Loosening the corporate noose

"Jagvar" (Jagvar) 10/29/2015 at 13:57 • Filed to: None

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I just heard today that, for the first time in its nearly 50-year history, my company is letting go of the corporate dress code and adopting a casual dress code going forward (every day now, instead of just Fridays). I am thinking this now gives me the freedom to go to work dressed as a pirate.

RallyWrench > Jagvar 10/29/2015 at 14:06

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You’ve got to be sneaky about it, though. You can’t just show up on day one of the new rules having gone full pirate. Never go full pirate, at first. Start small, with the eyepatch, and add a piece of pirate garb every day until you’ve completed the ensemble. By then, no one will even notice, and you’ll have them walking the plank in no time.

FKA-RacecaR > Jagvar 10/29/2015 at 14:07

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So, no more shoes at work then?

And actually, I had lunch with my dad today, and we talked about dress code at work. He asked why I never wear a tie, and I said because I didn’t want to, or have to. He told me it would be more professional if I did.

He is in his 70s. So when he was working in an office environment, casual Fridays wasn't even a thing.

HammerheadFistpunch > Jagvar 10/29/2015 at 14:07

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Not just the freedom, the moral obligation.

davedave1111 > Jagvar 10/29/2015 at 14:10

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“I am thinking this now gives me the freedom to go to work dressed as a pirate.”

What are you going to do, carry a bag of fake DVDs?

gin-san - shitpost specialist > Jagvar 10/29/2015 at 14:11

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I think I’m one of the few weird people that likes suits and ties. On the other hand, if I have a weekend where I don’t need to go outside (say, due to a gaming marathon or something) I won’t even bother wearing pants at home, so I guess it all balances out.

spanfucker retire bitch > Jagvar 10/29/2015 at 14:11

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I’ll never understand why the concept of “professional attire” in today’s work environment is still a thing. You should want your employees to dress as comfortable as possible - within reason of course - and that way they’ll give you the best work.

I’m pretty fortunate because despite working in the corporate HQ of my company, our little secluded set of offices and cubicles runs by a whole different ruleset. Everyday I show up jeans and sneakers, and basically all winter long at least half of us here wear hoodies. Meanwhile the rest of them across the hall are dressed up in dress pants, suits, ties, etc.

I always wonder what they think when they see us Drafters walk in and out of the main foyer dressed so casually compared to what they’re required to wear.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Jagvar 10/29/2015 at 14:16

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SHOES OPTIONAL NOW!

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Jagvar 10/29/2015 at 14:16

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How did you manage it before without owning shoes? My work freaked out at me for putting a green streak in my hair.

Future next gen S2000 owner > gin-san - shitpost specialist 10/29/2015 at 14:19

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This.

I’m the only one in my office who wears actual business attire - pants, dress shirt - basically business casual. Even my boss shows up in jeans and sneakers. Outside of the office, board shorts, a t-shirt and flip flops regardless of where I go.

Jagvar > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 10/29/2015 at 14:21

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I own a pair of shoes (two, in fact!), but really only use them when necessary. I’ve worked in barefoot-friendly jobs where I just haven’t needed them, but in my current gig, I’ve needed shoes Monday through Thursday. Casual Friday, no one cares.

Jagvar > RallyWrench 10/29/2015 at 14:22

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This is brilliant.

PanchoVilleneuve ST > Jagvar 10/29/2015 at 14:22

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Show up in power armor. Mark IV “Maximus” Armor is my personal choice.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Jagvar 10/29/2015 at 14:22

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I used to work barefoot when I worked in a recording studio. It was so much better.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > RallyWrench 10/29/2015 at 14:22

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It’s true, save the tri tipped hat and hand hook for last.

smobgirl > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 10/29/2015 at 14:23

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We’ve always been pretty casual but the CEO thought it was fantastic when I showed up at our last holiday party with purple highlights.

Jagvar > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 10/29/2015 at 14:24

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Yeah, I used to work barefoot all the time when I worked for a newspaper, as long as I wasn’t conducting an interview. It was pretty great.

