Ron Ostlund keeps a bag of potato chips in one of his desk drawers at his office at Riviera Pools. He stashes a jar of cashews there, too.
The snacks aren't for him. They're for the dogs roaming his office. On any given day, the pool company's corporate office is jingling with the sound of dog collars from as many as eight pooches. The pups greet visitors at the front door. They stroll into and out of meetings. They beg for snacks, bark for attention and have free rein over desks, couches and chairs. "They're spoiled rotten," Ostlund said, as he offered cashews to Jack, Panda and Riley, who patiently waited on all fours for a treat. "I've created monsters here."
It may sound disruptive or just plain crazy to allow dogs in the office, but Ostlund's company is among the nearly one in five that allows employees to bring pets to work, according to a 2008 survey conducted by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association. Almost a quarter of working Americans believe pets should be allowed in the workplace, the survey found.
Bob Vetere, APPMA president, said companies are now more open to pets in the workplace. He understands why.More...