Not every company can offer Google-level office perks, but one move toward workplace friendliness that started in the tech world is increasingly going mainstream. Especially in Los Angeles, more and more companies are allowing employees to bring their dogs to work with them.
Historically, much like apartment landlords who won’t allow you to have pets at home, it was the building owners who blocked dog-friendly offices, but according to reporting by the L.A. Times, those prohibitions are starting to fall by the wayside.
“The millennials run the world and we have to accommodate them,” commercial landlord Wayne Ratkovich told the Times.
A realtor specializing in local office spaces told the paper that at least five percent of her clients now consider dog-friendly policies an important factor in selecting where a company will set up shop.
Offices vary in how they handle employees bringing four-legged co-workers along, but the most common rules require owners to apply for licenses that show the dogs are healthy and non-aggressive, which can be revoked if the animal is disruptive or destructive. Many buildings also require a pet deposit from dog owners to cover any potential damage, typically around $1,000.
Certain buildings are going all out in catering to dogs and their humans. The office tower attached to the Bloc shopping center in Downtown L.A. even offers a designated dog elevator so pets can ride on their own and avoid bothering other tenants who may suffer allergies or dog-phobias.
So far, none of the landlords interviewed have been asked to establish cat policies, but that leaves the door open that bringing your kitten to work could become the next office trend.
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