Tripper > gin-san - shitpost specialist 10/29/2015 at 14:25

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You’re not weird. Of course it depends on the job/industry but I have always dressed professionally even when I worked for companies that did not require it, and other employees dressed casual. It has served me well.

People think that it’s not a big deal, but it is. People might not notice if you dress casual, but they definitely will if you dress nice.

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > Jagvar 10/29/2015 at 14:27

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Where do you work now, I remember you saying quite a while back that you don’t work at VW anymore, but I can’t remember where you work now.

DrScientist > spanfucker retire bitch 10/29/2015 at 14:28

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clients are a big part of it.

if they never let you out of your hole in the back of the building, it doesn’t really matter what you wear. if youre supposed to meet with clients who provide the revenues there is a corporate “look” the company has decided it wants to project.

if your clients are old ladies who are worried about their pensions or that their life insurance is paid up, they expect some degree of formality.

if your clients are beach-dudes that smell of saltwater and surfwax, there’s a much different expectation.

even if youre not ALWAYS seeing a client, there’s also the expectation that a last minute client meeting might be scheduled.

then there’s also the patrick bateman peer pressure that exists between co-workers. and that’s a whole different beast.

RallyWrench > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. 10/29/2015 at 14:29

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I’ve seen it a thousand times. Start with the hook, hat, or peg leg and you’re blown. The blouse or eyepatch are subtle and won’t rouse suspicion. I’ve heard tell of brave souls starting with leather pants, but I wouldn’t advise it.

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > spanfucker retire bitch 10/29/2015 at 14:30

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I understand if your going to be in front of customers looking nice, but why when you work in a cubicle where no one sees you most of the day, should you be required to be totally uncomfortable. I think what should be required is like not a cut off top or absolutely crappy or ripped up clothes, I think for most days, jeans and polo shirts should be the most that can be required.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Jagvar 10/29/2015 at 14:31

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Wait. you don’t wear shoes? That’s awesome. I just wouldn’t wear shoes if I could get away with it.

Jagvar > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 10/29/2015 at 14:35

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Hey thanks! Based on my experience, you can probably get away with it a lot more than you’d think.

Jagvar > spanfucker retire bitch 10/29/2015 at 14:36

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Yep, if you’re not client-facing, the corporate dress code is kind of BS.

jariten1781 > spanfucker retire bitch 10/29/2015 at 14:37

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I’ve had customers specifically state that one of the reasons we were selected for a contract was because every employee, even the ones they passed in the halls, radiated professionalism. Part of that is dress. We’re a full business attire joint with exceptions for IT staff who wear a uniform (well, khakis and a company knit).

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Jagvar 10/29/2015 at 14:38

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I wear sandals basically every day because I can’t stand socks.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 10/29/2015 at 14:51

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How long have you been here? =)

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > spanfucker retire bitch 10/29/2015 at 14:53

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What kind of drafting? I use GIS quite a bit in my job.

I think the next time you walk into your offices, you should say loudly, “It sure it drafty in here!”

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/29/2015 at 14:54

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About a year.

spanfucker retire bitch > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/29/2015 at 14:56

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We’re primarily a UG NX drafting house.

spanfucker retire bitch > jariten1781 10/29/2015 at 14:58

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But that’s still part of the “professional attire” attitude, it’s just on the part of the clients instead of your bosses or co-workers, and it’s still nonsensical.

Your company could (I’m not saying is, I know nothing about you and your company) be the worst at delivering its intended service out of all its competitors, but you sure do a good job of exuding professionalism by having proper professional attire. But that doesn’t mean you’d do a better job than than Company X down the street where all of the employees wear jeans and polos.

That’s the point I’m getting at. How your workers dress rarely correlates with the quality of the work they put out, so I’ll never understand why it’s so important otherwise.

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > Jagvar 10/29/2015 at 15:14

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But chances are pretty good that your client is also going to be dressed in casual garb, except when meeting vendors in person, so it makes me wonder why everyone has to change their attire to meet in person. It just seems disingenuous on both sides.

