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10,000 Dogs are Registered for Workplace Visits at Amazon (aboutamazon.com) 64

Posted by EditorDavid from the hitting-the-woof dept.
Long-time Slashdot reader theodp writes: In what might be mistaken for an early April Fools' joke, one month after Amazon confirmed it would layoff 18,000+ employees, Amazon News last week put out a whimsical story about 10,000+ of its employees' dogs who are registered to "work" at corporate offices as part of Amazon's Dogs at Work program. "This unique program," Amazon explains," pulls out all the stops to make sure dogs have everything they need for a successful work day, including decked out dog parks, unlimited treats from the reception desk, and regular events where dogs and their owners can get to know their colleagues."

Amazon employees also received a back-to-the office edict last week from CEO Andy Jassy, who cited the need for "serendipitous interactions" between team members, which Amazon has at times suggested would be facilitated if its employees' dogs return to the workplace, too. "The dog-friendly policy also contributes to the company's culture of collaboration," Amazon reported last year. "Dogs in the workplace are an unexpected mechanism for connection, an Amazon manager added. "I see employees meeting each other in our lobbies or elevators every day because of their dogs."

Amazon News offers profiles of "11 Amazing Pups" who didn't need obedience school to be convinced to return to the office, including Murray and Ripley. "Working from home certainly has its perks," Amazon reports, "but Murray LOVES coming into the office. He gets to see his favorite colleagues-both human and canine-and brighten everyone's day." And "Ripley starts each workday with a greeting from her best friend Lisa at the Culver Studios gate. From there, she promptly reports for duty, doling out kisses to anyone who needs a little pick-me-up."
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10,000 Dogs are Registered for Workplace Visits at Amazon More

10,000 Dogs are Registered for Workplace Visits at Amazon

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  • Hopefully, whoever thought this up and implemented it is among the layoffs.

    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      by Anonymous Coward

      The "I need to bring my dog everywhere" mentality is out of control.

      It shows a total lack of consideration for those that couldn't care less about your dog...at work, in a restaurant, on a plane, etc.

      Grow the fuck up.

    • Hopefully, whoever thought this up and implemented it is among the layoffs.

      It very much depends if you like dogs and can tolerate being around them. I did contract work for Amazon for a while, and there were quite a few dogs in the office. Mostly they'd just nap by their owners, but occasionally they'd roam around the office when someone wasn't looking. You'd hear a rare bark or whatever, but they were mostly quiet and well behaved. I always found it made for a nice break to pat a roaming pooch's head on occasion, so I was totally fine with it. I have no particular fear of do

    • I couldn't agree more. I am insanely allergic to dogs. If my employer pulled this crap, I would have to leave. Also sounds very discriminatory to cats and other pets. Of which yet more people are allergic.

      Then there are the fleas, the smell, the noise, the "accidents." I mean really, is it so much to ask for people to work at work?

  • really? (Score:1, Redundant)

    by Papaspud ( 2562773 )
    Early April fools? Who is cleaning up?

  • Then I guess it's settled (Score:4, Funny)

    by Opportunist ( 166417 ) on Sunday February 26, 2023 @12:55PM (#63324554)

    The dogs can crap in the campus, the workers can do their job from their home office, everyone's happy.

    • The dogs can crap in the campus, ...

      Ya, but it's Amazon so the dogs are probably only allowed one five-minute bathroom break per shift.

  • Interesting that they included in the top picture all the dogs except for Ripley the pitbull. I guess Amazon can afford the upcoming lawsuits but it seems like it's just a matter of time. Probably a great sign that she is holding him by the collar.

  • Not that unique (Score:3)

    by LindleyF ( 9395567 ) on Sunday February 26, 2023 @12:59PM (#63324566)
    Google has allowed dogs for years.

    • This isn't about "allowing" dogs, this is some weirdly desperate "look, there's doggos at your workplace, you just HAVE to come in now too" spiel.

      Seriously, if I worked for Amazon, no later than now, I'd quit. It's obvious the leadership lost the last of its marbles. Or at least this shows how leadership thinks that throwing glass beads and trinkets at the locals, i.e. their workers, will somehow convince them to bend over and swallow the back to office mandate.

      UP YOURS, ASSHOLES! Take your dogs and shove t

      • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

        by Rockoon ( 1252108 )
        "If you don't give any fucks about the people with pet allergies that work alongside you"

  • Look, I've known people who work at Amazon - coders, mostly. It sounds like a crap place to work, with 60-70 hour workweeks being the norm. I don't know anyone talented who stayed there more than a couple years. But, given that, it probably does make it somewhat more bearable if you can bring your pet in to work.

    • Only for the dog owners themselves. If my company started to allow coworkers bringing in their ugly, smelly "fur babies" to the office, I would quit the next day.

