Dogs in The Office, Ok or Not?

Gorgeousmorgeous on 24/05/2022 - 08:11
Last edited 24/05/2022 - 08:55 by 1 other user

The business I work for allows people to bring their dogs to work.

This was ok 2 years ago when we were a startup and had less than 10 employees. We are now much bigger with over 100 employees and no longer have that startup vibe.

There is at least 1 dog in the office every day. They are all generally well behaved. They wander the space occasionally, but will sit at people's feet in our kitchen space when people are eating and Hoover up anything that is dropped. I would say the majority of our company likes this.

I hate it a lot. I don't really like dogs, I am very allergic to them and I hate them being inside. There are others who also either have allergies or are scared of dogs but I am the only one who is ever going to be comfortable to raise the issue for discussion. I've raised it with my manager and the company has agreed to get the carpets cleaned more frequently. And it's going to be discussed further.

I feel mean for hating something that brings people joy, but this is my job that I enjoy and need! I'm keen to hear what other people in corporate land think.

Poll Options

  • 296
    Yes it's a great idea
  • 581
    No it sux
  • 17
    I really don't care
  • 106
    Just find another job
Education & Work

Comments

  • Ronerrlaw on 25/05/2022 - 04:57

    Unless your high up in the hierarchy, doubt the company will change to make you happy.

    Start ups are great to work for until they grow into corporate businesses. Better off looking for a new company, and more money.

    HR always see the employee who raises a problem, as the problem.

  • MrBillions on 25/05/2022 - 06:51
    +2

    Should not be allowed.
    We had dogs dropping their poop at work and that was the end of it. Should never be allowed.

    • WT on 25/05/2022 - 07:18

      yea OP should dog sit a malamute and bring it to work, they shit like a horse

    • CauseNEffect on 25/05/2022 - 13:29

      The dog obviously had health issues or were not walked outside during break periods.. not all dogs do this. Many dogs sleep inside the home everyday and go outside for their business.

  • Carmen Sandiego on 25/05/2022 - 07:53
    +2

    This is why I have made the plan to ask HR to send around a message when I finally get my mental health dog.

    I have told my coworkers in my direct vicinity and they're all on board but, I don't want to assume everyone is going to enjoy this idea.

    Of course, this situation is different to having people's pets brought to work but, I understand that not everyone likes dogs, and like you, can be allergic.

    • rektrading on 25/05/2022 - 08:01

      my mental health dog.

      Dogs that are trained to service as mental health, guide dogs or for other purposes are exempt from No pets allowed rules.

      Yes. Owners of assistance dogs have the right to take their animals into all public places and onto public transport, including buses and trains. The Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act 1992 makes it unlawful to discriminate against a person with a disability who is using an assistance dog.

      Private businesses should also accommodate service dogs.

  • Ke11ieD on 25/05/2022 - 08:20
    -3

    I have to wonder how you would feel if your colleagues decided they didnt like you and complained about you in the hopes of having you removed from the office.

    • giventofly on 25/05/2022 - 10:38
      +2

      They'd need a valid reason though. If their behaviour was unacceptable, or performance.

      On purely existing in an office, I'd wager the OP has more of a right

      • Charmoffensive on 25/05/2022 - 14:56
        +1

        They'd need a valid reason though. If their behaviour was unacceptable, or performance.

        "He's always sneezing and blowing snot particles everywhere. It's like he's allergic to something"

        lol.

  • Ke11ieD on 25/05/2022 - 08:24
    -4

    Your that guy who buys a house next to a pub and then puts a noise complaint in every night aren't you?

    • CauseNEffect on 25/05/2022 - 13:27

      Haha agreed. Bought a place at mascot wants the planes to be quieter during reading times..

      Either avoid the dog or gtfo to a non dog friendly environment.

    • smartazz104 on 25/05/2022 - 13:48
      +8

      Reading is hard for some of you isn't it…

    • idonotknowwhy on 27/05/2022 - 18:06

      no your the guy

  • jacross on 25/05/2022 - 08:37

    I've never experienced it personally so as a dog lover I think I'd like it but I'm not sure.

    When people bring their dogs in to the office it's always fun but does seem a little out of place. If i could bring my dog to work it would greatly improve my mental health when at the communal office. I can see it bothering others, as many 'normal' things bother me.

