Workplaces are going to the dogs. Rachelle Hill of Bean Kinney & Korman notes that Take Your Dog to Work Day is this Friday, and in every year since it began in 1999, more than 10,000 companies have participated.
But before you let Fido through the swinging glass doors and into your conference rooms, there are a few legal implications to consider:
- Health: Obviously certain businesses, such as those operating in the food and hospital settings, can’t allow pets for sanitary reasons. But even if Lassie wouldn’t be a health violation, there are other considerations. “Before allowing pets, survey your employees to find out about any allergies that may make the event problematic, and to assess overall opinions about having dogs in the office,” says Hill.
- Liability: “The potential to be liable for dog bites is an important consideration,” she says. In most scenarios it’s the owner who is liable, but there have been some personal injury lawsuits in which the employer was held jointly liable for an attack.
- Rules: If you decide to allow Air Bud into the office, ground rules should be set out before any paws make it past the security desk. Ensure employees know they are responsible for the dog, must be in complete control the entire day and should bring documentation of the dog’s vaccination records. It also should be made clear that aggressive, nonhousebroken or dogs that bark excessively aren’t allowed in.
