June 22nd is Take Your Pet to Work Day

Take Your Pet to Work Day is June 22nd this year. It is the 20th anniversary of a fun day for employees world-wide that started as a celebration to bring attention to the joy of pets in the home, while encouraging adoption and rescue. Businesses began agreeing to participate in the day not only to promote adoption but also as a perk to employees. They soon learned that it benefitted the company in other ways by promoting job satisfaction and employee happiness. 

Some businesses have even found that the benefits far outweigh any negative affect and have opted to create a dog-friendly atmosphere year-round. These are a few of the well known dog-friendly companies and some of their reasoning behind it: 

1.  Kimpton Hotels. They offer free pet stays for guests and employees are encouraged to bring their dogs to work, year-round in an effort to create a friendly environment for all. It boosts morale for employees, which in turn gives the hotel increased friendliness, and excellent customer service for their guests. 

2.  Tradesy. They encourage the presence of dogs in the workplace year-round. They attend meetings and are otherwise on employees' laps or under their desks. They go all out by providing on-site dog walkers for busier days and center meetings around dog events. 

3.  GumGum. A Santa Monica, CA-based internet tech firm specializing in artificial intelligence. They welcome dogs in the workplace because of the calming effect they have on employees, in what can otherwise be a stressful environment.

4. Life is Good. They say dogs are always welcome in their offices, because dogs are part of what makes life so good. They found that having pets on the premises makes employees more content. 

5.  HubSpot. They have almost everyone at their office bringing their dogs to work year-round, including the CEO. They also sell an annual calendar, featuring photos of employees’ dogs and they donate all sales proceeds to local animal shelters. 

If your company has decided to participate in the 20th anniversary of Take  Your Dog to Work Day on June 22nd, there are a few preparations you will need to make before your dog’s first day at the office. It is important to make sure you are properly prepared, similarly to what a responsible pet owner would do in their residential surroundings, before bringing Fido home. You want to pet-proof your workspace and, as a courtesy, it is a good idea to check with your co-workers regarding any allergies or dog phobias that may lead to an unpleasant day for anyone. Also, your dog should be well-trained and housebroken, as well as socialized to new people and new dogs. And, what seems like a no-brainer is that your dog should also be clean and well-groomed. 

Unless you happen to work for a company that makes an extravagant event out of the day and provides Take Your Dog to Work Day Kits, you should be prepared to provide the necessities for your pet. Bring a water bowl so that fresh water is available throughout your workday. Bring a pet bed or blanket, quiet chew toys, treats, cleanup bags, and, of course, a leash. 

Even today, not all businesses choose to participate in the 20 year old event for various reasons. Whether it be unsuitable to the work they do in their offices or it may even be that the owner of the company dislikes dogs. However, recent studies indicate that more often than not, current employees and job seekers alike, would change or accept jobs where the employer offered a more pet-friendly environment. It looks like more and more employers are taking notice. Perhaps even someday, business owners will realize the benefits of dogs in the workplace and start paying our pups for their role in the success of the business.