    So…I don't know to be honest. I guess I like the idea of different businesses doing different things so there is variety and options and innovation. Looks like you've found yourself in a personally disagreeable situation. If you're the only one who doesnt' like it I think you probably need to to be the loser in this situation. It happens. It happens to me all the time.

  • bobolo on 25/05/2022 - 09:02
    +5

    So many airy fairy non business owner responses here.

    Office culture/environment/fun is important, but the underlying purpose is to work. So anyone or anything that shows up to the office should contribute to productivity.

    Having a dog in the office will only serve as a distraction and decrease productivity

    Also, what about some employees who have a fear of dogs? Allergies mentioned a couple of times. What about liability for the company? (If the dog injures themselves or others in the office). Safe work laws, insurances etc. As en employer, you would have to be pretty silly and/or naive to take these risks

    Granted there are some very niche businesses/office environments that would be suitable - but generally - very stupid idea.

  • saltypete on 25/05/2022 - 09:22

    An office I worked in with a few hundred employees had an authorised mental or emotional health dog (can't remember the official name) The employee and dog were both trained.
    This was OK. Maybe your employer could bring in something like this?

    I like dogs, but a workplace is generally unsuitable for pets, kids etc IMO.

  • kaleidoscope on 25/05/2022 - 09:32

    i personally do not mind, but for the sake of those that are allergic and scared I think it should not be allowed. Atleast not let them roam around freely in the office space. If office can accomodate a separate space for the 4 legged pets to hang out then its fine, everytime else they should be on the leash.

  • Tapek on 25/05/2022 - 10:14
    +2

    Office dogs are the BEST

  • RolandWaites on 25/05/2022 - 10:22

    Dogs rule!

  • giventofly on 25/05/2022 - 10:35
    +2

    I love dogs. Hate dog owners.

    If the dog is behaved, it's probably better company than most people.

  • JPerez on 25/05/2022 - 10:35

    Why not speak to your boss/managers and advise about your allergies? They may end up working something out for you.

    Communication goes a long way.

  • Fredorishi on 25/05/2022 - 10:49

    Aside from the office issue, I would strongly suggest going to see an allergy specialist. Not sure why the person got negged for the earlier comment. I have had desensitisation treatment for a severe dust mite allergy and its great. No more constant nasal sprays, tablets etc etc. Highly recommend.

  • apiecost on 25/05/2022 - 11:00

    Ask for scheduled dog days. Maybe Fridays? People with an issue can WFH on those days and carpets can be done over the weekend.

    Edited to say that I believe in dogs.

  • mungas on 25/05/2022 - 11:06
    +3

    Hello Canva employee

  • seraphim2017 on 25/05/2022 - 11:36

    Could office develop a policy, dogs permitted tuesdays and thursdays only (or some other days but not all week every week?)

    That would allow those who are supportive to continue but not consider it a 'right', and for those who are not to have dog free days as well.

    Love dogs, and wish we had it, but would sconsier it reasonable to think of all parties, office staff who uses those stinky incense heaters are the worst, it gives many people headaches but they get away with it.

  • ddhar on 25/05/2022 - 12:00
    +1

    I've always wanted to work somewhere like this, provided the dogs behave well and don't lick me to death.

  • Brendoo on 25/05/2022 - 12:11
    -1

    Great practice having dogs at work.
    I used to work for years in the USA and Western Europe where this is common place. Makes for a very enjoyable office environment. Great for overall mental health too.

  • ldt on 25/05/2022 - 12:26
    +1

    Surely this has to be redone with more thought.

    I'm OK with dogs in the office as long as:
    * They're trained
    * They don't constantly bark
    * It is specific days so anyone allergic is offered WFH that day

    You'd think if there were multiple employees with allergies it would be taken more seriously!!

  • cnrmlj on 25/05/2022 - 13:13
    +8

    Absolutely not. No dogs in the office.

  • CauseNEffect on 25/05/2022 - 13:24
    -1

    A well looked after, cared for, trained socialised dog is an absolute bonus in a workplace. Dogs also sleep for long periods of the day in their bed..

    Puppy pats, hugs and play at times is the absolute highlight of WFH, the office should encourage this imo. I beleive companies will struggle with ft office based jobs now anyway.

    You are in the minority by not liking dogs and most places do not allow pets at this time so feel free to find a more compatible environment elsewhere and do not ruin everyone else's fun.

