Pets at work may help atmosphere — but do bring their own risks
NEW YORK >> When a conference call turns tedious, Brent Robertson can still count on getting a smile from watching Gus rolling around on the floor.
The golden retriever is a regular visitor to Fathom, Robertson’s management consulting business in West Hartford, Connecticut. So are Pookie and Ari, dogs owned by two of Robertson’s co-workers.
Beyond the old tradition of a used bookstore or antique shop having a resident cat, some urban delicatessens and bodegas have cats to mitigate any rodent problems. And at some smaller professional businesses with a relaxed culture, it’s becoming more acceptable for employees bring in their pets. Robertson is among business owners who think having animals around boosts morale, improves the work atmosphere and raises productivity.
“Everyone seems to smile and immediately become a little bit happier,” says Barbara Goldberg, CEO of O’Connell & Goldberg, a public relations company based in Hollywood, Florida. Her bulldog, Rosie, is a frequent visitor.
A survey by the Society for Human Resources Management found that 7 percent of organizations allow pets in the workplace, though that may not reflect the practices of very small businesses that don’t have HR officers.
At Badger Maps, owner Steve Benson’s Pomeranian mix, Foxy, seems to know when employees of the San Francisco app developer need some comfort.
“They’re very intuitive,” Benson says of dogs. “They have the ability to recognize when someone’s stressed out.”
But not everyone, including employees, customers and visitors, thinks animals belong in an office or a store. For as many customers that may be charmed, some people are allergic or afraid — and might take their business elsewhere. So besides paying attention to permission from landlords and laws about having animals where food is being prepared, people need to consider how to accommodate uncomfortable staffers or clients.
Rodney Alvarez, a human resources executive at Celtra, a video advertising company, says legal issues to consider include making sure the company’s insurance covers any incidents like biting, and keeping animals well-behaved so they won’t frighten visitors. Some owners say when they interview job candidates, they let them know there are pets around.
Staffers at Celtra’s San Francisco office asked to bring in their pooches. Managers decided that was OK at its four offices, but only if every staffer agreed, Alvarez says. One Boston employee said no, and so there are no dogs in that office.
One regular deliveryman to Fathom is petrified of dogs. Since Gus “is a full contact dog,” Robertson says, “we collect the dogs and put them away in a room so (the deliveryman) can do his thing.”