Good news for companies: there’s a new employee you can hire that will improve office morale, collaboration, and trust. And they will work for free! Well, for belly rubs. That’s right: The Humane Society of the United States has always encouraged employers to implement programs to allow dogs in the workplace, and a recent study conducted by Central Michigan University confirms their benefits.

When dogs were present in a group, employees were more likely to trust each other and worked more smoothly together. Jennifer Fearing, co-author of Dogs at Work: A Practical Guide to Creating Dog-Friendly Workplaces and California senior state director for The Humane Society of the United States, is not surprised. As she points out, "The more than 50 dogs that 'work' in The HSUS offices every day have been a huge boost that more companies should be enjoying."

In her book, co-authored with Liz Palika, employers will learn step-by-step how to obtain management buy-in, set fair procedures and protocols, and deal with any concerns about dog-friendly policies in the workplace. It also includes advice on how to prepare dogs for the workplace, so that barking in the conference room and poop in the file cabinet doesn’t become a hot topic at the water cooler. Unless you have some really odd (human) co-workers...

Jane Schlech is passionate about animal welfare and vegetarianism/veganism.


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