A Casual Look at Business Casual

Contributed by Elaine Landau

Once upon a time, somebody proposed Casual Fridays. Monday through Thursday, employees were starched and serious. Then, on Friday, they would cut loose with a pair of jeans. The jeans were ironed, of course. And some guys still managed to keep the tie on.

Fast-forward a few years. You have an interview with an award-winning ad agency. The office is richly appointed with impressive awards filling the walls. The Creative Director who is clad in a halter-top and shorts greets you. Why is she dressed like Gwen Stefani? It’s Monday. In the neighboring office backpacks have replaced briefcases. Shoes are now flip-flops. Message tees have replaced button-down shirts. Has the world gone completely mad?

Good News, Bad News.
According to recent reports, casual dress in the workplace has its advantages. Coworkers tend to be more comfortable working with each other, promoting a friendly, casual atmosphere. Unfortunately, studies have also shown that casual attire in the office has also promoted lower work productivity, absenteeism, tardiness, and an overall lack of loyalty to the company. Friendliness sometimes slides into inappropriate behavior that leads to complaints and sometimes to lawsuits. Foul language and inappropriate topics of conversation were also sited as problems resulting from employees wearing casual business clothes.

Mixed Messages.
Ad agencies, computer geek operations, and other creative environments embrace casual dress. Creative juices flow easier for BoBo-the-copywriter and Doogie-designer when they dress in ripped jeans and holey tees. But if you enter an office of gray cubicles, can you expect conservatively dressed employees? Not anymore. The word is out. Casual is in.

Home, Casual, Home.
Some workers with a penchant for wearing pajama-type clothes to work have elected to open home offices. With basic Internet training, you can research anything in your bathrobe. Meetings can take place online. You don’t need to hire a staff when you can learn anything on the computer. Online tutorials for Word, Photoshop®, and PowerPoint® are available 24 hours a day. Basic Excel® training and online QuickBooks® courses can turn you into a one-person-wearing-a-bathrobe operation.

Put on Your Best Face.
Some small companies have determined that certain people should dress to impress. The receptionist, for one, is the first person visitors encounter when entering a business. If that business wants to have a professional appearance, a written dress code might be considered for the receptionist and any other employee who encounters the public as part of their job description.

The Good Old Days.
I for one used to enjoy dressing up for work. It marked the end of my weekend and the beginning of my workweek. I liked the delineation. Now it’s all blended together like a really bad smoothie. I want to look at my male counterparts and see coworkers. I do not want to see biceps or chest hair. My fellow female workers become upset if some guy makes a sexual reference. Why aren’t they upset that female managers are showing more skin than cocktail waitresses?

Studies do indicate that there is a developing trend in which businesses are once again implementing written dress codes in the workplace. It has been determined that there's a direct correlation between how an employee dresses and how that employee acts, thinks, and feels, and how coworkers respond. Customers might well have a say in what they expect when they encounter your employees. Business owners would do well to listen.

Put It in Writing.
If you are uncomfortable with how your fellow employees are dressed, or undressed, at work, talk to your HR department. A written dress code is the best protection for employees as well as business owners in these litigious times. With the written list of dress code requirements and a list of consequences for noncompliance, employees will know that they are subject to written reprimands as well as suspensions if the code is not followed.

If common sense guidelines are put in place, we might be able to return to a kinder, gentler time when I didn’t see my supervisor’s long armpit hair or the receptionist’s chicken chest. Some things are better left unseen.

Excel and PowerPoint are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Photoshop is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the U.S. and other countries. QuickBooks is a registered trademark of Intuit Inc., or one of its subsidiaries, in the U.S. and other countries.

About the Author:
Elaine Landau is a freelance writer, publicist, web site editor, and television writer with more than 15 years of experience in marketing, advertising, and publicity.

This article is intended for general informational purposes and does not provide legal or other professional advice. All trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners. Please read our disclaimer for additional terms and conditions governing access to and use of this article.