Sixty-eight percent of households in the United States have at least one pet. This makes working outside the home difficult (and expensive). Thankfully, some companies have realized the benefits of pet-friendly employment.
Forty-one percent of pet parents (especially millennials) stated in a recent survey that a pet-friendly workplace is important. However, only 8% of employers offer this benefit. Allowing pets in the workplace can increase productivity, reduce stress and lead to a happier people. Listed below are 30 corporations that encourage dogs in the workplace.
AMAZON: At Amazon's Seattle Headquarters, there're up to 6,000 dogs a day present. This tradition stated in the early days of Amazon.com when a husband-and-wife team would bring their Welsh Corgi (Rufus) to work. Rufus became so popular that he now has a building named in his honor on the Amazon Seattle Campus.
ANCHORFREE: AnchorFree (creates software for secure web browsing) allows pets in their corporate office and covers pet insurance for employees (up to $50 per month).
ATLANTIC HEALTH SYSTEM: Based in Morristown, New Jersey; Atlantic Health System is a nonprofit health care company. The company understands that bringing your pet to work is about more than just having fun. Atlantic Health's pet therapy program Soothing Paws helps patients and employees at the hospital.
BEN & JERRY'S: Ben & Jerry's has a regular crew of K9-5ers that join their human workforce. The members of the K9 crew are welcomed with a pet-friendly treat at the receptions desk before enjoying regular pets, cuddles and walks throughout the day.
BISSELL: Bissell has a line of pet products and supports rescue groups; so it makes since that their office is pet-friendly. Dogs are allowed at their headquarters in Grand Rapids, Michigan; which has a pet lounge with kennels, treats, bathing stations and a play area.
BITLY: Bitly is a link management platform. At Bitly, every day is Take Your Dog to Work Day at all three of their office locations in Denver, New York and San Francisco.
BUILD-A-BEAR: When there’s a staff birthday at the Build-A-Bear World Headquarters; pets are invited too (they even get their own dog-friendly desserts). Pets are welcome at the Build-A-Bear Bearquarters every day and at the Bearhouse distribution center several days a year.
CLIFBAR: Clif Bar has allowed pets in the office suites since the beginning. Currently, there's roughly a dozen dogs at work daily.
ETSY: Etsy has welcomed dogs since they started in 2005. "It’s one of the ways we strive to maintain a casual, creative and inspiring work environment,” said the e-commerce company on its website.
FABFITFUN: Working at the subscription box company FabFitFun comes with perks geared towards worker satisfaction; including catered lunch twice a week and a kitchen stocked with snacks and drinks — plus dog-friendly offices.
G5: G5 is a digital marketing provider in the real estate industry. G5 allows dogs in their offices in Bend Oregon, and has seen a few cats too. "We offer very affordable pet insurance with great coverage. Annually we do a health-and-wellness day for dogs," says Keeli Hyde, vice president of human resources for G5. "We work near many parks and trails, so dogs (and their humans) have a lot of opportunity to get outside for breaks and walks."
GLASSDOOR: Glass door is a pet-friendly corporation with offices that include views of the San Francisco Bay. Glassdoor was named the best place to work by North Bay Business Journal in 2015.
GOOGLE: Google's offices are dog-friendly; but they are NOT cat-friendly. “Google’s affection for our canine friends is an integral facet of our corporate culture,” states the company’s code of conduct.
HUBSPOT: HubSpot develops software products for inbound marketing and sales. Not only does HubSpot's Cambridge headquarters let you bring your dog to work, but the company also created a PupSpot calendar featuring dogs from the office, with a portion of the proceeds donated to local animal shelters.
KABBAGE: Kabbage (a company that provides loans to small businesses) prides itself on its company culture, which includes dog-friendly offices. You might even see a pooch in the conference room during a team meeting.
KIMPTON HOTELS: Kimpton Hotels are pet-friendly for guests, and the policy extends to their employees. “We’ve been pet-friendly since our founding in 1981 — even our founder, Bill Kimpton, would bring his dog, Chianti, to work knowing that dogs have the innate ability to lift spirits,” quoted on the companies website. “Today, some of Kimpton’s most popular employees have a tendency to drool and lie down on the job.” Many Kimpton Hotels even have their own Director of Pet Relations. For example, Boston’s Kimpton Onyx Hotel has Rocco, an Australian Labradoodle.
