Canine Companions Raising Resolve at Emerald PUD

An Ian Bledsoe Special Report

April’s issue of NWPPA’s Bulletin magazine had an article by Kristine Lindemulder titled “Maintaining EPUD’s Workplace Culture Through the Pandemic” (Page 18). The article briefly mentioned that they, “… took pleasure in having the well-behaved dogs join them at work. With the office being closed to the public and only a small number of employees regularly in the building, these furry visitors could always be counted on the generate smiles and lift spirits.” My spirit was lifted just reading about it, but I wanted to know more, so I called to talk with Emerald PUD’s Human Resources Coordinator, Alicia Burgess.

They said that the practice of having dogs in the office started organically, when during a storm a few years ago a key employee was required to be in the office during power restoration efforts, but had nobody to care for their dog. That employee was allowed to bring their dog to the office for the duration of the event, and it worked well. The dog was well behaved and brought an added benefit in the form of higher morale and cheer in a stressful time.

Fast forward to the pandemic: fewer people in the office and no customers meant fewer interactions. Several employees sought and were granted approval from department managers to bring their dogs into the office from time to time. More employees noticed the canine companions in the office, and got approval to bring their own dogs in. Alicia said that having a dog in your office provides a great incentive for other coworkers walking past to dive in for a quick chat and a head pat.

It’s understood by staff that it’s not something that can be done every day, and of course only well-behaved dogs are allowed. Alicia said that in line with EPUD’s value of empowerment, dog owners self-manage the amount of time and locations their dogs accompany them in the office.

It’s unclear how long the practice will continue as restrictions relax and more employees are coming back into the office. The situation is being monitored, and of course may change for a host of reasons down the road. Alicia specifically mentioned a fear that an employee would want the same allowance to bring their pet snake to work – a fear we both share.