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[aa_subtitle_display]In today’s world, less and less companies are requiring their employees to dress “business professional” every day and more and more workplaces are going casual.
Jeans are not necessarily just for Friday’s anymore, people! In fact, CBS News surveyed 9,015 employees across all industries with casual dress codes and 60% of senior managers noted that going back to a more professional dress code would hurt employee productivity.
This movement has pros and cons, and it’s something for you to consider for your own business and office. We have examined the ups and downs for a casually dressed office and compiled them here for your review.
The Pros of a Casual Office
Comfort and flexibility
Allowing employees to dress casually to work allows them to also be more comfortable on a day-to-day basis. Let’s face it – dressing in a suit and tie or a blazer can be cumbersome and kind of irritating.
Dressing in jeans and a casual top every day can allow your employees more flexibility, too, as it can reduce the need to change for after work plans or can cut down on their “getting ready” time prior to work, allowing them to even come in earlier and spend more time working.
It enhances employee morale
Allowing employees to come into the office more casually can reduce their anxiety about their appearance and allow them to focus more solely on their work.
A more lax dress code can also save your employees money on clothes overall as well as dry cleaning, which will be sure to boost their mood.
The Cons of a Casual Office
It can be a slippery slope
When you instill a casual dress code at your office, it can easily slide into people dressing inappropriately.
Especially in the warmer months of summer, this could result in people becoming extremely relaxed in their attire, coming in in shorts and flip flops even.
A casual dress code certainly offers more ambiguity than a professional one does, meaning there is more risk of employees dressing inappropriately, putting you as the manager in an awkward situation.
It can come off as unprofessional
If you have an office that clients frequently visit, a casual dress code may come off as unprofessional and can give a poor impression.
While you could instill a policy for client visit dates that dictated professional attire instead of casual, this may not account for times when clients surprisingly drop by and catch you off-guard.
The Bottom Line
After exploring the pros and cons, the bottom line is that every office is different and has different factors to be considered when deciding the dress code. Your PEO can help navigate these waters and put the appropriate policies in place.
We can help partner you with the best PEO to match your needs and that will most effectively understand the way your business works as well as your employees. Contact us today for your free competitive analysis to begin your PEO search.