    +1 for a fido friendly work environment

  • dufflover on 25/05/2022 - 14:07

    I wouldn't be a fan of dogs in the office either, not in a "free range" sense for sure. Except those comments about getting another job due to the office culture might end up being true either way if the majority like the dogs. You'll be that guy who killed the fun and start getting treated differently.

  • Bid Sniper on 25/05/2022 - 14:28
    +1

    Id bring a fish tank full of scorpions and put it on my desk. Id have Emperor scorpion and name it cuddles.

    • CauseNEffect on 26/05/2022 - 21:22

      I worked with a guy who once had a small saltwater aquarium on his desk.. yes, really.

  • striker5950 on 25/05/2022 - 14:38
    +1

    what a stupid policy, id like and say i have allergy just so i can get WFH.. a place of work is no place for dogs or any pets where they will shit and piss and stink up the place, bother other workers and not to mention the barking that interrupts daily activities.

    • lonewolf on 25/05/2022 - 15:41
      -2

      you obviously dont know how pets can be. I have seen many pets at my workplace none of which do anything that you mentioned. Sure some may and generally people who have those types of pets like i do , wouldnt bring them in. It sounds like the people who do bring in the pets know how the pets will behave. I am allergic but the company and enjoyment dogs bring into my life is worth my allergies.

      • striker5950 on 26/05/2022 - 10:39

        key word: sure some may..
        you can have joy with your dog at home at your own free time, not during business hours where you are suppose to be working and not causing distractions to other colleagues. you could be easily distracted with that joy and you need to be working not enjoying dogs. video games bring joy to my life i want them in the office yeh good logic.. not to mention pet allergies that some might have and they have to sacrifice not coming to work on that day so you can have you joy at work how selfish is that..

        • lonewolf on 26/05/2022 - 11:44

          Well since the majority are happy with it as stated in the OP, then who is being selfish. Secondly again you are assuming these dogs are bothering the other staff. I have never seen any of the dogs at work do that because again the people who decide to bring them in know how they will behave and how they are. It also depends on the layout of the offices etc. All the dogs i have seen at my work place, hang about with their owner by just laying there. The owner occasionally takes them out for a walk when he also wants a break but thats it. They dont cause any allergies for others or bother others.

          • DiscountForThee on 27/05/2022 - 10:24

            @lonewolf: Isn't looking after your own health and wellbeing, by definition, selfish?

            • lonewolf on 27/05/2022 - 10:46
              +1

              @DiscountForThee: Selfish is putting yourself the minority ahead of what the majority prefers / wants. The OP said the majority likes it the way it is. OP also said all the dogs are well behaved etc. So a lot of the arguments by people against it show they havent even read what the OP wrote when they bring in unruly dogs, etc.

              • DiscountForThee on 27/05/2022 - 10:56

                @lonewolf: I get what you're saying but "putting yourself the minority ahead of what the majority prefers / wants" isn't necessary a good argument in itself. What if the majority of people at a workplace prefer to be openly racist / sexist? A minority of people would literally be selfish by that definition but that is obviously not grounds for it to stay like that.

                Or if someone likes not being the target of verbal abuse at work. They're being selfish, and perhaps in the minority, but they're not wrong

                • lonewolf on 27/05/2022 - 11:01
                  +1

                  @DiscountForThee: Thing is, what is racist or sexist or any kind of society driven politics is still really that. judged by the majority in that particular society.

                  Our society is different from others, so we may think they are in the wrong but then they also have the right to think we are in the wrong. Its a slippery slope when we decide what is right and wrong for all societies based on our own society…

                  Dont forget society is also about timelines. We cant look back several hundred years at totally different societies and laws as well as how life was back then and judge them compared to how our society is. Just like in a thousand years who knows what our society will be like and we will seem very archaic and injust in comparison. A few hundred years ago, one person taking anothers life for minor theft in some societies was the norm.

                  In this case the OP was asking about whats ok or not in terms of having a pet coming into work, there is no society or laws coming into effect here. Its about peoples preferences. OP said, the dogs behave themselves, dont get in the way and for the most part just sit with the owner. OP also said most of the company is happy with it…. I dont see where the negative side is.

                  As I stated earlier If there was a life and death situation then the minority can come into effect, but if its preferences and slight annoyance for the minority but happiness for the majority..? then Majority should always win.

                  Australian society is one of the best when it comes to taking into account minorities and their happiness. time and time again, i wished a lot of my friends had lived in other societies / countries to experience what real racism is like.

