They say in a good workplace your coworkers become your second family, but that doesn’t help pet lovers much. However, these companies are all about furry family and friends. Some like hotel group Kimpton let you bring your pet to work, while others like biotech company Genentech are padded with pet perks like discounted insurance and meetups.
Genentech
Federal regulations mean this San Francisco based biotech company can’t have domestic pets on its property. However, Genentech hasn’t let this stop them from celebrating a love of animals. Instead of bringing their pets to work, employees get doggie daycare discounts, as well as reduced pet insurance rates for not only cats and dogs, but birds and other exotic pets. Furthermore, Genentech has a dog lovers club, dubbed gDogs, for dog fans to meet up, share tips and resources and organize doggie “romps.”
See the other perks at Genentech on our 100 Best Companies to work for list here.
Kimpton
The San Francisco based hotel and restaurant group has a pet policy that dates back to 1981. Founder Bill Kimpton used to greet hotel guests with his collie Chianti. Today the tradition still lives strong, as employees are allowed to bring their pets to work, and some hotels even have a “Director of Pet Relations,” an employee owned dog that sits at the front desk and help employees greet guests. Kimpton pet perks include pet insurance, bereavement leave in the event of a pet death, as well as on-site amenities for pets include water bowls, treats, beds and toys.
See the other perks at Kimpton on our 100 Best Companies to work for list here.
Atlantic Health
In 2012 this New Jersey based hospital chain introduced “Soothing Paws” their pet therapy program for patients and employees. Over 80 teams of volunteers and pets (including one certified rabbit) make daily rounds visiting patients around the hospital. Meanwhile, employees are treated to “Ruff Day” visits. Atlantic Health even sponsored two pet therapy conferences and plans to unroll a national pet therapy center going forward.
See the other perks at Atlantic Health on our 100 Best Companies to work for list here.
VMware
The Palo Alto company, which specializes in cloud and virtualization software, has an “open campus” policy—open to family, friends, and dogs as well. Employees sign an agreement on dog etiquette while VWare’s security team equips their dogs with a tag and bandana. The policy dates back to 2011 when Deputy General Counsel Angela Padilla brought in a foster dog for adoption and noticed cross-department traffic increasing. The policy formalized three years later, and now there are 94 dogs registered to visit VMware.
See the other perks at VMWare on our 100 Best Companies to work for list here.
Salesforce
Salesforce, the San Francisco cloud computing company, is also the home of Puppyforce. Puppyforce, Salesforce’s official pet policy, lets up to six employees reserve desks in special communal room, where employees are allowed to bring in their dogs. The rooms are sound proof, feature water bowls, padded cages, dog beds, and cleaning wipes. Added pet perks include discounts on pet insurance, vet house calls, pet supplies, and dog walking.
See the other perks at salesforce on our 100 Best Companies to work for list here.
Mars
On any given day there can be anywhere from 40-50 dogs in the offices of this Virginia-based candy and pet food maker. Fittingly, pets are a big part of Mars’s company culture. At annual Halloween parties there are costume contests for dogs and some offices offer a pet feeding and dog boarding program for employees traveling for work. Mars also covers the entry fee for any employee who wants to join a dog-friendly 5k, while 80% of it’s volunteering projects are—you guessed it—pet related ranging from pet food donation drives to beautifying dog parks.
See the other perks at Mars on our 100 Best Companies to work for list here.
In addition to being packed with employee perks, Google is all about pets as well—dogs that is. Google's first dog was Yoshka, a Leonburger owned by Urs Hölzle, employee #8. The official policy didn't come until 2000, but it's written right into Google's Code of Conduct and says: Google’s affection for our canine friends is an integral facet of our corporate culture. We like cats, but we’re a dog company, so as a general rule we feel cats visiting our offices would be fairly stressed out. In other words, dogs are welcome but they need to be supervised at all times. Visiting dogs can come in a few times a week and get official name badges. Meanwhile dog-lovers at Google,will find plenty of social support: there's a dog theme cafe inspired by Yoshka, and a group of dog-loving Googlers who call themselves "Dooglers."
See the other perks at Google on our 100 Best Companies to work for list here.
Build-a-Bear Workshop
This Missouri company, famous for letting customers literally make their own teddy-bear, has been pet-friendly since it’s inception in 1997. Employees who want to bring in their dog sign a “Doggy On-Boarding” agreement, which covers dog do’s and don’ts. And what dog wouldn’t want to visit? There are puppy parties when a dog has a birthday, as well as a stash of dog treats. Build-a-Bear also has a canine concierge service with a “Bow Wow Bus” that picks up dogs and takes them off for a spa day with grooming and day camp at a discount.
See the other perks at Build-A-Bear on our 100 Best Companies to work for list here.
Autodesk
California based Autodesk produces software design tools and loves its dogs. It has an official dog policy process that allows employees to bring their canines to work with added provisions for allergic employees or employees who are uncomfortable around dogs. On any given day there are about twenty five dogs in the office, and employees have occasionally snuck in cats, rabbits and the occasional bird. The pet insurance discount is all inclusive as well, it covers dogs, cats, birds, ferrets, and more.
See the other perks at Autodesk on our 100 Best Companies to work for list here.
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