Take Your Dog to Work Day!

By Fiona W. Ong - Shawe & Rosenthal LLP

June 1, 2017

So I just heard about this official event, which has apparently existed since 1999! Granted, until 5 years ago, I didn’t have a dog and, in fact, couldn’t stand them, so this would not have been on my radar screen. Some of you may know from past posts that I now adore my dog. Nonetheless, I’m not sure that I fully agree with the idea of bringing pets into a normally pet-free workplace…

Take Your Dog to Work Day (TYDTWDay) was created by Pet Sitters International (PSI) “to celebrate the great companions dog make and promote their adoptions.” It takes place annually on the Friday after Father’s Day; this year it will be celebrated on June 23. Apparently the first year, nearly 300 companies participated, and PSI states that interest in the event has grown each year, although it doesn’t track which companies participate. A 2016 article from Parade notes that at least three major corporations – Bissell, Purina, and Wellness Natural Pet Food – celebrated TYDTWDay that year.

TYDTWDay was modeled on the popular Take Your Daughter to Work Day (which, in the spirit of anti-discrimination, has now morphed into Take Your Child to Work Day). In an interview in Time Magazine, one of the founders of Take Your Daughter to Work Day, Marie C. Wilson, explained that the genesis of that event came from the idea that “it was important for women’s voices to support girls in keeping their sense of self in adolescence. So we thought, How could they do this at work? What if we got people, on one day, to pay attention to girls in this way? As future employees, not for their bodies?”

With regard to TYDTWDay, PSI President Patti Moran explained, “We thought a similar day was a great idea because we knew so many pet owners see their dogs as surrogate children.” Um, yes. I would be one of those pet owners. But I don’t think my dog’s sense of self will benefit from coming to work with me to see what I do…

Now I recognize that there have been studies that demonstrate that having pets in the workplace can reduce stress and improve overall productivity and morale. And it seems that there is a gradual increase in the number of employers who are willing to allow pets in the workplace. A 2016 employee benefits research report released by the Society for Human Resource Management found that 7% of employers permit pets in the workplace, up from 4% in 2014 but down from 8% in 2015.

Allowing pets in the workplace has its complications, of course. Some work environments, like production floors, may not be safe or appropriate for pets. Some work cultures are not welcoming to pets. Some landlords do not allow animals on the premises. Some employees may have allergies, aversions or fears of animals. These complications may be exacerbated when an employer is contemplating doing this on an occasional basis, since it is not part of the company’s normal operating procedures and expectations, and frankly may be a distraction – for the pet owners who must pay attention to their pets that day,  for the co-workers who are not used to having pets around, and for the pets who are not used to the environment.

PSI offers a toolkit to help employers who are thinking about participating in TYDTWDay, as well as 7 Tips for dog owners wishing to bring their dogs to work. But whether celebrating TYDTWDay makes sense for a particular employer depends on many factors, including the complications I mention above. After all, many employees may work like dogs – but it doesn’t mean they want them at work.