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?

You say that like it’s a criticism?

your boss is a prick.

Yes I am passionate about ableism - someone has to be. So telling when people are far more offended at the stand et “dogs don’t belong in an office” than they are are ableism on the workplace.

I wonder how on earth these people coped being away from their doggies in the workplace previously?

I would take an antihistamine and not say anything, you will end up looking churlish.

Why the hell should anyone have to stuff themselves with drugs just because their colleagues have no consideration for others?

Taking antihistamines every day is really not very good for humans.

Why is no one suggesting the solution of - the dog stays at home?

Plenty of talented employees won’t want to work in an office with dogs too. An employer is foolish to prioritise dogs over skilled employees.

I can’t get my head around people needing their dog with them 24/7. It’s just weird.

It is maybe a post pandemic introversion thing? People don’t know how to talk to others, so have the dog there for emotional support? I don’t know.

@bringincrazyback because it's not about the dog it's about op's career...

So remove the dog from the situation then. Job done

You sound great. It is good to know there are some respectful dog-owners around.

Wet dog is the worst smell in the world. And I work in the NHS and have smelt quite a few interesting odours over the years.

It’s one of those smells that stays in your nose as well and you get home and think “I can fucking smell it!”

It is the one smell that makes me retch immediately!

Dogs in the workplace are now 'common' - WTAF?! I'm glad my employer hasn't jumped on this stupid bandwagon and hopefully never will!

Yes, it is, and she shouldn't have to go to the lengths of daily self-medicating in order to do her job.

A dog caused my adult DD to be hospitalised last year as her asthma attack became dangerous. To not tell you prior to your interview was very remiss of them. With my daughter it's their spittle as well as fur/ dander.
What a rotten position to be in.

So an allergic person accepting the job, leaving their old job etc without being informed is all right in your view?
Why is that all right?

His business that he built from scratch. Clever bloke who employs who he wants to employ.

Yeah it doesn’t matter how clever you are it doesn’t give you a right to break the law . If you want to own a business and employ people you are legally obliged to not be an ableist cunt, wether you’re clever or not and wether you built the business from scratch or not, no one is so special they get to forgo the rules.

Also he doesn’t sound very clever - he’d rather let go a skilled employee who could make him good money because they don’t like dogs in the workplace? Sounds thick as fuck to me

Yes, not the brightest recruitment strategy!

It is so, so annoying to be doubted over allergies, allergic reactions that leave you unable to breath, pretty crucial to staying alive!

@KarenNotAKaren well he's not actually broke any laws as he's not had anyone who doesn't like dogs come for an interview. He's got a great team. Most of us own dogs and/or or cats.

Not liking dogs is not a disability.

But being allergic to them is conisdered a health condition and if he wouldn’t recruit someone because of a health condition that is discrimination

So if someone was interviewing 20 people and one said they were allergic to dogs. How could it be proved that that person wasn't chosen for the job because of that?

I've done a CIPD course so know all about discrimination in the workforce. I know of point scoring when interviewing, looking at redundancies etc.

I agree that a job should be advertised as a dog friendly company.

I think you are very angry because of your family's allergies. I'm not going to keep arguing. Life isn't fair.

Well that’s the rub for disabled people - it’s impossible to prove. But trust me - they know. And it still makes it illegal.

Im not very angry at all. What a strange comment.

But yes dog friendly places should make it clear in their recruitment

And no life isn’t fair but that’s doesn’t mean you stop trying to even out inequalities

I'm all for diversity. I feel this is weird one and I'm going to look into it as I'm interested in the subject. It's not illegal to have a dog friendly workplace so I don't know how a company stands if they are dog friendly and suddenly a dog allergic person decides they want to work there. I'm not arguing, I'm honestly curious.