Dogs in the workplace

Q: My employer is very flexible and cool. We can dress how we want to dress. We can work from home. A few people have started bringing their dogs to work. I like dogs but I was bitten by a dog several years ago and so now I am reluctant to approach a dog. Some of the dogs roam the hallways and it makes me nervous. All the dogs seem nice but so did the dog that bit me!

A: Your employer sounds very progressive! How wonderful that you are given a lot of flexibility around dress and telecommuting.

Some of my clients permit employees to bring dogs to work. I understand your concern. No one should have to be fearful if they walk to the men's room.

When an employer permits a dog to accompany an owner to work, most employers share a few requirements to ensure the safety of all:

1. A current vet record should be provided saying that the animal is up to date on all vaccinations, etc.
2. The dog must be house-trained and well-behaved with no history of aggressive behavior.
3. All dogs should be treated humanely and given water and breaks outside on a regular basis.
4. The dog must be restrained while on company property. Some dog owners use crates while some use baby gates or leashes.
5. Create spaces where pets are not allowed. Examples include kitchens, bathrooms and conference rooms.

The landlord should also be notified in advance. Some companies require a signed legal release from the dog owner before bringing the dog into the workplace.

You could explain your concerns to your employer and ask them to limit the dogs' ability to roam freely. It sounds like that dogs at a distance may be ok for you but you prefer not to run into them unexpectedly.

One of my clients allows employees to bring in their dogs but only on Fridays. A scheduled day might be a reasonable compromise. That way you could schedule your work-at-home day on Friday and dog owners could bring their dogs to work on Fridays.

I love most dogs but like you, I am reluctant to approach a dog I don't know. More and more companies like Amazon and Ben and Jerry's allow dogs in their workplaces. I think it is wise to provide rules to employees on bringing pets into the workplace so everyone shares an understanding of how it will work.

Pattie Hunt Sinacole, owner of two wonderful rescue dogs, is a human resources expert and works for First Beacon Group in Hopkinton, an HR consulting firm. She contributes weekly to Boston.com Jobs and the Boston Sunday Globe Money & Careers section. Click here to read about more employment topics in The Job Doc Blog at Boston.com.

Anticipating feedback from a supervisor

Q: I recently took a job that I love. I graduated from college about three years ago and this is my second job. I enjoy my co-workers and the work is interesting. My supervisor has these meetings every few months called "feedback meetings." I have not had one but I am sure my time is coming. During these meetings, she tells the employee what they do wrong and how the employee makes her look bad. I am dreading these meetings. What can I do to prepare?

A: Congratulations on your new role. Feedback can be helpful if delivered in a constructive way. It sounds like your supervisor is attempting to give her team members helpful feedback but it is being received a more punitive way. Or perhaps you are just hearing what employees are concerned about and not the content of the entire meeting? In reality, these meetings may be more balanced (with your supervisor sharing both positive and negative feedback) but you are only hearing about the worst part of these meetings. Is your supervisor negative in general, on a day-to-day basis, or is it just what you have heard about these meetings that is your concern?

A few thoughts on preparing for these meetings:

1. Walk in with a positive attitude. Smile and be open with your both language. Use good eye contact. 
2. Have a pen and a notepad handy to write down anything important. It also shows interest. 
3. Share your thoughts about how the first few months have gone. Be candid but be sure to offer some positive feedback too. It sounds like you find the work interesting and have developed positive relationships with your peers. 
4. If your supervisor truly heaps on the negative feedback, ask her if you can share some of the highlights and some of your accomplishments. Be prepared with a short list of accomplishments before you walk into the room. 
5. Thank your supervisor for her time. Feedback can be just as hard to give as it is to receive.

Sometimes the anticipation of a meeting is worse than the meeting itself. After you have had your "feedback meeting," you will be able to judge whether balanced feedback is delivered or truly this is a "dump" of negative feedback.

Job Doc chat with Pattie Hunt Sinacole @ Boston.com 09-08-14

This week Pattie answered questions about changing careers, the engineering field, resume building, resume writing, volunteering, career advancement, interviewing, high demand careers and healthcare jobs. Read the transcript at http://www.boston.com/jobs/news/jobdoc/2014/09/monday_noon_job_doc_chat_with.html.

Pattie Hunt Sinacole is a human resources expert and works for First Beacon Group in Hopkinton, an HR consulting firm. She contributes weekly to Boston.com Jobs and the Boston Sunday Globe Money & Careers section.

Meal breaks for part-timers in Massachusetts

Q: I am a part-time employee who works about 20 hours per week in an office. I work five days per week and I usually arrive at 10am and work until about 2:30pm. All of my colleagues leave for lunch around noon and return back at around 1pm. I do not get a lunch break even though I am there at noon. I have asked my supervisor several times because this seems unreasonable to me. At my last job, I was eligible for a lunch break. I would prefer to get an hour and work later. Can I request that?

A: In Massachusetts, there are laws which govern meal breaks within the workplace. Employees must receive a 30-minute meal break after working six continuous hours. During this meal break an employee should be able to leave the workplace. An employee can voluntarily decide to work through a meal break but then this period of time must be compensated. Meal breaks are most often unpaid. There are some exceptions to this meal break law but they are limited. The exceptions include employees working within certain industries where it would be difficult to disrupt a specific process like dyeing clothes or printing newspapers.

From what you have shared, it sounds like your regular schedule is less than six hours per day. You may have been hired to cover lunch breaks to enable your fellow employees to leave the workplace with minimal disruption to your employer's office. You are probably not legally eligible for a meal break based on your current schedule. You can request a meal break but that does not mean your request will be honored. If you work longer days on occasion, you should be given a meal break if you are working more than six hours in a single work day.

For more information about how the meal break laws work in Massachusetts, visit http://www.mass.gov/ago/doing-business-in-massachusetts/labor-laws-and-public-construction/wage-and-hour/meal-breaks.html.

Pattie Hunt Sinacole is a human resources expert and works for First Beacon Group in Hopkinton, an HR consulting firm. She contributes weekly to Boston.com Jobs and the Boston Sunday Globe Money & Careers section. Click here to read about more employment topics in The Job Doc Blog at Boston.com.

Employed but overwhelmed

http://www.boston.com/jobs/news/jobdoc/2014/06/overwhelmed_but_employed_after.html

Name confusion!

http://www.boston.com/jobs/news/jobdoc/2014/06/name_confusion.html

How to convey work ethic during a job search

http://www.boston.com/jobs/news/jobdoc/2014/03/how_to_convey_a_strong_work_et.html