Roch Dog Workplace Standard

RDWS-01 · Roch Dog Standards

An open standard defining the dog friendly workplace, balancing a welcome for dogs against protection for the colleagues who cannot share space with one.

01 What It Is

The Roch Dog Workplace Standard, published as RDWS-01, defines what it means for an office or comparable workplace to be dog friendly, where employees bring their own dogs to work. It addresses a claim employers make often and verify rarely, and rests on a principle with two halves: a workplace must welcome and provide properly for dogs, and it must do so without forcing any colleague into proximity with a dog against a genuine medical or comparable need. It is published openly to read.

02 What It Covers

Fifteen requirements sit under three pillars. Fair and transparent terms cover a published policy, consistent criteria, no blanket breed or size ban, a transparent process, and honest, stable terms. Welfare covers water and a place to settle, a safe environment, relief and exercise, breaks, stress relief, and the removal of a dog that poses a risk. A third pillar, which a home does not need, protects co-workers: a genuine, confidential consent process and dog-free areas for those who cannot share space with a dog.

03 How It Is Checked

Assessment is binary: every requirement must be met, and failing any single one is a Not Certified outcome, with no partial passes or public scores. Certification is carried out by Roch Dog, the standard’s body, or a licensed assessor, against the published text. The standard is open to read but cannot be self-declared; a workplace is placed in relation to it only through assessment.

04 Why It Matters

“Dog friendly office” has become a recruitment and culture claim with no agreed meaning, and the field around it is full of self-declared badges and one-day campaigns. No regulator or standards body had defined what such a workplace must actually do, for the dog or for the people who share the room. This standard supplies that definition, and is unusual in protecting the colleague who cannot be near a dog as explicitly as it provides for the dog.

Common Questions

Is it law?

No. It is a published, open standard, RDWS-01, defining what it means for a workplace to be dog friendly where employees bring their own dogs. It is free to read.

Who runs it?

Roch Dog, the standard’s body, which certifies against it directly or through a licensed assessor.

What does it cover?

Fifteen requirements under three pillars: fair and transparent terms, the dog’s welfare through the day, and a third pillar protecting colleagues, a genuine confidential consent process and dog-free areas for those who cannot share space with a dog.

How is it assessed?

Assessment is binary: every requirement must be met, and failing any single one is a Not Certified outcome, with no partial passes or public scores. It cannot be self-declared.

What makes it unusual?

It protects the colleague who cannot be near a dog as explicitly as it provides for the dog, balancing a welcome against a genuine medical or comparable need.

Why does it matter?

“Dog friendly office” has become a culture claim with no agreed meaning, full of self-declared badges and one-day campaigns. This standard supplies the definition no regulator had.

Primary sources

Roch Dog Workplace Standard (RDWS-01)rochstandard.com