                  • DiscountForThee on 27/05/2022 - 11:24

                    @lonewolf:

                    We cant look back several hundred years at totally different societies and laws as well as how life was back then and judge them compared to how our society is.

                    We can, should, and do? Why would be not? There is always room for improvement and arguments like "the majority of people agree" and "that's just the way we have always done it" are terrible.

                    time and time again, i wished a lot of my friends had lived in other societies / countries to experience what real racism is like

                    Just because things are worse elsewhere doesn't mean that we should stop focusing on improving things or judging systems which are discriminatory.

                    I'm not arguing for or against the dogs, just saying that your reasoning is flawed and is the same logic that is used to resist progressing as a society

                    • lonewolf on 27/05/2022 - 11:51
                      +1

                      @DiscountForThee: Because its all in the eye of the beholder. And each time is a different society based on their own values and their own beliefs. And society is defined by the times as well as what the people of those times are like. We cant possibly think we are always right and the only way is our way. And all other societies based on their own laws ( alot of times from their own religious beliefs) is false.

                      Sure we have progressed, but part of that is also evolution. There are different types of progression, you cant look back at a pre-evolved animal and complain it doesnt have the same values as the post evolved animal. Just like how apes or other animals diversified, so did we. From roaming nomads to towns / cities . Farming is what changed a lot of that. Then what you would get is the inevitable conflict of different types of societies or different belief structures.

                      There is a difference between wanting to improve, and only asking for improvement when it benefits you and not fighting for that improvement when it doesnt benefit you or hinders you. I cop more racism from other minority groups than from the "australian anglo- saxon" but it doesnt get addressed here. And lets say in one society, the majority are trying to help the minority and all the minority then do is abuse that help by constantly trying to get more and more and yet not addressing the other issues like racism from their own minority group/s then are you actually against racism or just against it only when it affects you.

                      As someone who has experienced racism all his life, I find it really insulting and a step backwards when someone uses racism for their own benefits and not actually fights against racism no matter whether it benefits or hinders him. Because it takes away from racism and becomes a tool to use and abuse whenever you feel like it. After all the racism i copped in other countries i lived in before australia, i think when a society is trying to improve, you dont keep beating them on the head and using it as a tool to get more and more because what inevitably happens is the people who are doing the improve feel betrayed and everything goes backwards. Instead you encourage and show appreciation for the improvement while still acknowledging there is more room to improve on BOTH sides. But if one side just wants to keep at it and take and take and not give back….

                      • DiscountForThee on 27/05/2022 - 13:35

                        @lonewolf:

                        We cant possibly think we are always right and the only way is our way.

                        I am absolutely baffled that you think that, in this day and age, we think we are currently right and that this is the only way. There are countless movements, groups, programs, frameworks, laws, etc which are all trying to improve the world and reduce / stop discrimination. People haven't stopped fighting for change (and therefore, people haven't started thinking that "yep, this is the right way now and it should always be like this").

                        Racism is bad in all forms and directions and we should be taking steps to improve it. But again my point is that just because a majority enjoys a situation, doesn't mean that it is fair or should be used as a basis for not changing.

                • cookie2 on 27/05/2022 - 21:17

                  @DiscountForThee: If you have to go so off topic, to argue a point, best just to stop.

                  • DiscountForThee on 28/05/2022 - 00:42

                    @cookie2: My point was that a majority agreeing with something isn't a basis for arguing it should continue. I stated this clearly multiple times. Do you disagree?

            • cookie2 on 27/05/2022 - 21:16

              @DiscountForThee: Nope, that's worrying ONLY about yourself

              • DiscountForThee on 28/05/2022 - 00:43

                @cookie2: What are you talking about? What is worrying and when did I bring myself into this?

  • STE on 25/05/2022 - 15:02
    +5

    love dogs, but not at work thanks.

  • lonewolf on 25/05/2022 - 15:40
    +1

    If majority of the company is happy with it, then why do they have to cater to the minority?

  • plastererJazz on 25/05/2022 - 15:46
    +1

    Ok if the company policy permits and it complies with workspace safety policy.

    Raise an objection through the proper channel to get the dog away from your area if you don't like it.

    The baseline is that whoever brings the animal, clean after it and make sure the workspace is safe and clean.

    You are NOT mean at all, everyone is entitled to like and dislike, you are doing the right thing.

