London’s 137-year-old law firm Slaughter and May is so old-school that its partners have their own dining room and wearing brown shoes was until recently deemed a no-no.
So in 2022, when the firm announced a trial to allow people to bring their dogs to work, like some sort of ghastly tech company, it caused a stir.
I am pro-dog, and cat for that matter, though only those that meet certain standards of size (chunky) and temperament (obedient and remorselessly adoring). So I was pleased when the firm’s policy became permanent, if only for one day a month.
Lately, though, I have been wondering if even this would last in a world where pandemic-era work perks seem to be waning as fast as you can say “return-to-office mandate”.
Sure enough, when I called Slaughter and May the other day I learned the dog-friendly office was no more. The practice had faded away when an office refurbishment began, and once the work finished a decision was made not to revive it.
This puts the law firm bang on trend at a time when employers are paring back staff benefits. But the strange thing is, staff may not care nearly as much as you might think.
The share of UK posts on the Indeed jobs site that mention at least one type of benefit, be it childcare, career development or commuting help, was 65 per cent in September, down from 67 per cent a year earlier – though still nearly triple what it was in 2018.
Dog rules may help explain the slippage.
Flexa, a careers site that matches employers and job hunters with particular workplace requirements, says the portion of employers using its platform that offered dog-friendly offices fell by 28 per cent in the 12 months to March 2026, compared with the same period in 2023.
But the share of workers who actually looked for a job allowing hounds fell by an even larger 54 per cent.
Demand has also fallen for other benefits, such as early-finish Fridays in summer (worker searches fell 36 per cent) and unlimited leave (down 24 per cent).
But it is quite different when it comes to fully flexible hours, personal development and especially health insurance, where employer supply has risen and employee demand has soared.
This suggests that lifestyle perks are not driving job choices as much as they once did, Flexa co-founder Molly Johnson-Jones tells me. “People are prioritising security, progression and control over their time above perks.”
The thing about perks, though, is that once they have been offered they can be hard to take back, even if rarely used.
Some benefits, including fertility procedures such as sperm testing, are used by fewer than 1 per cent of a workforce, according to Heka, a platform helping employers offer benefits staff actually value.
It reckons employees are disenchanted with what often feel like irrelevant or performative benefits. Meanwhile, employers are waking up to the fact that what employees say they want often differs from what they actually use.
A group like Heka might say this, but it sounds plausible to me. Were I asked to list desirable perks, I would doubtless name everything from gym memberships and health insurance, which I would surely use, to sleep apps and nutrition guides, which I would probably forget about.
Getting back to dog policies, they may not be what they were but the canine-owning classes need not despair. Some of the biggest names in business remain irretrievably in favour of pooch-peppered workplaces.
Google’s pet-friendly policies have been a “cherished” part of its culture for decades, I was told by a spokesperson for the tech giant, where most offices have water bowls and snacks at designated “pet stations”. Hounds will be welcome in the company’s new headquarters in London’s King’s Cross.
It’s a similar story at chocolate bar maker and pet food supremo Mars.
Dogs have been allowed in its central London offices for nearly a decade and even longer elsewhere. They have their own access passes and their owners get 10 hours of paid “pawternity” leave to help settle in new pets.
Such things may be small beer when job-eating AI and Middle East crises make one pleased to be employed at all. Other benefits are obviously valued more. But anything that helps to ease stress is not nothing in an uncertain working world that shows little sign of improvement any time soon. – Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2026
