Want a dog-friendly workplace? Here’s what you’ll need to get right
- Written by: Giuseppe Carabetta, Associate Professor of Workplace and Business Law, UTS Business School, University of Technology Sydney
Dogs are increasingly appearing in Australian workplaces. From “take your dog to work” days to permanent pet-friendly offices, the trend is often framed as an easy win for staff morale.
Evidence suggests having dogs at work can reduce stress and improve social connection. But only if some important risks are managed properly, such as allergies, phobias, hygiene concerns and general safety.
There’s another important distinction, reflected in the law: while pets are optional, assistance dogs are usually not.
So, how can employers design dog-friendly workplaces if they want to, and what does the law say about animals at work?
Barking up the right tree
There is strong evidence to suggest dogs benefit their owners’ physical health in general. Large studies have linked dog ownership to increased physical activity, reduced cardiovascular risk and lower all-cause mortality.
A major meta-analysis of more than 3.8 million people found dog owners had a 24% lower risk of early death from any cause and a 31% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, likely driven by walking and stress reduction.
These findings were confirmed in follow-up analyses which accounted for other variables among dog owners, such as a younger age, better physical fitness and higher socioeconomic status.
Researchers still found a 17% reduction in dying early from any cause.
When it comes to mental health, outcomes are less clear. Reviews show mixed effects, depending on population, pet type and measurement.
A recent meta-analysis which draws the results of earlier studies found modest gains in physical activity, but small and inconsistent effects on depression and anxiety. That nuance matters at work.
Dogs in the workplace
Research suggests dogs can improve workplace wellbeing – but only under the right conditions. Studies report lower perceived stress, improved mood and stronger social connection.
Emerging, high-quality evidence suggests workplace pets can positively affect stress and social interaction. But it also identifies negative outcomes where risks are poorly managed.
What are those risks? An occupational health review by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned dogs can introduce new hazards, including:
- allergies
- phobias
- hygiene issues
- bites.
Dog-friendly policies for the office therefore raise safety and inclusion issues that need to be considered alongside any lifestyle perks.
What the law says
In Australia, ordinary pets have no automatic right to enter a workplace. Employers may allow pets as a matter of policy, provided they meet their obligations under work health and safety laws.
Government guidance recommends consulting staff, undertaking a risk assessment, establishing clear rules and ensuring a suitable premises.
However, while pets are optional, assistance dogs are usually not. The law reflects this balancing act.
Under Australia’s Disability Discrimination Act, it is unlawful to treat a person unfavourably because they use an assistance animal, subject to some narrow and clearly defined exceptions.
Assistance dogs are legally recognised as disability aids, not pets, and may support both physical and psychological disabilities.
Importantly, the law requires assistance animals to be trained to an appropriate standard, meaning:
- trained to an appropriate standard to assist a person with a disability
- trained to meet standards of hygiene and behaviour appropriate for an animal in a public place.
Employers may ask for evidence that a dog is an assistance animal and meets appropriate standards of hygiene and behaviour. But the law does not require a single national certificate or ID card.
An employer can only refuse to allow an assistance dog access in very narrow circumstances, such as where exclusion is reasonably necessary to protect health or safety and risks cannot be managed through reasonable adjustments.
What this looks like in Australian workplaces
Work health and safety laws in all states and territories now include a positive duty to manage psychosocial hazards at work – such as stress, poor support and harmful workplace design.
This means employers cannot rely on blanket bans justified by vague “safety concerns”. They must identify hazards, consult workers and implement proportionate controls – whether dogs are excluded or allowed.
Some employers have formalised dog-friendly design. Amazon’s Sydney office, for example, runs a “Dogs at Work” program with a dedicated onsite dog area to manage safety and hygiene risks.
Others are a little more cautious. Tasmanian company RACT expanded a “Furry Friday” trial only after introducing rosters, limits per floor and consulting with staff.
Co-working spaces such as CreativeCubes.Co publish detailed pet policies, while explicitly carving out assistance animals to reflect discrimination law.
The bottom line
The science suggests dogs can support wellbeing – but only when workplaces are designed for them. Australian law mirrors that evidence-based approach.
As employers rethink wellbeing in a post-pandemic workplace, the real question is no longer “should dogs be allowed?”. Rather, it’s whether policies are lawful, evidence-based and inclusive.
Authors: Giuseppe Carabetta, Associate Professor of Workplace and Business Law, UTS Business School, University of Technology Sydney
Read more https://theconversation.com/want-a-dog-friendly-workplace-heres-what-youll-need-to-get-right-278401