    Caring an animal requires time and energy, I personally don't think it would be productive to have a dog in the office despite how much I love dogs.

    • hasher22 on 25/05/2022 - 19:42
      +2

      Wouldn't be productive but it does raise morale and happiness in the office. I rather look forward to seeing a dog, a cat, a hamster….. than my co-workers lol

  • skillet on 25/05/2022 - 16:21
    +1

    I like dogs, I love animals. So they are big distraction when im working, so I have to say no.

  • Homr on 25/05/2022 - 16:27

    Which breed of dogs do you have in your office? Any Basant hounds or Bernese mountain dog?

    • cookie2 on 26/05/2022 - 04:54

      Are you trying to figure out if OP works with you? :)

      • Homr on 26/05/2022 - 07:28
        +1

        Nah cos i wanna steal one of those

        • cookie2 on 27/05/2022 - 21:21

          Lol. Anyone work with a golden retriever? Or can put up a good deal post on one?

  • this is us on 25/05/2022 - 19:10
    -1

    I will abstain from voting as I have little empathy for anyone who doesn't like dogs, and your 1st and 4th options can go together… :P

    Having said that, I also despise irresponsible dog owners and the annoying dogs that they "create", but that doesn't seem to be an issue at your workplace, where dogs are well behaved.

    If majority is pro having dogs, you should probably find another place to work.

  • Herbse on 25/05/2022 - 19:28
    +6

    This BS is starting to get out of hand

  • jrvb42 on 25/05/2022 - 20:22
    +2

    The company will probably care quickly if they lose valuable employees. Put your notice in….if you're valuable. Encourage others.
    Of course, you could go the WHS route and demand it stop. Your allergies outrank sooks who just want their dog with them.

  • huggzz2u on 25/05/2022 - 21:03
    +1

    I’d love to take my dog to work. I love to find a company that allows it I would beg for a job there to be able to take my dog. But I assumed rules would apply and I did a little googling and there are rules like they stay at you desk and if not they are leashed are 2main rules I saw. So sorry for your allergies but you should explore rules to be implemented and check if you’re allergic to fur or danda. Then maybe move desk to a no shedding dog area. Dogs have to be well mannered like people. So if they are social well behaved dogs then they should be warned and allowed time to adjust their behaviour. Anyway good luck with implementing so rules. I wish I could work there.

  • fairyflossgrapes on 25/05/2022 - 21:22
    +1

    I like dogs but don’t want them at my workplace, particularly if they’re not well-behaved. I’m also allergic to long-haired breeds in particular, and would need to live on antihistamines to be able to work on-site if anyone brought a long-haired breed in.

    On the other hand, my birds are my babies. So, clearly I should subject the whole office to them because I think their shit don’t stink etc. I’m not allergic, so whatever. /s

    Seriously
 I love animals, but c’mon
 peoples’ rights > pets’ rights in the workplace, surely.

  • filmer on 25/05/2022 - 21:30

    Reading this thread there seems to be quite a high rate of people who dislike pets.

    • belongsinforums on 25/05/2022 - 23:26
      +1

      It's like smoke. Keep it in your home and nobody will even know. Do it in the office?

    • duluxe2000 on 26/05/2022 - 00:10
      +7

      People don't dislike pets, they dislike entitled pet owners

    • BartholemewH on 26/05/2022 - 01:47
      +4

      What has liking pets got to do with the operation of an efficient and effective office based workplace? Serious question.

      • filmer on 26/05/2022 - 09:27
        +1

        Well behaved dogs would not affect efficiency or effectiveness in any meaningful manner.

        • DiscountForThee on 27/05/2022 - 10:26
          -1

          What about well not well behaved people? Ones that get distracted and spend a large portion of their day with the dogs (regardless of how well the dogs are behaving)?

    • OzzyOzbourne on 26/05/2022 - 08:57

      Correction…..dislike having other people's pets in the office

  • Bing0 on 25/05/2022 - 23:27
    +5

    Worked with a bloke who got a dog and would bring it in early for a run around and take it home before others got there a few hours later. I barely saw it, and it was apparently a great dog. I also love dogs. Only trouble was this was a busy factory with forklifts and trucks, and the dog had the run of the place. It would shit everywhere and gradually would be taken home later and later so that people who didn't like or trust a large dog running around, could see it. They became concerned and management were notified. They did nothing due to reasons and for as long as I was there, I was waiting every day to enter a sad workplace who'd just witnessed a dog getting killed.

