Many people today consider pets as a part of their family. As workers return to the office after working remotely, a rise in pet friendly office places is expected. Should your building be pet friendly? Here are some items to keep in mind when considering.
The Pros and Cons of a Pet Friendly Workplace
A pet-friendly workplace can make the working environment friendlier for your tenants; it also increases employees' morale. Pets can be a source of socialization for the employees, increasing networking and connections among your tenants. It may help your tenants recruit and retain talent, leading to better performance in their businesses. For the right tenant, a pet-friendly building can be a great amenity.
The presence of a pet can also be disadvantageous in many ways. Pets can disturb other occupants with barking or whining. If not properly trained, they may misbehave or show aggression towards other animals in the building. Not all pets are completely potty-trained or may have occasional issues due to being left alone for too long or being sick. This leaves a heavier burden on your janitorial team. Some tenants may have allergies and not want pets in the facility.
If you are considering making your building pet friendly, the best thing you can do is to discuss it with your tenants.
Tips for Your Pet Friendly Workplace
Here are the five tips for making your building a more pet-friendly environment for your tenants:
1. Develop a pet policy: As a commercial property manager, you should devise guidelines and safety policies in connection with your risk management team. You should determine the type of pet or pets allowed and what areas should be pet-free in the building. Be prepared on how to advise tenants on pet-proofing their office such as keeping markers, pens, garbage cans, and other miscellaneous out of the range of pets.
2. Prepare the environment the best you can: If a tenant is wanting to have pets in their office, encourage them towards flooring types that make it easy to manage fur and accidents that may occur. Designate which areas are pet relief areas or consider installing "restrooms" for pets alongside their human counterparts (similar to what you may see in an airport).
3. Be aware of employees who have pet allergies: You should be mindful of employees who are allergic or are uncomfortable with pets and create a pet-free zone for those employees. If you have multiple elevators, consider designating one as the pet elevator, leaving the others free for those who do not want to share.
4. Enforce behavior rules: If pets begin to cause a disturbance for other tenants, such as barking, meowing, chirping, or whining it must be quickly addressed. Recommend tenants bring puzzle feeders or other toys to keep pets entertained. If pets are in a common area, they should be on a leash and under control at all times.
5. Sick pets should not be allowed: Pets with an infectious or contagious disease or those who are not up to date with vaccination should not be allowed in the workplace. In addition, you should not allow pets who are on a raw diet, as it can be a source of the spread of salmonella or E. coli.
6. Cleaning Responsibilities: Be clear on who will be responsible for cleanup should accidents occur. Consider supplying cleaning equipment and supplies for pet parents to tackle any accident immediately.
Have more tips for a pet friendly workplace experience? Post them in the comments below!
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