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > gin-san - shitpost specialist 10/29/2015 at 15:18

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I still put on a suit and tie when I fly, harkening back to an age when flying was an event and not just a chore. Generally I fly standby, or at least as cheap as possible (without using Spirit or Allegiant), and find when things go pear shaped I tend to get better assistance from the airlines if I dress and act professionally. Pounding the counter and screaming “do you know who I am” really doesn’t seem to gain much traction with airline staff, as I witnessed the last time a flight I was booked on experienced a mechanical delay.

gin-san - shitpost specialist > Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. 10/29/2015 at 15:26

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I have to agree with you there, although I normally don’t put on a tie when I fly but I will wear a dress shirt and blazer. Also, if a flight is delayed or whatever the issue may be, it’s not like a flight is MAGICALLY going to happen by being angry at the staff. Really, I might be affable and joke around a little bit to get some extra drinks or food, but that’s really all I look for. I’ve worked in customer service, and the last thing I want to do is fuck with the people serving me.

On another note, does the "Do you know who I am?" ever come across as anything more than an empty threat? If they knew, they'd be giving you special treatment already, so you're a nobody otherwise. Also, if you were somebody that affluent and influential, you probably wouldn't be flying coach/economy.

jariten1781 > spanfucker retire bitch 10/29/2015 at 15:27

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I’m with you on the theoretical side, work should speak for itself. However, reality says customers only have a certain amount of time to evaluate RFPs. When 3 or 4 companies come out similar in objective metrics it’s the little things that make the difference.

It’s also part of etiquette. Why would a customer expect you to put in 100% on their project when you only have your staff put in 70% on themselves.

There are also social/personal norms that guide how we react with others. They’re not always cookbook logical but they unquestionably exist. People, in general, default to giving someone in a nice suit deference/respect more so than they do someone in jeans and a tee. Of course it can be overcome via straight up producing results...but if you never get in the door in the first place you aren’t even given the chance. Just because the ideal world would be merit driven doesn’t change the fact that there’re thousands of years of built in bias/culture/history in dress.

It’s all been studied as well. Numerous seminars I’ve been to had the same results. In a vacuum, when evaluating a potential hire/partner/firm people value in order: 1. Communication skills; 2. Appearance; 3. Presented Past Performance. Is that logical? Actually, kind of. Unless you have history with the person/company any past performance presented has to be read with a grain of salt. People plump up resumes, companies select successful past projects to present and bury skeletons, etc. Communication/appearance can be directly evaluated. Appearance shows an inherent attention to detail and small tasks which ostensibly ripple through to the tasks you’d assign.

I’ve personally never been in a position where selecting a sub came down to professional appearance. I frankly can’t picture it...but maybe it’ll happen at some point in the future. On the other hand (I know this is tangential), I have had numerous times where I’m evaluating a potential new hire and I have 3 or 4 folks who, on-paper, are equivalent. I’ve got one position to fill so it comes down to how they appear and communicate during the interview. Usually they’re all good, and if my first pick declines the offer I’ll send it down the line...but the best talker/most professional looking gets first dibs.

Wow I typed too much.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap 10/29/2015 at 15:35

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Just messing with you - Jagvar is famous around here for his hatred of shoes.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 10/29/2015 at 15:39

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I sorta guessed but had never asked outright.

Funktheduck > Jagvar 10/29/2015 at 15:42

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I wear whatever I want. The weather dictates my clothes more than anything else. I could dress like a panda if I wanted and no one could tell me not to.

Bengal55 > Jagvar 10/29/2015 at 16:31

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Time to bust out all those Hawaiian shirts!

Jagvar > Bengal55 10/29/2015 at 18:04

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Now when have you ever seen me in a Hawaiian shirt?

Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > Jagvar 10/29/2015 at 18:11

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You should be dressing as a pirate every Friday. It’s the pastafarian holy day

Bengal55 > Jagvar 10/29/2015 at 18:15

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Needs to be a thing:

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > smobgirl 10/30/2015 at 07:49

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Lucky. I’m guessing that if I didn’t have a penis, no one would have cared. In fact, I know it because I’m not the first to have done it. JUst the first guy to.