Embracing the Office Dog

According to the National Institutes of Health, interacting with animals has been shown to decrease cortisol (a stress-related hormone) and lower blood pressure. Major companies, such as Amazon, Uber and Airbnb, have opened their doors to four-legged friends to enhance work-life balance for pet owners and promote collaboration, wellness and morale among employees. A dog-friendly office can be a significant benefit for employees. 

Dogs in the workplace have a way of bringing people together. Employees who normally wouldn’t communicate or collaborate now have a reason to feel connected. Dogs are a natural conversation starter, and it’s easy to bond over a furry friend. As more offices embrace the office dog, we’re highlighting a few tips to make the office dog-friendly: 

• Give pets their own spaces to call home — a dedicated office suite with wireless technology can help. For those of us returning to the office amid coronavirus, we might notice some differences in corporate office design. Many companies are transitioning to include dedicated office suites, rather than cubicles, to enable social distancing between employees. Wireless technology enables employees to move around within an office space, or within outdoor courtyards, while remaining connected to their devices. Dedicated office suites could also give pet owners an opportunity to create consistency and safe, familiar spaces for their pets. 
• Create an outdoor connectivity space to fuel collaboration between pet owners while enjoying time with the office dogs. Everyone needs a little fresh air to fuel their creativity. An outdoor collaboration space — imagine a courtyard with solar shades, outdoor video displays and speakers that promote quick connectivity — can create a unique meeting space for pet owners to enjoy time outdoors. More outside time with coworkers (and the doggies!) can create bonds and alleviate in-office tension too.
• Implement a pet check-in system to keep a record of dogs in the office. Like we have traditional employee badges, each dog should have its own badge to scan when entering and exiting the office. Then, the dog database can be accessed in case of an emergency. It can also store important information, such as vaccine history, medical details and vet information.
• Remind employees of the pet policy with digital signage in community spaces. Every dog-friendly office needs a documented pet policy to ensure that everyone is on the same page. A few common requirements are that dogs must be up to date on their shots, housebroken and potty-trained, well-mannered and friendly with other dogs and people, and kept on a leash in specific areas. 

The decision to become a dog-friendly workplace comes down to the employer, although bringing a dog to the office has the potential to make employees feel more comfortable about returning to the office amid coronavirus. Some companies have adopted a hybrid approach by allowing dogs in the office on specific days of the week. Other companies, such as PetSmart and Trupanion, allow dogs in the office and provide additional perks, such as pet insurance and “pawties” (happy hours with the office dogs), which could lead

to higher retention rates among employees. 

If you’re looking for support navigating technology for a dog-friendly office, AV Planners has proven success in designing and integrating corporate office spaces that promote pet safety and employee collaboration. Contact AV Planners via email at info@avplanners.com, or call us at 213-493-6473 to learn more about our services. Keep up with the latest news from AV Planners on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.