Dogs in the office

[banjocat]

I've recently started at a new workplace.

Someone in the same office but from another team brings her dog in, and has been doing this since before I started.

It's a very large open plan office, around 30 computers in there, and also members of the public come into the front area (where there is a customer facing desk).

I have mild dog allergies. Not to the extent that it really causes a problem, but if the dog came and sat near me (which he sometimes does) I have to move away from him.

Despite my allergies I do like dogs, but I suppose I'm just surprised that no one mentioned or checked with me that there would be a dog in the office. With such a flow of staff and people through the space, there are bound to be people with allergies or other problems wtih dogs - I'm kind of surprised that this is allowed and just seems to be in place every week.

I don't feel I can say anything without it creating bad feeling as it's an established routine now and lots of colleagues love the dog.

Are dogs in the office becoming the norm now?

AIBU to think it's a bit rude not to check with everyone who is working there?

Depends I suppose. If it’s the dog of an employee then maybe the company will decide to exclude it. But if it’s the company owner’s dog they aren’t going to accommodate an employee at their own expense, they’ll just tell them to bugger off.

Those saying they have no choice to take dogs in. That’s why the rest of us pay dog walkers? And if you can’t afford one why did you get a dog knowing you’d be out of the house for 10 hours a day? Surely assuming you can take your dog into the office for the whole 10-15 years of it’s life is a bit of a gamble?

This thread has made me realise that I should have checked with others before taking my dog into the office. And that I won't take the dog in again. So it's been useful for me, OP. Hope you get the situation sorted out.

A dog who an owner just doesn’t fancy leaving on its own is utterly incomparable
It's comparable in that both can trigger allergies and therefore cause problems to a staff member.

What is not clear is how much of an issue it is. Someone with a severe allergy would be mad not to ask about dogs at interview.

Those who would start to have a sniffy nose if the dog was sat next to them for hours but otherwise ok should just asked that they don't.

Those who can tolerate it but would need to take antihistamine and/or be affected should speak with their manager about arrangements. It doesn't have to be dog Vs no dogs, there are likely a number of options.

Why does everything systematically have to turn into a big drama?

If they were telling someone who physically can’t be around dogs to bugger off they’d be in legal hot water

People wouldn't get a job with us if they didn't like dogs, although we are farm based. We own our businesses and (well behaved) dogs come to work, end of. When I worked in industry (we are semi rural) every other main board director came with at least one gun dog as standard. A well trained Lab or Pointer under a desk though when your office backs onto parkland is a far cry from a yapping badly behaved dog in a city environment, so I think its context really. Absolutely complain if the dog is bothering you, particularly as you have an allergy. All dogs in a working environment, whether working dogs, therapy, assistance or pets, must be under control.

What I meant was someone who just doesn’t wanna pay for doggy daycare is it the same as someone who needs an assistance dog.

If someone has an allergy, even if they didn’t declare it early on, should have reasonable adjustments made. If they have a dog allergy then that means they need to take meaningful steps to ensure the employee is not exposed to dogs in the workplace.

That is a reasonable and simple scenario - only drama is coming from the dog nutters

You'd have to schedule extra time for my interview as i'd spend the first 20 mins sat on the floor talking to the dog 😂

And some people profess not to understand why working at home is so popular. This sort of nonsense is one of the reasons.

So you basically opt for employees that like dogs, over the best person for the job?

Anyone that didn't get through to your second round has had a lucky escape to not work for a company with such ridiculous priorities.

As for ' office dogs' , I knew it would become a thing when everyone got dogs in lockdown thinking they would never have to go to a workplace again.

It's not just the cost of dog sitters /dog day care ...it's the availability as well. With the explosion in dog ownership places are just fully booked.

I'm speaking from experience..our ' lockdown dog' is now left on his own for longer than ideal periods of time during the week due to a change of jobs and working patterns. You can guess I wasn't sold on getting her in the first place as I could see the future!

*Blomh · Today 07:44

If they were to disclose at interview that they’re uncomfortable with it they wouldn’t be hired. If their reasons are medical that’s surely got to be discrimination?
DH’s boss has his dog at work. I’m sure he’d say it’s his company and he’ll have a dog there if he wants to. Companies are allowed to not hire you if your medical reasons mean you can’t do the job or be in the work environment*

This is blatant discrimination

Dogs should not be in the office.

We have dogs in the office and I wish it would stop. The owners are very arrogant and say people who are allergic/afraid just shouldn't work there. Their colleagues apparently have less rights than their dogs!

Personally if I went for an interview at a dog friendly company and I didn't want to be near dogs I wouldn't want the job. If they hired me because they were afraid of discrimination I would feel like I was changing the rules for everyone who had worked well together before me.

I don't mind dogs being near me as long as they are well behaved.

Imagine the chaos if everyone started bringing their hobbies to the office. Model railways anyone? Basketball nets, bench presses?

Not illegal discrimination though. An allergy isn't a disability.

Agree. I really struggle to understand the attitude of some than dogs rights trump humans.

I’m fine with dogs in the office if colleagues are all generally happy and there is a guaranteed dog free zone. But it sounds potentially chaotic/noisy if a lot of dogs came in! I’ve only ever known a single, very chilled out creature. Where do you draw the line?

It doesn’t have to be a registered disability for a workplace to make legal adjustments. Health conditions - which is what allergies are - are included in the obligation to make reasonable adjustments

You’re wrong. Only hayfever is excluded from the Equality Act. All other allergies are covered.

That is as bad as interviewing an older or pregnant candidate and deciding not to take it further because you can imagine something that would inconvenience you regardless of whether the candidate could do the job. Honestly this thread should just be a windup, but sadly I know it's not. How can you not agree to children being in the workplace but dogs can be (not that I think dogs are anywhere near as important to society.)

The only things you can do are speak to HR, this may have negative consequences (but that is not to say you shouldn't so this), take antihistamines or find another job and build it into your criteria when looking for a new job. Companies should make it clear they are "dog friendly" tbh.

They should have told you before you accepted the job.

It's always been normal to have dogs in the office in agricultural and forestry businesses - is it something along those lines?

Whereas I ask for the flowers to be moved and they are. People are generally reasonable about allergies I find and antihistamines don’t always work.

@RaspberryJamTart

You can't see the difference between having a child in the office and a dog?

Really?

You can't see a child is way more disruptive and there needs for interaction (by any decent parent) way higher than a dogs?

You can't see the benefit of a nursery for a child, with structure and learning

How odd.