Central Chapter: HYBRID Paws at Works: How Dog-Friendly Culture Boosts Employee Well-Being


Register Online
Register Mail/Fax
Date and Time:

Starts: 10/21/2025 5:30 PM

Ends: 10/21/2025 8:00 PM

Registration Closes:10/12/2025 8:00 AM

Event Type: Professional Development

1.5 Hours Hour(s)

Location:
Ted Rogers School of Management 55 Dundas Street West Room# TRS 1-148 & 1-150 Toronto, ON

Price:


LIMITED SEATING
HRPA Members: FREE (included in membership dues)

Non-Members:
IN-PERSON: $125 + tax

Non-Members:
VIRTUAL: $35 + tax

Join HRPA Now

Availability

Additional Information

THIS EVENT WILL NOT BE RECORDED. REMINDER! Our cancellation policy has changed. Click here for more information.

Event Sponsor

In today’s rapidly evolving workplace, employee relationships with dogs are becoming more prominent and meaningful than ever. As Millennials and Gen Z increasingly welcome dogs into their lives, often in addition to, if not in lieu of, children, the need to balance work and pet care is becoming a real and pressing challenge for many employees. For these dynamic workforce demographics, caring for a dog is not only a lifestyle choice, but a key part of daily responsibilities and well-being.


Despite growing evidence that pet-friendly policies, including welcoming dogs in the workplace, can boost morale, engagement, and overall employee well-being, most organizations have yet to formally acknowledge and respond to this shift. The demand for pet-friendly workplaces is outpacing actual policy adoption, even as research evidences that supporting employees’ relationships with their pets can have positive impacts on mental health, stress reduction, and work-life balance.


This session explores why the human-dog bond is not just a personal matter, but a workplace issue worth addressing. We will examine the driving forces behind pet-friendly work environments, why organizations are only beginning to respond, and how supporting employees with pets is about more than offering perks, but representative of a broader commitment to employee well-being, inclusion, and work-life integration. Participants will gain practical insights into what enables or limits pet-friendly initiatives and how these align with core human resource management competencies, including ethical leadership, relationship management, and organizational effectiveness.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

  • Identify ways to support employee mental health and engagement by fostering dog-friendly practices that enhance well-being and work-life balance.
  • Understand the key psychological, social, and generational trends driving interest in pet-friendly workplaces and apply these insights to promote inclusion and holistic wellness among staff.
  • Assess your organization’s readiness for pet-friendly initiatives and develop practical strategies to overcome barriers, ensuring these efforts deliver meaningful well-being benefits for all employees.ppreciating the connection between dog ownership, well-being, and work performance.
  • Understanding the driving forces behind the rising interest in pet-friendly workplaces.
  • Appreciating the factors that enable companies to be pet-friendly and avoid potential barriers.

AGENDA

5:00 PM – Registration

5:30–6:30 PM – Dinner (In-Person Only)

6:30–8:00 PM – Presentation (In-Person and Virtual)

Virtual attendees can log in 15 minutes early and will remain in the lobby until the presentation begins.

8:00 PM Conclusion

Registration Difficulties or Questions: Please reach out to Tammy Williams, Specialist, Member Engagement

 

Speaker bio(s)
Tina Sharifi

Tina Sharifi is a doctoral candidate at York University’s School of Human Resource Management in Toronto, Canada. Her research interests include intersectionality in leadership and the workplace, authentic leadership, calling, women’s health in organizations, and the role of companion animals. Tina has presented her work at national and international conferences and on media platforms, earning recognition and awards for her work. Her research has been published in the International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education and several practitioner-oriented journals. She teaches Human Resource Management and Organizational Behaviour courses at various Canadian post-secondary institutions and brings over eight years of industry experience in the HR field. Outside of academia, she enjoys tossing a frisbee and people-watching with her Border-Aussie dog, Fred, and baking newly discovered dessert recipes she finds online.

Souha Ezzedeen

Souha R. Ezzedeen, Ph.D. is a tenured Associate Professor at the School of Human Resource Management and founder and head trainer at Way of Life Dog Training. Souha obtained her doctorate in Management and Organizational Behavior and Development in 2003 from the School of Business at the George Washington University, Washington, DC (USA). She has been engaged in university-level teaching since 2000 and is the recipient of numerous teaching, research, and service awards and commendations. Souha’s research interests focus on topics at the intersection of work-life balance, gender, careers, and companion dogs. Dr. Ezzedeen’s work has appeared in scholarly journals such as Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Personnel Review, Psychological Reports, and Journal of Family Issues, among others, as well as practice-oriented journals such as Organizational Dynamics. Outside of work and career, Souha enjoys all things dogs - including dog sports, hiking, and enjoying the great outdoors with her three shepherds.