Dogs in offices

[ApplePenPineapplePen]

RANT: I do not understand how or why it became acceptable for people in office jobs to take dogs to work. A workplace is no place for pets. Get a dogsitter or don't have a pet or change job. I don't want their hounds near me i don't want their hairs on my office chair. Am I being unreasonable to think the starting position should be no animals in offices? Rant over.

More calmly, I have 2 reasons that I want to avoid dogs - a severe allergy plus a previous dog attack leaving me generally nervous and stressed around dogs. Work is aware of my allergy and now office returns are being discussed, some measures are in place to minimise my exposure.

But what if that weren't the case though and I just didn't like them? Is it for the individual to check if there are animals in the office before they accept the job? Or should employers disclose in job ads?

Of course I exclude guide dogs/hearing dogs or similar.

AIBU to think the default position should be no dogs in offices?

@Lockheart

Ok, so if I have a dog allergy, I cannot choose to work in your dog friendly office. It might be dog friendly, but its not allergic person friendly. I am barred from working in that office, and any other with a dog.

All offices are (guide) dog friendly by law . You'd be just as allergic to a guide dog as you would be to almost any other dog.

Allergies are not a protected characteristic as far as I am aware. Being disabled through blindness or deafness is.

I'm fairly sure this whole thread is a mountain out of a molehill however, given how few offices actually allow dogs. In all my career, I've worked in one. And that wasn't really an office but an old Victorian fort with only three members of staff.

Having a guide dog is not only a necessity, it's a rarity. On the odd occasion where person with a dog allergy vs guide dog and their owner, it will be extremely easy to manage the situation. Also guide dogs are incredibly well trained.

Do I REALLY have to point out how that's different to numerous people bringing in dogs that don't have a need to be there, whenever they fancy, with no guarantee that the dog is trained and friendly?

@Blossomtoes

Dogs have no place is the workplace

Clearly they do or they wouldn’t be in any workplace. There are workplaces where their presence is traditional.

And there's workplaces where sexual harrasment is traditional - but it doesn't mean it belongs there.

@PaperbackRider

Places where dogs might go into ‘the office’ include; Restaurants Cafes Pubs

You think people can or should have dogs when they are at work in restaurants, cafes and pubs? So your waiter has a poodle trotting along side while bringing your food, and the chef has a great dane on the countertop?

If you want the precise law on it, then dogs cannot be in food preparation areas, but they can be in food serving laws.

So the chef can't have a dog of any description in the kitchen, but the waiter could have a dog so long as it was reliably kept out of the kitchen by means of a baby gate or similar.

The practicalities would be tricky, but that's the law, and I do know a cafe that has a resident dog.

Some people getting themselves all het up

i love dogs , so this wouldnt be an issue for me

[quote warmup]**@FrangipaniDeLaSqueegeeMop* makes me feel ill when dogs watch people eat. Why do owners allow this?! It's not cute, it's gross.*

that's the most ridiculous thing I have every heard! Get a grip [/quote]
Why? Everyone has their little things that put them off food - I don't think it's hard to imagine why a slobbering panting silently begging dog with its tongue hanging out and it's penis possibly poking out too would be off putting

@PaperbackRider

Places where dogs might go into ‘the office’ include; Restaurants Cafes Pubs

You think people can or should have dogs when they are at work in restaurants, cafes and pubs? So your waiter has a poodle trotting along side while bringing your food, and the chef has a great dane on the countertop?

I'm lolling at these images

I always give dog friendly pubs a wide berth. I once met a boyfriend's parents in one (their choice of pub and our first meeting so I couldn't exactly say I wanted to leave) and there was a golden retriever hair in my Cajun chicken

@Wearywithteens

“Honestly the "get over your allergy" "that workplace isn't for you" crowd, who are suspicious of people who don't adore their dog, are the biggest cunts going.”

Yep 100%. This whole thread reeks of the entitlement and hypocrisy of dog owners who only see it one way. In fact - what it makes me think is if they end up ruling the world with their scarily sociopathic my-dog-is-worth-more-than-you attitude I’d actually accept the dogs any day of the week over the actual selfish human twats attached to them.

Completely agree.

It's laughable that these people think they're the nice ones because they enslave own a pet

It's laughable that these people think they're the nice ones because they enslave own a pet

I try setting the dog free from his slavery every day at the park. Trouble is, he keeps following me home.

Perhaps the dog has Stockholm Syndrome?

The Business Centre I'm in permits dogs provided they are kept on leads in all the common areas.

If anyone has allergies then dogs wouldn't be permitted in our offices.