    So OP, it's a ridiculous situation, and an indictment on society as a whole that people can now basically act as infantile children forever and nobody questions how selfish they are being. Unless the dog owner was the boss, then you're screwed.

    • filmer on 27/05/2022 - 11:08

      Are you comparing an office space with a warehouse with machinery, forklifts and trucks?

  • BartholemewH on 26/05/2022 - 01:44
    +1

    I love my kids more than anything in the world, ergo I should bring them in to work for full days, especially for tax planning sessions and board meetings. I would encourage all colleagues to do the same, and if any don't agree, they are child haters pure and simple.

    • cookie2 on 26/05/2022 - 05:00

      Well if the child sits there, relatively low maintenance and quiet, I know many workplaces let certain people bring kids into the office on occasion (where necessary). I wouldn't care either if they were a quiet as a dog "should" be, if in the office.

  • lunartemis on 26/05/2022 - 06:39

    "Release the hounds…."

  • Htu08 on 26/05/2022 - 07:03
    +1

    I feel mean for hating something that brings people joy, but this is my job that I enjoy and need

  • IM-Cheap on 26/05/2022 - 08:28

    I love dogs and its a mood booster when someone brings one to the office, maybe 2-3 times a year and only when they are taking pet to vet or something after work. I don't think there's an official policy just convenience to the employee and recognizing long commutes suck and people need flexibility - the dogs aren't allowed to wander freely though, they have to be leashed and stay at their humans desk and owner has to clean all messes made.

    I think having dogs in the office is nice ocassionally with limitations to minimize impact to other employees but not ok everyday. You should at minimim push for dogs to be supervised by owner at all times + leashed which is very reasonable and should deter people just bringing a dog just because they feel like it.

  • CheeryCheapskate on 26/05/2022 - 08:35
    +1

    I like dogs but it's a no for me. Only because not everyone are comfortable to work in that type of environment due to allergies and phobias or just even distractions. The only exception is if they restrict them in specific areas such as a room/play pen rather than let loose to run around free.

  • Supercool on 26/05/2022 - 08:54
    +3

    Just go in with a letter from your GP and pursue the OHS pathway. Request to WFH until suitable arrangements are made.

  • Nost-dc on 26/05/2022 - 08:54
    +1

    Not gonna read 3 pages of replies to see if this has been covered. I worked at a tech company that allowed dogs in the office, but they were limited to one area (we called it the garage) and limited in numbers (3 per day). you had to book a dog in to one of the dog spots (these were just set up as meeting rooms) and somebody needed to be watching after the dog at all times.

    Id recommend you encourage your workplace to put together a more scalable solution that limits the number of dogs and confines them to an area.

    You could say limiting the dog number is for the gogs own safety
    confining them is also about safety and respect of others like yourself, or those that have allergies, or those with certain religious beliefs who the company may be discriminating against by having dogs all over the place (the D word gets peoples attention quick smart)

  • shaybisc on 26/05/2022 - 09:40
    +1

    Can't they take their teddy bear to work instead?

  • OzzyOzbourne on 26/05/2022 - 11:44
    +2

    Are any other animals allowed or just dogs?

  • jzx100 on 26/05/2022 - 13:08

    90% of my work colleges are absolute dogs…..so a real animal would be very welcomed by me :)

    • CRS34 on 26/05/2022 - 19:17

      the more the merrier

  • Shwayne on 26/05/2022 - 13:43

    I think that if owners bring their dogs in the dogs need to be attended to at all times, there shouldn't be a time where the owner deliberately forces you to engage with the dog.

    The dogs should not be "hoovering scraps up in the kitchen" as I'm sure that's in violation of various health codes (or maybe OHS) and that should probably be looked into.

    The dogs should not be interfering with your work or your ability to take a break, and as such you need to be given the appropriate control over your proximity to these dogs.

    I wouldn't expect the workplace to do away with dogs however, this is ultimately going to be up to the building owner, if they allow dogs there's no reason the workplace wouldn't also allow dogs, until at least it became unmanageable.

    I loved dogs in my office whilst they were allowed (we moved buildings, new building didn't allow them), but I was never forced to engage with a dog, and I rarely saw one in a lunch room. I think there needs to be a tighter regulation on how "free" the dogs should be in the office.

