Comments on: Should Employers Allow Pets at Work? https://www.evilhrlady.org/2015/02/should-employers-allow-pets-at-work.html Everything to make HR better Fri, 27 Mar 2015 19:15:32 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.1 By: CndGrl https://www.evilhrlady.org/2015/02/should-employers-allow-pets-at-work.html#comment-205337 Fri, 27 Mar 2015 19:15:32 +0000 https://www.evilhrlady.org/?p=3481#comment-205337 A previous employer didn’t have any policies on pets at work (and honestly have never even seen pets at work before) but last summer we got a kitten from a litter that had been abandoned. She was 2.5 weeks old. I had to bottle feed her every 3-4hrs for a few weeks before she could be left alone for a full day. I asked my boss and she was more than happy to let me bring my kitten to work. She became the office mascot – everyone wanted to come see and play with her.
As cute and great as it was to have her there, commuting with her was such a pain and the distraction during the day (as she was very curious and playful when awake, and TINY – dangers of being stepped on or falling off a desk, or wandering away. Not to mention others coming around all the time – usually when I just got her to sleep.) meant I felt I didn’t get as much done as I usually did (boss didn’t have any issues with my performance during this time – was a slow period thankfully).
So although I love animals, and have a few pets myself, I don’t think they have a place at work. And this is even without addressing allergies and others not wanting to be forced to be around animals if their preference is not. If we have to stop wearing perfume and scents due to people’s health and other issues, how is an animal any different?

]]> By: hayling https://www.evilhrlady.org/2015/02/should-employers-allow-pets-at-work.html#comment-204822 Sat, 14 Feb 2015 06:35:21 +0000 https://www.evilhrlady.org/?p=3481#comment-204822 In reply to Boboccio.

Actually allergies can develop in adulthood. I started getting seasonal allergies in my late 20’s. I know a vet who became allergic to dogs and cats at age 30!

]]> By: LTMG https://www.evilhrlady.org/2015/02/should-employers-allow-pets-at-work.html#comment-204668 Fri, 06 Feb 2015 19:50:20 +0000 https://www.evilhrlady.org/?p=3481#comment-204668 What often causes unnecessary headaches in the workplace and are pretty easy to prevent? Spouses, relatives, pets, weapons, strong and/or offensive odors, those who lie on their resumes, alcohol, illegal drugs.

Harder to prevent are complainers, those who feel entitled, those who demand exceptions to policies or laws, those with confrontational personalities, those who take many days off, those who do not work hard, and others.

]]> By: Evil HR Lady https://www.evilhrlady.org/2015/02/should-employers-allow-pets-at-work.html#comment-204656 Thu, 05 Feb 2015 07:07:28 +0000 https://www.evilhrlady.org/?p=3481#comment-204656 In reply to fposte.

The original email was signed by, Jane Doe, PHR, Human Resources Manager. Any company that has a dedicated HR person is likely to have more than 15 employees, but I absolutely should have mentioned that threshold.

]]> By: Boboccio https://www.evilhrlady.org/2015/02/should-employers-allow-pets-at-work.html#comment-204655 Thu, 05 Feb 2015 02:04:55 +0000 https://www.evilhrlady.org/?p=3481#comment-204655 In reply to fposte.

Clever, I hadn’t thought of that. How does that work? No accommodations are necessary for business in the US with less than 15 employees?

If that’s the case, then it really is up the owner, and that makes a lot of sense to me.

]]> By: Jeanne https://www.evilhrlady.org/2015/02/should-employers-allow-pets-at-work.html#comment-204654 Thu, 05 Feb 2015 00:20:27 +0000 https://www.evilhrlady.org/?p=3481#comment-204654 In reply to Bluey.

You are right. He could lose a very good candidate. If the dog is a priority, maybe it should be in the ad. But he’s allowed to say a dog is more important than good employees. His business.

]]> By: Bluey https://www.evilhrlady.org/2015/02/should-employers-allow-pets-at-work.html#comment-204652 Wed, 04 Feb 2015 20:22:11 +0000 https://www.evilhrlady.org/?p=3481#comment-204652 I guess in some ways this all is an argument NOT to have pets at work.

Aside from the owner just wanting Fido there because he wants to, I see more disadvantages than not.

The ” calming effect ” for employees I undertand can be true, but if a great candidate comes along and you want to hire him/her and they are allergic to dogs or are afraid, I would seriously question the bosses logic if they forego on the candidate. Great employee or my dog ?

OK ok… yes there are lots of good candidates out there but I would hate my potential job to be dependant on a dog.

” Hey Matilda did you get that job?”.
” Yes Alfred I did. Great salary offer but they have a dog and I am allergic so I had to say no”.

So Fido’s boss has to go searching again? Or does he eliminate candidates from the beginning and disclose OFFICE HAS A DOG in the advertisment.

I am just throwing this out there…I am not trying to be difficult here.

]]> By: fposte https://www.evilhrlady.org/2015/02/should-employers-allow-pets-at-work.html#comment-204651 Wed, 04 Feb 2015 18:32:08 +0000 https://www.evilhrlady.org/?p=3481#comment-204651 In reply to Boboccio.

The workplace may not even be subject to the ADA–it sounds like it’s a small workplace, and there has to be at least 15 employees.

]]> By: Boboccio https://www.evilhrlady.org/2015/02/should-employers-allow-pets-at-work.html#comment-204650 Wed, 04 Feb 2015 18:11:08 +0000 https://www.evilhrlady.org/?p=3481#comment-204650 In reply to Evil HR Lady.

Sure, nice people do that. But this boss won’t have much of a choice in the matter, and generally I don’t feel that the government should be mandating “niceness”. Hopefully separating the dog and employee is sufficient, and that banning the dog from the office will not be required.

]]> By: Evil HR Lady https://www.evilhrlady.org/2015/02/should-employers-allow-pets-at-work.html#comment-204649 Wed, 04 Feb 2015 17:17:42 +0000 https://www.evilhrlady.org/?p=3481#comment-204649 In reply to Boboccio.

It’s totally true that ADA lowered employment for people with disabilities.

That said, assuming the employee didn’t know about the allergy before (and allergies can develop later in life) even without ADA, it’s totally reasonable to keep the dog away from one employee. Nice people do that.

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