MARS INC: Mars operates six business segments, including pet care, chocolate, candy, and food. Though the Mars Inc. guidelines are applied on a local basis, "in recent years, we have put great focus on making our offices, wherever possible, a pet-friendly place to work," says a Mars Inc. representative. "Our associates enjoy having pets around--they let us relax, make us feel happier and help us connect with each other. Of course, we have petiquette guidelines for pet behavior to make sure that the environment works for all."
THE NERDERY: The Nerdery creates mobile and web applications, websites, systems integrations, and provides digital project consulting. Not only does The Nerdery allow dogs in the office, the software company also strives to rescue pets. The Nerdery Foundation has created pro-bono websites for 10 pet-focused non-profits businesses.
PETSMART: Employees at PetSmart’s Phoenix home office can bring their dogs to work. The campus even has an on-site dog park, along with Top Dog fitness center, and Sit & Stay café.
PROCTOR & GAMBLE: The company’s IAMS and Eukanuba pet-food divisions are dog-friendly, and provide free pet food to employees with annual allowances of up to 400 lbs. There are even animals with management positions, specifically a vice president of canine communications - Griffin, a Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen, currently holds the job after a nine-year stint from a Labrador named Euka.
PURINA: Purina has allowed its employees to bring their dogs to work for over 20 years, as the company believes this policy is beneficial to both the pets and their parents. “Eighty-five percent of employees of companies with pets in the office say that pets-at-work policies are beneficial, according to a survey conducted in 2015 by Purina in conjunction with Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine,” said the company on its website. “Some of these benefits include reduced blood pressure, a decrease in loneliness, lower cholesterol levels, higher employee morale, increased productivity and a boost in physical activity.”
SALESFORCE: Salesforce’s San Francisco headquarters has a Puppyforce room where employees can reserve a desk for themselves and their dogs. The dog-friendly company also hosts pet adoption events with local shelters.
SUGARFINA: Sugarfina’s corporate office in El Segundo California is dog-friendly. In addition, new puppy parents get two days off for pawternity leave and employees can sign up for pet insurance via their company benefits.
TICKETMASTER: Among Ticketmaster’s many employee incentives are its dog-friendly offices and pet insurance benefits.
TITO'S VODKA: Tito’s Handmade Vodka emphasizes the phrase Take Your Dog to Work Every Day, which started with its founder. “When Tito Beveridge, founder of Tito’s Handmade Vodka, started making our vodka in the Mockingbird Distillery, he didn’t go a day without his best friend DogJo by his side,” said the company on its website. “The idea of having your trusty companion with you every step of the way started with Tito and has continued with each member of Team Tito’s.”
TRADESY: Tradesy (a marketplace for pre-owned luxury apparel) allows dogs at its Santa Monica headquarters. Other employee perks include catered lunches and company happy hours.
WEWORK: WeWork’s communal workspaces are dog-friendly, and so is its company’s headquarters in New York. WeWork encourages its clients to share pictures of their dogs at work around the world using the hashtag #dogsofwework — which has over 7,000 adorable posts.
WORKDAY: The enterprise resource planning platform Workday allows employees to bring their dogs to its offices in Pleasanton California; Salt Lake City; and Victoria British Columbia. There’s even an annual Bring Your Dog to Workday party in the Pleasanton office.
ZYNGA: You’re unlikely to find many companies more dog-friendly than Zynga. (After all, the company is named after former CEO Mark Pincus’s dog.) Employees can take their canines for walks on the wooftop dog park or take them to lunch outside the cafeteria’s dog-friendly barking lot. The company even provides health insurance for employees’ pets.
Are you looking for a dog-friendly employer? DogFriendly keeps an updated list of corporations that allow their employees to bring their dogs to work; and offer additional benefits such as pet insurance, doggy daycare and time off for new pet adoptions.
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