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?

I like dogs, but they aren't more important than people, and any persons needs should be put above a dogs needs. Also an office is not a place for dogs in the same way it's not a place for kids. People would likely complain about someone bring their kid in but darent do the same about a dog. YANBU OP, but people in this country have always been nuts about dogs and post COVID they're even more insane.

Between 10-20% of people are allergic to dogs, so you most likely have met someone who doesn't like it. Or your workplace is biased towards animal lovers and people without allergies if it's an animal-based company.

Nobody will want to complain because of what @Pheasantsmate raises. That is precisely why I won't say anything and I'm not going to complain to my manager. I'm just going to start taking antihistamines for work.

I think it's pretty awful not to check with new staff.

I think it is fairly common to have dog friendly offices, and tbh I'm not sure how different it is from sitting in a dog friendly cafe or something like that. Obviously a dog should be well trained enough not to approach people who don't want to interact (or are allergic).

If the dog is causing a genuine problem for you then obviously you should talk to your line manager, but it doesn't sound like it is, just that you don't think it should be there?

I think that this is something people probably should check when getting a new job, if they have a strong preference.

It’s not ‘entitled’ or ‘rude’ as your employer clearly allows dogs.

You could suggest that potential future employees are told that there will be dogs in the office.

This is the third post I’ve seen today that is anti dog but pretending to not be anti dog. At least you’re dedicated to the cause. 🤣 I do wonder where/what it archives though.

*achieves

I find it bizarre that people take their dogs to the office. Someone in our team asked if they could bring theirs in and I said it would need to be discussed, but two members of the team spoke with us quietly to say they wouldn't be happy with it. So that was that. If you're not home enough to look after a dog, then don't get a dog. Can you ask to work in a different part of the building? Or speak with the owner of the dog and ask them not to let the dog near you?

@banjocat yes

I work in a dog friendly office. It's a bit manic when the 3 big dogs and one tiny dog are having a bit of a mad half hour, but that only happens very very very occasionally and is stopped very quickly.

There is one person who is very afraid of dogs, so out of everyone (hybrid working, hot-desking with online reservation system) she is the only one with a dedicated desk, and the dogs are not allowed there. Everyone keeps an eye out that this is enforced and she is happy with it. But the dogs are part of the deal, and so if you don't want the possibility of meeting a dog - you either WFH, coordinate with the dog owners or don't work at our place. I've only heard of one person who turned a job down based on the dogs presence.

Up to now nobody has had issues around allergies.

Second dog post if the day.

No dogs should stay at home and I've got 2 dogs myself. Wouldn't in flick people with them either.

@Stompythedinosaur Obviously it is very different from sitting in a dog friendly cafe because:

1. In a cafe, dogs are usually tied under the table so they can't go wandering around everywhere.
2. People spend about 1-2 hours max in a cafe. Whereas they are in a workplace for 8 hours a day.
3. Dog friendly cafes are usually advertised as dog friendly, so someone who doesn't like dogs/ has allergies can decide not to go in.

I shouldn't have to check that an office doesn't allow dogs when I start a new job - the assumption is that offices are for humans (it's a large public sector organisation). The onus is on the employer to tell employees if it is dog friendly, not the other way around.

Yeah - it's worth the feedback to HR to say you think it should be mentioned in future interviews so that prospective new staff can make an informed choice about whether or not this job (inc dog presence) is for them or not.

If you'd have turned the job down at that stage, with this information, it is also worth highlighting this.

I’d love it, but then I’m not allergic.
When working in the Middle East I once shared an office with a Brit, whose German shepherd called Simba always came to work with him.

He soon got to know that I kept biscuits in my desk drawer and would know at once if I was raiding them - would sit close by looking the picture of good manners and hope! He was a lovely dog.

I don't understand OP. Either you are going to suffer from allergy symptoms, in which case, your employer has a duty to make arrangements for you, or your allergies are not triggered or only very mildly so doesn't affect you, in which case, what's the problem?

to be fair to my employer, the dogs are in our office videos on linked in, and the landing page on our company website has photos of all employes and you get a random collection of about 15 of them every time you visit the page. Including the 5 dogs. We don't keep it secret that our place is dog friendly.

But if we really wanted someone and they weren't keen on the dogs, or allergic we'd work something out. But the dogs are part of the "family"

"but if the dog came and sat near me" suggests that it doesn't.

"(which he sometimes does)" says he does, but not often.

I think you should let the owner know that you have a slight allergy and see if they can keep the dog away from you, maybe with a lead so he still say hello to people and stretch his legs.

I bet there are other people who are not keen on the dog, but it's too awkward to say it.

I am a dog owner, but I don't think the office is the place for dogs. It actively disadvantages people who are allergic, people who are scared of dogs or people with religious beliefs that dogs are impure. Plus dogs smell, fart, scratch and lick their bums, none of whilch I would want to inflict on a co-worker.

Would you have turned down the job if you'd known beforehand? If so, inform HR. Otherwise - suck it up I'm afraid. Whether you personally like it or not, it's a dog friendly workplace and the only way to bring it up without, as someone up thread pointed out, looking like a dick is in a FYI sort of way so that future interviewees are made aware.

PS - I work in an extremely dog friendly environment and very thankful for it! On any given day there can be up to 4 dogs here.

I suffer from mild allergy symptoms, i.e. I will get sniffly and itchy eyes when the dog comes near me (which it frequently does). It's controllable with antihistamines which I will need to start taking on office days.

I'm not going to raise it with my manager because I don't want to be the unpopular person who complained (which will be entirely obvious since I'm the only new starter). See the previous post from @Pheasantsmate which pretty much summarises the reasons I'm not going to intiate a complaint.

I think that my manager should have checked in with me when I started and taken control of making arrangements when she found out I had allergies. I'm not going to kick up a fuss myself because that is going to affect my colleague relationships as a new starter.

I didn't know this was now commonplace and would never think to ask at interview if dogs came into the office. This should be made clear from the outset so people can make an informed choice whether to apply for the role.

When i had my dog he always went to work with me. I owned the company though.
Any potential employees were told about him though and they would have seen him at interview so it was their choice to take the job if offered.
His favourite time of day was lunchtime when he was allowed to go out into the yard to play football with all the guys from the shopfloor and loading bays

What position did he play?

I love an office dog!

You are not being unreasonable! My son has a dog allergy and so I understand. They should advise of this when advertising the job so as not to waste people’s time.

So wait for an instance when you start having a sniffly nose and start sneezing and then kindly go to the owner of the dog with a Kleenex in your hand and asked if she'd mind seeing that dog doesn't close to you due to allergies, but that it's ok as long as it doesn't come close to you.

Matter resolved.

They are entitled to bring their dog to work if it's agreed, that's not entitled.

They should've told you though, you could've chosen not to take the job.

Seems a bit crazy to me. If you are going to allow one pet, why not allow others ?

Then you'd get an office overrun with snakes, squawking parrots, dogs, cats and guinea pigs.

Or if you only allow dogs then surely you get accused of favouritism ?

Would they allow me to bring in my Tarantula ? It likes to roam.