How to Accommodate Animals in the Office
8.7.2026
An increasing number of people require animals to manage physical or mental disabilties. But what does that mean for the workplace?
The New York State Bar Association hosted a program to cover what employers should know if employees need a furry companion in the office. More than 180 people attended the webinar.
The speakers were:
- Christopher Collins, partner at Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton in New York City.
- Debra Vey Voda-Hamilton, principal at Hamilton Law and Mediation in New York City.
- Kate Hancock, director of human resources at Saint Elizabeth Community in Warwick, Rhode Island.
Iyana Titus, chair of the Labor and Employment Section, led the program.
The panelists explained that service animals are trained to assist disabled people with tasks – like a reminder to take medication. Emotional support animals provide comfort, companionship, and reduce stress – often for people with psychological issues.
“An emotional support animal is not considered a service animal, because they’re not actually performing a task,” said Hancock. “Things like the comfort of the owner, that is not considered a task.”
While service animals are clearly defined under federal law, emotional support animals fall under the broader category of reasonable accommodations. New York City’s law is more specific and requires employers and employees to have a cooperative dialogue beforehand.
“That is a legally mandated, good faith conversation between the employer and the employee, in which both parties explore the accommodation together, consider alternatives, and document the outcome,” said Voda-Hamilton. “That conversation, that cooperative dialogue, is something you must do.”
Voda-Hamilton’s practice is dedicated to mediation in animal-related disputes.
The presenters explained that this is a way to hash out potential conflicts and concerns, like if the animal will be a distraction or if other employees have allergies or fear of animals.
“It’s not just a blanket yes or no when the employee makes the reasonable accommodation request,” said Titus. “It really is about speaking with the employee, speaking with the supervisor, trying to decipher the essential functions of the job, trying to understand the nature of the accommodation, if there’s an undue hardship.”
For those reasons, it is recommended to try a trial period before fully incorporating service animals. The panelists also advised having clear, documented expectations regarding the cleaning, care and behavior of an animal, as well as interactions with clients and other employees.
“It’s very important to establish what the expectations are – once you’ve approved an accommodation – as to how this works out in the workplace,” said Collins. “Probably more so with respect to animals… They’re sentient beings who are going to behave the way they’re going to behave, so understanding the rules of the road are really important.”
Collins said that allowing animals also depends on the type and the nature of the work.
“There’s been case law involving pharmacies, for example, where there’s been arguments that having an animal in a sterile environment may compromise the integrity of the operation in some way,” said Collins. “Those are all things that have to be worked out in an interactive process.”
The program was sponsored by the association’s Labor and Employment Law Section and Animals and the Law Committee.
