The Dogs of Amazon

Amazon has gone to the Dogs!

Although Amazon started in 1995 as “a tiny online bookseller” with 11 employees, today it hires over 600,000 people and does “practically everything.” (“Amazon’s Wild 24-Year Ride, From 11 Employees to 600,000-Plus,” by Harry McCracken (Fast Company), April 11, 2019 (https://www.fastcompany.com/90331689/amazons-wild-24-year-ride-from-11-employees-to-600000-plus.))

The Seattle, Washington, organization focuses on e-commerce, cloud computing, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. Along with Google, Apple, and Facebook, it is one of the Big Four tech companies. Amazon is the world’s largest Internet company by revenue (wikipedia.org).

Did you know there are 49,000 employees working at Amazon’s Headquarters in Seattle (https://fortune.com/2019/06/21/amazon-dogs-at-work-perks/)?

Amazon Has Gone to the Dogs!

For most workers, the third Friday in June is Bring Your Dog to Work Day (See “Pet Holidays for June 2019” (https://wetnosecentral.com/pet-holidays-for-june-2019/), but that is not the case at Amazon.

“On any given day at our Seattle headquarters, employees share workspace with as many as 7,000 dogs. At Amazon, bring-your-dog-to-work day is every day – a long-standing tradition that both Amazonians and their four-legged friends enjoy.” (https://blog.aboutamazon.com/working-at-amazon/how-much-does-amazon-love-dogs-just-ask-one-of-the-6-000-pups-that-work-here)

Can you imagine my amazement when I read that? I almost wish I could work there!

Actually, only about 800 dogs actually come to work with their owners at Amazon every day, but what a joy it must be to know you can bring Oscar or Emma, if you want to. And who wouldn’t want to?

1,000 More Dogs Than Last Year

Last year, 6,000 dogs were registered to come to work; there are 1,000 more this year.

This dog-friendly company provides all kinds of perks:

on-campus dog park
plenty of free poop bags and treats
there is an eatery called Just Food for Dogs where employees can buy lunches for their pooches
when an employee has to attend a meeting, their canine can go to in-house doggy day-care for pampering.

(“7,000 Dogs Are Registered to Come to ‘Work’ at Amazon’s Headquarters,” by Chris Morris, June 21, 2019 (https://fortune.com/2019/06/21/amazon-dogs-at-work-perks/ ))

Benefits Of Bringing Your Dog To Work

“Only 9% of companies allow employees to bring their pets to work every day, according to a 2018 survey from the Society for Human Resource Management.” (“The Argument For Dogs At Work,” by Sheila McClear, June 18, 2019 (https://www.theladders.com/career-advice/the-argument-for-dogs-at-work))

Despite the fact that most employers don’t allow employees to bring their dogs to work, there are STILL many benefits to having your pet with you at work.

It’s a Fun Thing to Bring Your Dog to Work

That, in turn, makes coming to work more fun. That, in itself, is a good reason for a dog-friendly work place. But there is more than one GOOD reason for employers to invite their employees to bring their pets to work. (There should probably be separate days for dogs and cats, though.)

Raises Morale

Having a pooch in the vicinity helps morale. The atmosphere is friendlier. Dogs seem to bring a smile to our faces and make us all happier. Who doesn’t love to give Bailey a belly rub? And, even though it’s not YOUR belly that’s getting rubbed, it still makes you feel good, right?

Longevity

Employees stay in positions longer when they can bring their dogs to work. Since Ginger is with him, that employee is willing to work later because there isn’t concern about getting home to feed and walk Ginger – and he doesn’t have to pay for a dog-sitter or dog-walker.

Overtime

People love their dogs, and many dogs experience anxiety when their fur parents are gone away for 8 to 10 hours – or more – a day. A good employee who hates to leave Fluffy home alone will love to work in a dog-friendly office.

An employee who can bring her dog to work is more likely to stay later, because 1) she isn’t worried about her fur baby being at home alone and 2) she knows he’s getting his dinner on time – not to mention tons of attention.

Happier Employees

It’s a foregone conclusion that dogs make us happier. If employees are happier, wonder what happens? Oh! They get a LOT more done! Besides that, their presence lowers stress levels, and they contribute to a comfortable and flexible environment.

In the years that I worked for lawyers, there was never any consideration given to bringing your dog to work! Some of those stick-up-the-butt lawyers would have probably dropped dead, first.

I Brought My Dog to Work With Me – Once Upon A Time

Back in the day, one of my dogs was a puppy – a mixed breed I could hold in the palm of my hand. I think he was a Poodle mix – and I named him Love ‘cause that’s how I felt about him. He just opened my heart! I didn’t have a job when I got him. The first day I had to go to work, I just couldn’t leave my little baby at home alone all day, so I put one of my old T-shirts, his food and water dishes, a couple of toys and a clock in a cardboard box and just brought him with me.

I chickened out in the parking lot, though, and couldn’t take him into the office – my first day would have been my last day, you know? So I kissed him and left him in the car, with the windows down, promising to come see him on my break.

Orlando

When I went back a couple of hours later, Orlando, the parking attendant, was sitting in my car, playing with my Little Love.

He said he heard the baby crying. After he gave me the blues for leaving Love in the car, he said I’d done a good thing putting all that stuff in the box with him.

We agreed I’d bring Love with me every day for “a while,” and Orlando would “keep an eye on him.” “A while” turned into more than a year! My “Little” Love was more like “A Little Pony”! Orlando and I had been good “co-parents”!

In My Next Life

Listen, in my next life, I’m gonna be a dog who is either the fur baby of a rich woman or an employee of Amazon in Seattle!

sk.