• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

2

The river that supplies 40 million Americans is down to 23% — and about to make a $25 million bet on one fish

3

Jamie Dimon said the American Dream was slipping away. JPMorgan just put $40 million on the table to fix it

1

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

2

The river that supplies 40 million Americans is down to 23% — and about to make a $25 million bet on one fish

3

Jamie Dimon said the American Dream was slipping away. JPMorgan just put $40 million on the table to fix it

Bring your best friend to work

By
Christopher Tkaczyk
Christopher Tkaczyk
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Christopher Tkaczyk
Christopher Tkaczyk
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 24, 2014, 7:37 AM ET
great workplaces salesforce puppy force
Michele Taylor contractPhotograph by Brittany McLaren for Fortune

100 Best Companies to Work For: No.7
Name: Salesforce
Global Headcount: 14,000
Revenue: $4 billion
Perk: A paid volunteer time-off program allows employees to use 1% of their hours toward volunteering at any nonprofit—typically six days a year.

Here’s a canine-friendly perk that’s not just for the dogs. Salesforce’s new experiment offers a communal workspace where employees can bring their best friends to work. The onsite facility is a mash-up of doggy day care and shared office, where up to six employees can work while supervising their pets. Reservations are required, and the room is often full. All dogs must be registered with security and get a photo ID badge. Puppyforce, a community effort, is managed by a network of dog lovers who have created an affinity group.

Sara Varni, a vice president of marketing and mother of three, began using the perk six months ago as backup whenever her dog walker wasn’t available. Varni says she brings her Australian shepherd, Memphis, to work at least once a month. “I think it elevates everyone’s mood,” she says. “And at the end of the day it makes me more productive too.”

Even the dogless have taken advantage. Sean Alpert, a director of product marketing, says a busy travel schedule prohibits him from having a dog. Instead, he visits Puppyforce a few times a week to play with his four-legged pals. “On a particularly stressful day, I took my friend’s French bulldog for a walk. It helped to take my mind off things for a while and lightened my mood.”

Leave it to Salesforce, the San Francisco–based maker of customer relationship management software, to develop a new spin on a growing trend. The 15-year-old company has long eschewed the typical—employees are highly flexible and don’t have dedicated phones or desktop computers. Its workforce is truly mobile, using smartphones and laptops at long tables made of repurposed barn doors in an unreserved open plan.

The house that Marc Benioff built is a hotbed of cultural innovation. Onsite wellness centers, a lack of traditional workstations, and high pay (account execs average more than $100,000) have helped it earn a spot on Fortune’s Best Companies list for the past six years. Yet it’s the company’s unique approach to collaboration that spawned a dog-friendly zone. Employee discussions on Chatter, its in-house, feed-based social network similar to Facebook, inspired the concept. (Chatter is also a Salesforce product.)

But not everyone was keen on dogs. Allergy-prone colleagues were worried about dander. Some warned about hygiene as well as disruptive barking during all-important sales calls—and, of course, the occasional accident. After listening to feedback, Salesforce decided to create an independent, soundproof workspace for dog owners, with rubber flooring.

The trial program will be expanded when the company, the largest tech employer in San Francisco, moves into new digs in Salesforce Tower in 2017. Puppyforce is also being considered for locations in Chicago, Seattle, Vancouver, Munich, and Stockholm.

“People love it,” says Monika Fahlbusch, senior vice president of global employee success. “Everybody who had concerns now raves about our solution because it really met everyone’s needs.” That’s a dogma anyone can embrace.

WATCH: Are puppies the secret to productivity?

This story is from the August 11, 2014 issue of Fortune.

About the Author
By Christopher Tkaczyk
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Management

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Most Popular

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
Success
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
By Preston ForeMay 21, 2026
7 days ago
The river that supplies 40 million Americans is down to 23% — and about to make a $25 million bet on one fish
Environment
The river that supplies 40 million Americans is down to 23% — and about to make a $25 million bet on one fish
By Dorany Pineda, Brittany Peterson and The Associated PressMay 27, 2026
1 day ago
Jamie Dimon said the American Dream was slipping away. JPMorgan just put $40 million on the table to fix it
Banking
Jamie Dimon said the American Dream was slipping away. JPMorgan just put $40 million on the table to fix it
By Nick LichtenbergMay 27, 2026
1 day ago
Even if every California billionaire left tomorrow, it would take 25 years for the state to lose as much as it stands to gain from proposed wealth tax
Economy
Even if every California billionaire left tomorrow, it would take 25 years for the state to lose as much as it stands to gain from proposed wealth tax
By Tristan BoveMay 27, 2026
1 day ago
Techlash grows in education: 'My daughter went to middle school and was sent home with a screen addiction in her backpack'
North America
Techlash grows in education: 'My daughter went to middle school and was sent home with a screen addiction in her backpack'
By Jocelyn Gecker and The Associated PressMay 26, 2026
2 days ago
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang admits he criticizes everything his 42,000-plus employees show him: ‘You can’t go a day without some criticism’
Success
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang admits he criticizes everything his 42,000-plus employees show him: ‘You can’t go a day without some criticism’
By Preston ForeMay 26, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.