PHWP: Good Company

The benefits of allowing dogs at the office can include increased motivation, work-life flexibility and stress relief for employees (and their best friends). Granted, it does depend on the workplace, employees and company culture. For dog owners and lovers though, having that cuddly soft fur, wagging tail and contagious enthusiasm with them while at work can make all the difference.

Check out this recent article on the dozens of dogs who accompany their owners to work on Capitol Hill and see just how easy it can be to accommodate dogs in the workplace. (Make sure you check out the slideshow, it’s cute.)

Bull in china shop jokes aside, even Replacements, Ltd., one of our PHWA winners, allows dogs to roam the floors of their china warehouse and cites the many benefits, as does another PHWA winner, Healthwise.

So for the rest of us, what can we do to educate our employers about such a great (free!) perk? The Humane Society of the United States publishes a book that covers policies on dogs in the workplace and other topics such as getting buy-in from management and how to prep your pooch for her office debut. If the culture at your organization lends itself to such ideas, put some feelers out there and see if it’s something your employees would like. You never know until you ask, and engaging them in the exploration of a new office perk will help them feel involved in the process and excited.

Above all else, if you decide a pets-at-work policy could work for your organization, make sure your company has clearly stated guidelines and rules in place before the first dog bounds through your doors – this will help ensure that everyone is wagging his tail.