Why Having a Dog in the Office Improves Employees Quality of Life

Unless you have a crippling phobia of dogs, known as cynophobia, surely the thought of turning up to work on a rainy Monday, knowing there will be a cheery, furry face to meet you, is enough to keep the blues at bay?

There has been a debate about dogs in the workplace for many years, but since the COVID-19 pandemic led to a rise in remote working, employers have seen an even greater push to amend their policies to allow dog owners to bring their pets to work, with an increase in awareness of mental health, and the experience of working from home.

Newsweek spoke to Leigh Siegfried, animal behaviorist and founder of dog-training organization Opportunity Barks, about the pros and cons of allowing dogs in the workplace, and whether it will ever become standard practice.

The Advantages of Having Dogs in the Office

In an idea world, allowing dogs in to the workplace can be mutually beneficial for both owner, employees and employers.

In the U.S., 66 percent of households own a pet, with dogs being the most popular type. Millennials make up the largest percentage of pet owners at 33 percent. Incidentally, millennials also make up the largest percentage in the workplace.

"In my opinion, it can make a huge quality of life difference for both employees and the dogs," said Siegfried, "People often rush home at the end of the day to let the dog out. Integrating dogs into the workplace can reduce the stress of worrying about them all day, and also potentially save employees money in monitoring cameras and stimulating activities when left home alone."

Siegfried also points out that the time with our pets is short, and if employers allow their staff to spend more time with their pets, morale and therefore output, might increase.

Such workplace concessions also look good for an employer, showing compassion and flexibility, making the company a more desirable place to work, attracting employees and reducing turnover of staff.

A study from 2021, entitled Dogs at the Workplace: A Multiple Case Study, found that employees see pet-friendly policies as a "privilege and prestigious, leading to a favorable appreciation of the company. All employees sounded pleased and positive when speaking about their company's pet-friendly policy."

The report also found that managers were aware of the impact of reducing or removing pet-friendly policies on wider staff, with one manager interviewed quoted as saying, "if we suddenly say the dog is not allowed, I would probably lose two employees," referring to co-workers that also became enamored with the dog. "This observation supports the idea that dog-friendly policies are a tool to influence employee retention and acquisition," the study said.

An American Heart Society survey in 2019 found that more than 50 percent of employees with dogs would prefer it if they could bring their pets to work.

"In a 2021 survey, 71 percent of Gen Z employees and 48 percent of millennials said they want to bring their pets with them when they return to the workplace, and about half of the employers surveyed were considering the idea," the society reported.

Allowing dogs in the office can also be a powerful tool for getting employees, whether dog owners or not, to come back to the office.

The presence of dogs in the office can also encourage social cohesion, according to the 2021 study, which found that as the dog moved around the office, it instigated interactions between employees from other departments, and levels of authority, who may not usually come into contact in a normal working day.

What Is the Legal Situation?

While dogs owners might have full faith in their pets that they would not be a nuisance or cause any damage while in the office, there are some legal considerations that employers may want to take into account before they allow pets in the office.

While there is no federal law preventing the practice, it's down to policy on an employer-by-employer basis.

Service Animals

Service animals have their own laws that employers must adhere to, but like with most policies, they are not straightforward.

As a rule, all relevant laws forbid discrimination against people with any disability. For a private employer, "service animal compliance generally falls under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA),1990, which requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to employees with physical or mental impairments, except in cases of undue hardship," reports the Society for Human Resource Management.

Most employers must allow dogs as service animals, but incredibly the only other accepted service animal is the miniature horse. Under law, an employer is not allowed to simply reject a request for a miniature horse service animal in the workplace. Their employer is still obliged, as with other reasonable accommodation requests, to explore all other options that might meet the employee's need.

On the other side of the service dog debate, phobias and allergies can also be considered disabilities under the ADA, and an employer may be put in a difficult position where they are expected to make mutually exclusive reasonable accommodations to both employees.

Personal Injury

Employers and business owners can be held liable if an animal they allow onto the premises hurts anyone, and there are plenty of dog bite attorneys out there that see flashing dollar signs when they can sue a company.

Landlords

If an office or work space is rented, then while your boss may be OK with the idea of dogs in the workplace, the landlord might say no and the employers tenancy may become void, or fines may be issued.

How to Bring A Dog Into the Office

Whether a dog can improve overall work life for all employees depends on the preparedness of the company, and the attitude of the owner.

"There is a potential for work relationships to become strained, rather than strengthened by allowing dogs in the workplace," said Siegfried," and both employer and dog owner must prepare their space and pet for the change to ensure it runs smoothly."

For the employer, Siegfried suggests they designate dog-only areas so that calm dogs can be moved away from other employees for a time, as well as other small adjustments such as dog waste stations in designated outside areas, and opening up channels of communication for employees that might have any issues with pets in the office.

Similarly, for dog owners, Siegfried says it is imperative that they ensure their dogs can handle being in such an overstimulating environment.

"If you just leave your dog to it like you would at home, you will create a compressed stress experience for them. If they are not looked after properly and in an unfamiliar situation they can become stressed and then a nuisance to others."

Siegfried says in general life, and especially in an office, basic commands like sit and stay are essential commands, as well as "an incredibly good recall," she adds. "If you have a 120-pound dog going around stealing people's sandwiches, then you're going to have a problem, and you may be responsible for your company rescinding their policy."