Dogs at the office becoming more common
Once unthinkable, bringing pets to work is becoming more common these days
Oliver meets me at the door, tail wagging with a little sniff and his head proffered for a pat. “He’s a social guy and a nice doorman,” says Oliver’s owner Liam Caswell with a laugh.
This interaction is at InHouse, the video production agency with offices and studio at 540 Cawston Ave. in downtown Kelowna.
Oliver and Caswell are an example of the growing trend of people bringing their dogs to work.
“It was a huge win when I found out I could bring Oliver to work with me,” says Caswell, one of InHouse’s project managers.
“I’m a single guy, so if he wasn’t here with me at work, he’d be left at home all day by himself.”
When I ask Caswell about the other benefits of bringing his black-and-white Cardigan Welsh corgi to work, fellow project manager Madisen Siddall pipes up: “He makes us happy.”
Siddall lives in an apartment right now and doesn’t have a dog.
But, she’s desperate to move to a house, get a dog and start bringing it to work.
Oliver’s also a networker and icebreaker. “When I come into work in the morning, my co-workers are more exited to see Oliver than me,” says Caswell.
“Oliver’s also expanded his network and the guys from upstairs (at deals app Get in the Loop, which is also dogfriendly) often come in to say hello.”
Oliver also hangs out with Teak, the chocolate Labrador retriever that InHouse sales and operations manager Sally VanPeteghem brings to work with her every day.
Recent studies have shown millennial workers, those aged 20 to 35, are 60 per cent more likely to stay with a company that allows employees to bring their dogs to work. It’s also one heck of a recruiting tool. The study focused on millennials because they dominate the high-tech workforce and are asking for lots of perks, including being able to bring their pooch to work.
High-tech companies lead the way in Kelowna, too.
When I asked Joanna Schlosser, the marketing manager at tech support agency Accelerate Okanagan, about it she rhymed off Biznas, Data Nerds, CoLab, Roketto, Practice Ignition and Strawhouse as all being dog-friendly.
Ironically, the seven-storey Okanagan Centre for Innovation, the office building with a concentration of high-tech and other businesses, doesn’t allow dogs on the premises.
“I couldn’t bring Oliver to my previous job,” says Caswell.
“So now that I’ve gotten used to it, I don’t think I could give it up.”
Oliver’s day at work is made up of snoozing beside Caswell’s desk, riding shotgun when Caswell gets up to grab a glass of water or consult with co-workers and cruising around the office socializing.
“He’s also great for getting me out at lunchtime for a walk and maybe lunch on one of downtown’s dog-friendly restaurant patios,” says Caswell.
Oliver is extremely well behaved and social.
It would obviously present problems if a dog at work wasn’t and clashed with other dogs, workers and clients.
Just as a minority of workplaces have policies allowing dogs in the office, a majority of companies or buildings have policies not allowing canines on the premises.
Food service and health care companies also tend to shy away from allowing dogs for hygiene reasons.