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?

Don’t come and work for the NHS OP. We have dogs EVERYWHERE!!!

Offices are full of dogs who are assistance dogs or owned by a manager. Hospitals have dogs roaming around wards every day because patients bloody love it.

OP, ask them to paws any meetings than the dog comes into, so you can move away?

@banjocat I understand in this instance it's not an assistance dog, but neither is it a serious allergy. It's mild and manageable

What is the law around assistance dogs? does one colleague's need for an assistance dog have to be balanced by another colleague's allergy? or assistance dogs non-negotiable from a legal pov?

I really don’t understand the point in this thread. Everyone who disagrees and tells you they believe you to be unreasonable gets told they’re wrong by you. If you were only accepting comments agreeing with your stance then you should have made that clear.

I think this situation is going to increasingly piss you off and you should look for another job. We’re a dog friendly office and I would ensure that everyone was happy/had full knowledge at the interview stage.

Yes it's mild and manageable (hence I'm not actually going to complain to HR or piss anyone off, and was never planning to, as I've stated here lots of times), but I will have to spend money on antihistamines and take medication in order to come into work.

I just think it was a bit shit of management not to have a conversation about it and give me a heads up, and most people who have voted agree with me, which is what I was interested to know.

Great pun by the way, did it take you all this time to think of it? 😂

I can imagine going into the office proper riled up and angry tomorrow and it'll be her biting people, not the dog! What happens with insurance then?

We had dogs in our office. I wouldn't have chosen it but the boss did. He brought his 2 in and then announced every one else could too. At that point only one did and it was under control.

In the end, in a small office, we had 7! On a daily basis. It was ridiculous. Then occasionally he would look after a mates and we'd have 2 more. Because of staff holiday and one member of staff appreciating this was madness and so leaving her dogs home when he was "babysitting" I don't think we ever went above 8 but believe me I started thinking I worked at a kennels! I used to hide in my office and shut the door!

Whilst I think dogs in the office can be a good thing.for many reasons.....it has to not get out of hand and, of everyone does it, it easily can!

@banjocat, think the management are shit? Then leave?

Simple

@kisstheblarney Lively debate is all good and I enjoy the conversation with people who disagree with me. That's the whole point of a discussion forum.

However, you are now going a little off topic (maybe even getting a little riled up yourself?) so I will say adieu to you 🎩

Our current office doesn’t allow dogs but the last one I worked in did, it wasn’t specifically “asked” about it was more just mentioned that yes btw dogs can come in. They wouldn’t have changed that for any new starters, it was already established and so it was more for new starters to decide if they were okay with that or not, and if the answer is not then it wasn’t the job for them.

I do think it should have been mentioned at some point though so you could make that decision, although by the sounds of it you would still have taken the job anyway so it makes no material difference.

Not seeking to establish if anyone has an allergy or objection opens the company to someone being awkward, seeking to cause trouble for their manager if they don't like them, or getting some unwarranted special treatment. Say working from home all the time.

Until I was in my thirties I would never have been able to work or be near a dog that was not on a lead, after I had one jump in my pram as a child.

Having said that, I also think that people should be told if there are assistance dogs in the office, because some people have severe allergies and wouldn't cope with a golden retriever/ lab.
It baffles me the amount of people who bang on about allergies. It’s a common ploy which taxi drivers use to refuse to carry guide dogs, something which is illegal. And as a result there is a scheme in force where a taxi driver who has severe allergies to dogs is required to have an allergy exemption certificate which they are required by law to present.

Want to guess how many taxi drivers in London hold an allergy exemption certificate? 7.
Want to know how many guide dog owners have been refused by a taxi driver? Many because of allergies? 75%.
J

I have never encountered this anti dog sentiment anywhere other than on MN. And judging by the amount of people I am constantly having to ask not to stroke/distract/feed my guide dog it just doesn’t ring true that the world is full of allergic dog-phobes.

They've all got "allergies" haven't they 🙄!

This.

You have protection under employment laws. The dog doesn't. Your employer/the owner have to find a suitable compromise.

Employees’ health and well-being is probably improved by having the dog there, at least for the majority by the sound of it.

I’m curious, if they told you about the dog at interview - what would you have done?

I’m also quite surprised you told the owner their dog is not hypoallergenic. My OH is allergic and we researched very carefully hypoallergenic dogs (dander, fur, saliva) until we decided on the breed of ours. OH never needs antihistamines at home, but always needs them when we stay in dog friendly holiday properties. So our dog definitely does not trigger his allergy.

This would drive me absolutely mad OP!

Oh totally. I’ve lost count of the number who claim they have allergies. In fact the last one who did I asked if he had an exemption certificate and he said no. I advised that he is legally obliged to carry one or he is breaking the law by refusing to carry a guide dog. He then told me that he’s above the law. Okayyy.

@Jook Well my colleague's dog triggered my allergy, therefore it's not hypoallergenic.

Personally, I have never met a hypoallergenic dog, and I'm extremely skeptical that they exist. And yes, I've met poodles, labradoodles and miniature schnabadabadoodles, all trigger my allergies.

Just because your husband wasn't allergic to a dog, doesn't make it hypoallergenic - it just means he isn't allergic to it. Someone else might be.

I love dogs but don’t currently own one, but I don’t think they belong in an office environment.

I used to work in an office where the CEO brought her Labrador to work and it would go around snaffling the staff’s food out of their handbags and off desks etc if they weren’t careful enough. The CEO thought it was hilarious and would just give staff some money to replace their lunch. The dog was rather portly needless to say and the staff mostly hated having the dog around even though he was friendly.

If the dog was going before you worked there then I don't think you can start kicking up a fuss due to a mild allergy. I have a friend who is mildly allergic and takes an antihistamine if she is coming over, then she is fine? I don't really see why you think they should have checked you were ok with the dog being there if they have a dog friendly policy.

@Mumofyellows They don't have a dog friendly policy (nothing that is written or stated anywhere). Of course if they did and they clearly shared that information then it would be completely up to employees to decide whether to work there on that basis.

People say Labra-doodles are hypoallergenic. Yet I’m allergic to them.

Theres a middle ground here. You can raise it without complaining and suggest there are rules about dogs the office, ie that they aren’t allowed to roam freely.

We have a much loved office visiting dog but every time I’m on my period she runs up to me and shoves her nose in my crotch the moment I walk in the door. It’s so embarrassing and I just say to the owner “can you call your dog back please?”. You can do this, sneeze and say “I love doggo but I’m a bit allergic, can you call her back please?” Do it publicly and loudly so that she can’t undermine you

Mine’s not on that list, as I say we researched quite thoroughly but maybe it is hit and miss for some people.

Still interested to know what you would have done if you were aware at interview? Purely curiosity on my part.

Taxi drivers are allergic to a lot of things, such as payment other than in cash, for example. Not a good comparison.

Sensible consultation could have taken place, I am sure the OP would have then mentioned how a dog affects her, and I guess would have been happy for the dog to be in the office on a lead or somehow not to come near her.