We have two staff scared of dogs who work in the same building but different offices, so we let them know when the dogs are in. If we need to see them / vice versa, we'll go to their office.

I'm allergic and I wouldn't be happy with this, no.

I always give dog friendly pubs a wide berth.

Yes, I learned the hard way there too!!!

Gosh I like to have a break from my dog!

@Wearywithteens

“Honestly the "get over your allergy" "that workplace isn't for you" crowd, who are suspicious of people who don't adore their dog, are the biggest cunts going.”

Yep 100%. This whole thread reeks of the entitlement and hypocrisy of dog owners who only see it one way. In fact - what it makes me think is if they end up ruling the world with their scarily sociopathic my-dog-is-worth-more-than-you attitude I’d actually accept the dogs any day of the week over the actual selfish human twats attached to them.

Yep.

Not the world though, its a very British attitude.

What a bunch of miseries. I run my own business and my 2 spaniels come to work with me every day. They love greeting customers (you can tell within 3 seconds if people like dogs or not), and we've had so many positive comments. They love being made a fuss of but are equally happy sat in their beds under my desk.

We make it very clear however at interview that the dogs are part of the business and if anyone has an issue, that's on them.

@PaperbackRider

Allowing dogs is the office is simply part of the benefits package for companies that are competing to recruit young people, often with degrees in software engineering or similar

It's a pretty stupid one, as they are actively discouraging a lot of people from applying. And possibly discriminating against some of them as well.

They’re actively discouraging the kind of people they don’t want. Seems fair to me. I wouldn’t want to work in a presenteeist, long hours culture so those industries are discouraging me.

@Suzi888

Where is this happening?!

I think if this was disclosed when you applied for the job you should have looked for work elsewhere.

However if you didn't know they have bring you dog to work days, many employers do, maybe you can raise a complaint or ask to where somewhere with less exposure.

Other than that, if it has always been allowed at that employer it may be time to look for another job, rather than expect everyone to adapt to you.

Dogs will be able to tell you fear them. I guarantee they would not be in the office if their temperament was in any way an issue.

We weren't officially allowed to have dogs in the office but one of my colleagues brought their dog in on the boss's day off every week. Every lunch time you could guarantee the dog would be begging whilst you ate your lunch. It was incredibly irritating.
I like dogs but not in the workplace.

@randomkey123
You do realize that any one of those job applicants could bring a discrimination claim against you and you would very likely lose.

again. I like dogs.

I can just can't spend more than a couple of minutes in an enclosed space with one without getting seriously ill or having to take medicines with unpleasant side effects.
I also would never 'fuss' (hate that word) over one for the same reason.

@LadyWhistledownsQuill

It's laughable that these people think they're the nice ones because they enslave own a pet

I try setting the dog free from his slavery every day at the park. Trouble is, he keeps following me home.

Perhaps the dog has Stockholm Syndrome?

Maybe he does. Because how else would he get fed?

@randomkey123

What a bunch of miseries. I run my own business and my 2 spaniels come to work with me every day. They love greeting customers (you can tell within 3 seconds if people like dogs or not), and we've had so many positive comments. They love being made a fuss of but are equally happy sat in their beds under my desk.

We make it very clear however at interview that the dogs are part of the business and if anyone has an issue, that's on them.

How nice you think so little of humans.

Someone made a good poking earlier that it seems to be bosses who have Theo's attitude

One person has said they would sack someone who wasn't happy.

One had someone start who had not been told and left after a week because of it. Very possibly having given up another perfectly good job for it.

And the ones who are ??!! about having dogs there are the nasty ones?

The point about high rise buildings hasn't really been addressed- surely it would be a health and safety issue in the event of evacuation?

Also what about public transport, it's just enough as it is without loads of people taking their dogs in rush hour!

I get it for small local type stuff.

But as a general standard thing in offices- it's really not a good idea for loads of reasons.

I have never ever worked in a place where there were dogs. It's really not standard or usual across the board.

I’m incredibly allergic to cats - eyes swelling closed, asthma attack type allergic. I can’t for the life of me understand why people would actively pursue a job where there were dogs in the office.I wouldn’t pursue a job if I found out there was an office cat!

At my last job when you’d turn up for interview there would be a minimum of 7 dogs in the office at any one time. More if the gamekeepers, farm workers, gardeners, house/security staff came into the office. If the estate owners were away their dogs would be in the office in the day too, we all took turns looking after them at night.

People would seriously demand dogs be removed from the office in situations like this rather than accept it wasn’t the environment for them?