Dogs in the office: These aspects speak for a four-legged friend in everyday work

Perhaps you're familiar with the problem: you have a dog at home and have to work full-time – so your pet is alone all day, which isn't ideal. This is less of an issue when working from home, but not everyone can easily switch to that. That's why today we're showing you the advantages of having a dog in the office and how you can convince your employer!

Dog in the Office – The Legal Situation

First, let's look at the legal situation for a dog in the office from an employment law perspective. There are no specific, uniform regulations for this in Germany; rather, permission always rests with the employer themselves. So, you may not bring a dog into the office without first discussing it with your supervisor.

The reason why an office dog is not initially intended is due to the owner's work performance. This could be restricted if a dog is in the room. For this reason, permission is always required if you want to bring your dog. If you bring him without permission, you risk a warning, and repeated offenses could lead to a behavioral dismissal.

Exception: If you have a dog that is necessary for the performance of your work, you are allowed to bring it. This applies, for example, to assistance or guide dogs. If your colleagues are already allowed to bring dogs into the office, you can invoke the Equal Treatment Act and bring your four-legged friend as well!

Good training and compatibility with other dogs are, of course, essential if you want to bring your dog into the office. You should also admit to yourself if several dogs in an office might not get along and then take a step back. We will look at how you can convince your employer that a dog in the office is a good idea in the next sections!

Do you want to learn more about employment law topics? Do you want to know how to furnish your office as sustainably and healthily as possible? Then feel free to visit the Deskspace blogs. Here you will find numerous articles on a wide variety of topics!

Dog in the Office – The Benefits

In many companies, dogs are already part of everyday life – and the positive effects of a dog at the workplace have even been scientifically proven. In this section, we'll look at the advantages of bringing your dog to the office.

When you pet your dog, your body releases oxytocin – the so-called "love hormone." Thus, your dog ensures a good mood in the office for everyone involved and can even contribute to team building. It brings your colleagues together and, over time, even becomes a real team member.

If you have a dog in the office, you need to take regular movement breaks. A short walk in the fresh air is good for both you and your four-legged friend. This way, you stay fit even on long days and have an incentive to make phone calls outdoors more often.

A study by the University of Buffalo found that the blood pressure of test subjects with an office dog decreased. Thus, the four-legged friends provide calm and can help you relax before an important meeting or presentation. A dog in the office also helps prevent work-related illnesses like burnout or psychological problems. We will look at how you can use this advantage to convince your employer later in this Deskspace blog article.

In addition, dogs strengthen your psyche enormously. In a multi-day experiment with several participants, they all reported feeling less stressed than usual after each day. Moreover, negative feelings, according to the respondents, significantly decreased. Overall, participants also felt less stressed and better supported.

These were mainly benefits for you as an employee – however, there are also reasons for employers to allow a four-legged friend in their offices. We will look at these in the next section.

Are you an employer yourself and want to learn more about various innovations for your company? Then take a look at our website; here you can, for example, read about how height-adjustable desks positively affect your company.

These are the benefits for employers if they allow dogs in the office

Not only do employees of a company benefit greatly when they are allowed to bring their dog into the office. You, as an employer, can also profit enormously from it; specifically, the following advantages are offered:

• Your reputation as an employer will be enhanced. People will see you as a modern and friendly employer who considers the private lives of their employees. This can also be an incentive for future applicants to choose your company.
• Your employees are more relaxed and productive. The calming effect of a dog also impacts your employees' work, leading to higher performance.
• A dog in the office brings your employees together and creates something for your employees to look forward to when they come to the office. This maintains the working atmosphere and ensures effective team building.

How to convince your employer to allow a dog in the office

Not every employer immediately allows dogs to be brought into the office spaces. It might take some persuasion, but with a few tips, you can do it!

First, you should clarify a few things with your colleagues. Is there anyone who has a dog hair allergy? Is anyone afraid of a dog or against it for other reasons? If everything is fine here, then you can think about the next point. Where should the dog lie? How can I best plan the breaks? These are all things you must have clarified before bringing your dog, otherwise, problems will quickly arise.

After the basic requirements have been clarified, you can now talk to your boss. Feel free to bring up the benefits for the company mentioned above in this conversation and explain your personal situation. Most supervisors understand that you don't want to leave your dog alone and will then agree!

These were the most important basics on the topic of dogs in the office. If you want to read more articles on various topics related to health and everyday work life, then feel free to check out our blogs!