, and where.

3. Establish a written, well-communicated pet policy (I’ll tell you where you can obtain sample policies later in this article).

4. In the policy, spell out any pets which are unwelcome, such as reptiles, insects, or fish.

5. Establish any areas of the building which are “no pet zones”.

6. Require that employees show proof of up to date vaccinations before bringing pets into the workplace. 

7. Establish infractions, such as excessive noise, destructiveness, or fighting with other animals which will result in pets being banned from the workplace. 

8. Designate an outdoor area for walking dogs and disposing of dog waste. 

9. Require pet owners to be in control of their animals at all times, either via a leash or crate. 

10. Set the expectation that employees will not spend their time playing with their pet or others’ pets; they are there to work. 

11. Do not allow pet owners to bring loud squeaky toys or chews that may distract coworkers or people calling into the organization. 

12. Specify that employees are responsible for feeding, walking, and cleaning up after their own pets.

Not all dogs are candidates for accompanying their owners to work. Before they are allowed in the workplace, dogs should know and follow basic commands such as “sit” and “stay”, be socialized to other dogs and people, and have enough space to walk around and lie down in the employee’s cubicle or office.

If your company wants to try out having pets in the workplace, you may wish to explore Pet Sitters International’s annual “Take Your Dog to Work Day”, which is the fourth Friday in June. For information about taking part in this annual event, you can contact Pet Sitters at www.petsit.com. Over 5,000 companies participated in 2004!

If you’d like to obtain sample policies from organizations that currently allow pets at work, you can visit the SPCA’s web site at www.sfspca.org. For a list of companies by state that allow pets (and their contact information), visit www.dogfriendly.com.

For more information on this topic, don’t hesitate to email me a Linda@gravett.com.