      • I was at a small technology company where they hired a guy, maybe 5 years out of college. Open floorplan, rows of tables, with coders, and similar people. Third day of his hire he shows up with a like a 50lb golden retriever. Apparently didn't ask anyone, not even his direct manager. And there wasn't a HR dept per se.
        Maybe a 1/3 of the office is like "Oh, so cute, so nice, our new office mascot". Another third were like "I don't care, I'm busy" and the remaining 1/3 were definitely not dog people. I

  • Do they allow the same for kids? (Score:3)

    by turp182 ( 1020263 ) on Sunday February 26, 2023 @01:15PM (#63324596) Journal

    Most people will help a dog in distress.

    Most people will avoid a human in distress.

    Corporations are no different.

    It isn't surprising they would treat dogs better than people, it's human nature (and thus corporate nature, it's an easy way of appearing to care).

  • I think the office returning will mostly be in Seattle. So many Amazon employees who aren't in Seattle are working in different continents, even on the same teams. So even if offices are near them, there won't be much synergy involved in being in the office anyway. I personally expect this drive to get employees to come back is also pushed along by the local Seattle government, either directly or indirectly. Most downtowns are hit hard without having the secondary business that office employees bring, and

  • Interesting place that Seattle office (Score:5, Interesting)

    by ukoda ( 537183 ) on Sunday February 26, 2023 @01:44PM (#63324668) Homepage
    I flew from New Zealand to the Amazon building in Seattle, in part to help with some equipment we had supplied. I was impressed with the employees coming and going with their dogs. I was less impressed when I was told I was not allowed in the room where our equipment was set up and ended up providing support via phone from a cafeteria. That went on my list of "you can't make this stuff up".
  • The place is gone to the dogs.

  • Does this mean all dogs have to return to on-site work, too?

    Even pre-pandemic, most dogs were allowed to work remotely!

  • Dog Is My Copilot

    Oh, wait, no...my Copilot is Microsoft.
    Sorry for the confusion.

  • Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • So all the dog-allergy sufferers... (Score:3)

    by nospam007 ( 722110 ) * on Sunday February 26, 2023 @03:14PM (#63324858)

    ...can work from home forever?

    • I suspect if you can get a doctors note claiming debilitating allergies, you could file lawsuit under the ADA.

    • So all the dog-allergy sufferers ... can work from home forever?

      I resemble that remark!

      (Fortunately it's a contact allergy. Like them but can't touch them or have to immediately wash up or itch and have skin eruptions. Can't let them climb up in greeting or hang out in a place they frequent.)

      Good thing I was never tempted to work for Amazon.)

      • "(Fortunately it's a contact allergy. Like them but can't touch them or have to immediately wash up or itch and have skin eruptions. Can't let them climb up in greeting or hang out in a place they frequent.)"

        Yes, if they are no poodles, they shed and their hair flies around, also, people pet them and touch the doorknobs, phones, tap....

  • Dogs don't belong in workplaces (Score:3)

    by RightwingNutjob ( 1302813 ) on Sunday February 26, 2023 @04:11PM (#63324960)

    Dogs are like small children that never grow up. Actually they're worse. A small child can be made to understand when it's time to be quiet. Dogs will raise a racket any time they see another dog, a person they've never seen before, a person they've seen every day for years...who the hell needs that at work when you can get your fill listening to your neighbors' dogs screaming their lungs out at any hour of any day that ends in a y?

    • I worked at a place with a dog policy. One guy had to keep his dog in a crate in his office because it was vicious. Everyone hated going to his office because you were in for an earful. Most everyone else that brought a dog had a work-friendly dog and it was fine.

    • Dogs are like small children that never grow up. Actually they're worse. A small child can be made to understand when it's time to be quiet. Dogs will raise a racket any time they see another dog, a person they've never seen before, a person they've seen every day for years...who the hell needs that at work when you can get your fill listening to your neighbors' dogs screaming their lungs out at any hour of any day that ends in a y?

      This. I have never understood the obsession with dogs, especially from women. They act like they are better than people, because 'they love you unconditionally', (something that they themselves are likely incapable of). Dogs are small children that never grow up, and are a continual responsibility that takes way from building actual relationships with actual people. If you feel that you're only real close relationships are with dogs, then you need some therapy.

    • Then again, you can shoot a dog that attacks you. You can't do that ... ok, not legally at least, with children.

    • Dogs and children are the same... their owners are to blame for their bad behavior. Too bad we can't put parents in the pound - I would send my neighbors there in a heartbeat because their kids love screaming like they're dying in a fire (one can hope) at 8am just outside my office window. I mean it's totally my fault for having PTSD. At least that was their attitude when I approached them about it.

  • I worked at AWS about a 8 years ago. Dogs were allowed into the corporate offices even then, and it was very common for employees to bring them in.

  • Pets should not be brought into the office. I am allergic to cats and dogs and many years ago I had one manager started bringing his Irish Setter into the office with him a few days a week. From the moment I stepped through the office door, I could tell if he had brought the dog with him. I grimaced and took some antihistamines. This caused me to be groggy and not perform as well at my sysadmin tasks. At my quarterly review I was asked why my performance had declined, and eventually I let on that I had to t

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