Does casual dress code increase productivity at work?

samantha.l

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The corporate world of America is diverse in all aspects. Whether it is workforce, organizational culture, or dress code you see a variety every day. Focusing on the aspect of dress code, some companies impose strict dress codes, while others prefer their employees to work in as much casual and comfortable attire as it can be. Smart casuals are another emerging norm in companies throughout the United States.

The dress code of an organization depends on various factors such as nature of work, organizational structure, and management preference. For instance, if a company works in an industry where employees have to face customers then smart casuals and formal attire are preferable for employees. Financial institutions and law firms are examples of such organizations. Some companies have a hierarchal structure and conservative culture so the management regulates a buttoned-up and strictly formal dress code for their employees. Offices with informal and back-office work cultures do not usually focus on the dress code, while companies who want to present a casual and modern outlook like a tech company with young employees specifically want their employees to dress casually or in smart casuals such as jeans and casual work shirts.

The trend of casual Fridays was started in the 1940s when Honolulu workers started getting the leverage of wearing bright Aloha shirts. Then Levis jumped in to grasp the marketing opportunity to promote its range of chinos. Levis sent a "Guide to casual business wear" to 25,000 companies. The guide played an important role in setting the trend of Dress down Fridays in the US. Currently, an informal survey reveals that 62% of US companies allow employees to dress in casuals at least on Fridays while 36% have a casual dress code for the entire week. 36% although isn’t a very high ratio but it is a remarkable increase from 19% of 2014. The upsurge in statistics implies that the paradigm is gradually shifting towards casual dress code in at least the US corporate realm.

One of the reasons observed for the shift in official dressing style is that young employees and entrepreneurs believe that casual is comfortable and comfort gives more flexibility and relaxation to the employees which results in increased productivity.

On listing down the perks of a casual dress code that can positively impact productivity, first and foremost is that there would be less fuss in the morning to dress up which will decrease the time of getting ready. As a result, employees will reach the offices on time. Less energy will be consumed in ironing a blazer and employees will be fresher and more energetic at work. Formal attire, for instance, high heels and neckties cause discomfort to many people which disrupts their focus. An out of focus employee is obviously less productive than a focused employee. Zuckerberg is a great advocate of casual work attire. He says that wearing hoodies on daily basis gives him the luxury of taking one less decision every day, which gives him a bit more time to focus on more important tasks.

Despite the mentioned facts, there are still those traditionalists who believe in the buttoned-down approach of dress code at work. There are even those who think that if employees are dressed casually then the same is seen in their work attitude i-e they take their work casually too. Due to the indecisiveness in this regard, even among management of the same organization, workplaces prefer to implement a middle-of-the-road approach towards the dress code i-e smart-casual dressing. For example, casual work shirts with jeans or cotton pants, cardigans, and jeans but not chinos, etc., etc.

When we look to other countries around the globe, we find a similar mixed approach towards the matter of official dress code. The German pharmaceutical company, Roche Pharma AG, believes in a relaxed dress code but regulates the employees to “dress appropriately”. In a nutshell, Roche Pharma AG although encourages the employees to dress comfortably so they can spend their days undistracted behind the desks but they encourage suits on more formal business occasions. Coming back to the US, Mary Barra, the CEO of General Motors has recently introduced a mixed approach i-e business casual dress code in her US offices too. It can be seen that a flexible, middle-of-the-road approach to the official dress code is becoming a new norm in the current corporate realm era.

In order to cater to this mixed approach, there are many workwear sellers now who are offering products that fit in all categories. They sell wholesale shirts that fit in all categories if worn with certain trousers or accessories. For example, if worn with chinos they become casual, give a formal look when paired with dress pants and blazers, and fall in the category of smart casual if donned with cotton pants. The companies can buy casual work shirts in bulk from online wholesalers very conveniently if they desire uniformity in their employees' dress code, casual or formal.
 
Where I used to work we could wear jeans on Friday but that doesn't mean that people worked harder that day because they were more comfortable. It was a day we got off early anyway so people tried hard not to do anything in the first place!

I do know that women had a stricter dress code than men and that frustrated me that even open toed sandals were not allowed. Why not? Are toes too sexy?
 
My workplace is pretty relaxed and honestly I rather work in jeans and loose clothing than tight clothing. I hate button up shirts and suits.
 
Where I used to work we could wear jeans on Friday but that doesn't mean that people worked harder that day because they were more comfortable. It was a day we got off early anyway so people tried hard not to do anything in the first place!

I do know that women had a stricter dress code than men and that frustrated me that even open toed sandals were not allowed. Why not? Are toes too sexy?
That would likely be discriminatory here.

Also some people do find toes sexy ??
 
I believe that comfortable clothing increases the productivity of an employee. But this does not mean that women should come to work in mini skirts or men in shorts. Comfortable clothes suggest something casual and preferably dim. Office suits are too uncomfortable, and when an employee has to wear them to the office every day, he gets tired. My employees can come to work in simple straight-cut jeans and T-shirts. I wear shoes from the online store forstep style to the office, which is quite appropriate. It is important that the clothes are comfortable and not an attempt at self-expression.
 

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