Love me, love my dog? Some companies hear you loud and clear.
Industry leaders, already well-known for their employee-friendly and diversity-promoting policies, have gone one step further by incorporating pet perks into the mix. If you've dreamed of a job where you wouldn't have to look at the sad face of your pooch when you leave her for work in the morning, we’ve done some of the legwork for you.
There are workplaces that let you bring your dog to work, and here are 10 of the best:
Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants
The Great Place to Work review for this San Francisco-based pet-friendly hotel chain includes admiration of its support for diversity, its flexible work schedules and its promote-from-within culture. But the best perk for dog-owning employees might be the policy where you can bring your dog to work. A few locations even place an employee-owned dog at the front desk to help greet guests. Other pet perks: employee pet insurance, bereavement leave in the case of a pet death, and water bowls, treats, beds and toys onsite.
It's less known that this candy maker produces pet food, too, but the best secret is Mars' pet-friendly culture. The Virginia-based company provides pet feeding and boarding programs for employees who travel from some locations, and dozens of dogs attend the office on any given day. The company's annual Halloween costume contests even include categories for dogs.
Google continues its reputation as the king of crazy-good office perks with pet-friendly policies written right into the company's code of conduct. Supervised dogs can come to the office and frequent visitors get their own badge. There's even a dog-themed cafe on campus inspired by Yoshka, Google's first dog, a Leonburger owned by Google employee No. 8 Urs Hölzle.
This innovative design software company, headquartered in Mill Valley, California, is also forward-thinking in its dog-friendly policies, encouraging dog owners to enjoy their pets at work, while also assuring that those with allergies or other concerns feel safe as well.
Around 397 dogs come to work with their owners at this Irvine, California, gaming company, according to Forbes. For "Pet Parents Day," the company corrals pet insurance providers and local vets to offer employees and their dogs free health screenings, insurance quotes and treats. No wonder employee reviewers called their place an "epic" environment in Great Place to Work reviews.
Fairygodboss mentions Amazon first among the companies that let you bring your dog to work, noting that you can find hundreds of dogs roaming the campus on any given day. There are dog water fountains, a dog park and a whole building named after the pooch who started it all, Rufus.
Noted by Fairygodboss for its women-friendly employment practices, this Silicon Valley gaming company is also tops for dog owners, with dogs allowed at work every day. Other pet-loving perks: a rooftop dog park and partially subsidized pet insurance for employees.
There's no telling how many of the 150 applicants per management job opening at Build-A-Bear were dog owners, but we're betting lots. Employees here can bring their dog to work after signing a "Doggy On-Boarding" agreement. And on birthdays (and, yes, we mean the pups' birthdays), employees' dogs get their own office birthday party complete with cake and dog treats.
Fairygodboss admires the "Puppyforce" pet policy that lets Salesforce employees reserve a desk in a soundproof room where dogs are always welcome. Employees also get discounted pet insurance, vet house calls and dog walking services. Surely, it's no coincidence Salesforce is the fastest growing of the top 10 enterprise software companies.
This Palo Alto, California, company specializes in virtualization software and welcomes dogs much like any other visitors. Number 42 on Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For, VMWare lets employees bring in dogs after signing an etiquette agreement and donning a tag and bandanna.
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