    There's the other way of thinking about it too, you can't just bring your kids to work every day and let them roam around the office annoying people, that'd be generally frowned upon, so dogs are kind of a weird exception, mostly because the majority of people don't mind.

  • w37hsyea on 26/05/2022 - 15:54

    Get immunotherapy for your allergy. It's a permanent solution that you can use as a nasal spray or tablet over a few years until the allergy symptoms are stopped.

  • CRS34 on 26/05/2022 - 19:16

    its all fun and games until you step on the dog poo in the office

  • fairyflossgrapes on 26/05/2022 - 19:17
    -1

    When the dog/cat/bird/bunny/whatever makes enough money to justify its place in the workplace (and enough to trump human rights); knock yourself out.

    Until it’s earning its keep
 nope.

  • TEER3X on 26/05/2022 - 19:49
    +2

    I am very allergic to them

    this among other reasons is why they should not be allowed. if you don't have time for dogs, then don't get any. a workplace is not suitable for anyone to bring their pets, obviously guide dogs are the exception.

    I have two dogs of my own, but am always respectful of other people. Some people don't like dogs, some are allergic. keep your dog on a leash in public, don't bring them to work or the shops, simple.

    • zephyrfox on 27/05/2022 - 08:49
      -1

      It's still a free country and not socialist Russia (Labour just got back in so give it a bit of time). Start a company and you can make the rules. Sounds like pets have been a thing at this place. The employees don't decide how the company is run. They also have the freedom to leave and go to a competitor. Pets in the office won't work for some people, those people wont join the company. Company misses out on potential talent. Some people will love this and join the company over a competitor because of this culture. Free market. Stop trying to enforce your preferences on everyone else.

      • TEER3X on 27/05/2022 - 21:11
        +1

        Well the company is very different now to when it first started

        The employees don't decide how the company is run

        How do you know? At a good company, employees are valued and have a voice. If most of them are unhappy, things change.

        Stop trying to enforce your preferences on everyone else.

        It's not just my preference, take a look at the poll, it's the consensus.

        Company misses out on potential talent

        This is just speculation, you could easily argue the opposite saying the company misses out on potential talent because there are more people out there who don't want to work with dogs in the office. You are left with a smaller talent pool and could even be left with the shit kickers who couldn't get a job elsewhere and will put up with dogs in the workplace. Madness.

  • HanaLF on 26/05/2022 - 23:12

    This is not fair to you and those who don't like dog.

    But I'm wondering how do they train their dogs to be well behaved….if i bring my dog to the office she would be extremely excited, lunged at people and bark sometimes

    • jaimex2 on 27/05/2022 - 00:23

      Generally these dogs are indoor pets that don't get ignored all day.

      Turns out they arent over excited if they get excercise and its normal to see people all the time.

  • jaimex2 on 27/05/2022 - 00:21
    +1

    I've worked at a few startups, most allowed dogs and its awesome.

    It's a shame that as startups grow you inevitably get people that whine and try and formalise things till its a stale dry enviroment like every other dreary office.

    Its the nature of the beast. You kind of know the good times are over and its time to cash out when that begins.

  • Chewiebacca on 27/05/2022 - 03:08

    Sounds like your workplace needs to open discussions on this and draw up an official policy. Everybody deserves a space to work from that they are comfortable, safe and efficient in, whether that's at home or the office.

    Personally, I love dogs, but would get exhausted and annoyed if I had to work around pets everyday I went into the office. There are also many other factors to consider, such as allergies, people's focus, OH&S, etc.

    I can also understand that there are others that are happier working around their pets, so finding a middle ground that best accommodates everybody's interests is key. Could be things such as allocating a day/days that pets can be brought into the office, ensuring flexibility exists for others to be able to work remotely, creating areas where pets are permitted, as well as private focus/'no pet' zones etc.

  • zephyrfox on 27/05/2022 - 08:36

    Love it, very 2022. Joins company where people bring dogs to work. Acknowledges this brings most employees happiness and likely they own job satisfaction. Proceeds to demand the work place change because they don't like it.

    That point aside. 100 employees is too big to make pets at work a thing, it might have been the reason some people joined the company though. Maybe a bring your dog to work day in a week would be ok providing it was limited numbers.

  • Vote for Pedro on 27/05/2022 - 08:43

    I agree with you but on the other hand, if you’re one of a few that doesn’t like it, gonna be hard to change.

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