Has your organization gone to the dogs?

Sorry to be bringing you this news so late, but we’ve just learned that today is the official Take Your Dog to Work Day. This annual event is sponsored by Pet Sitters International and scheduled for the first Friday after Father’s Day. The underlying purpose is to extol the benefits of bringing people and pets together and to remind people that dogs make great companions—so great that maybe all you non-owners might be moved to adopt one.
According to a 2006 survey by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, nearly one in five companies already allow pets in the workplace. Pets-at-work proponents cite an increase in employee morale and a decrease in stress.
Mercedes Medical, a medical supply distributor in Sarasota, Fla., thinks that allowing pets at work increases loyalty and may even bolster employee retention because workers might no be able to bring a pet to work at a new job. The company has 35 employees, and about 6 to 10 visiting canines at any given time.
At Replacements Ltd., a 500-employee china and silverware retailer, it was owner Bob Page’s idea to allow dogs at work, and he thinks it is a perk that pays off in productivity and enhanced employee satisfaction. According to the previously cited survey, 46 million Americans said they would work longer hours if they were allowed to bring their pets to work.
The types of establishments that allow pets can run the gamut from colleges and IT shops to tire shops and design/build firms.
If you are wondering whether a pets-at-work policy might be beneficial to your workplace, Partnership for Animal Welfare (PAW) offers some guidelines for taking pets to work, which includes some sample policies. The San Francisco SPCA offers additional pets-at-work benefits, guidelines and policies. Since dogs at work are part of the Web behemoth’s work-life program, you can also read Google’s Dog Policy. But not everyone thinks that the idea is problem-free. Naysayer Ethan Winning lays out some of the HR issues that should be considered.
If you plan to bring your pets to work today, be sure to have them read these 5 rules for doggy etiquette at work. First and foremost, don’t bite the boss—a good rule for pets and humans alike.
The cuteness factor: Pictures of working pets
What pet story would be complete without some winsome pet pics? We don’t want to disappoint so we’ve found some photos of working pets to share.
Animal Hubub has some sweet pics of pets at work. But they don’t show you the potential downside.
Shop Cat profiles cats that work in stores, libraries, hotels and many more places – you can even search by state to find working cats near you.
Dogs at work are often more than just pets. There’s a long tradition of working dogs and some of these hard-working creatures perform a wide range of very important services.
And OK, because it’s Friday we hope you will forgive us for including a link to our favorite animal site, even though most of the animals depicted have nothing to do with work. Cute Overload delivers what are arguably the most adorable pictures of puppies, kitties, bunnies and assorted animals on the Web. If you can’t have pets at work, a daily visit to this site can be a real stress reducer. But be warned—it’s addictive!