We have written this article to help you decide what to wear for dress down day!
What is dress-down day? Well, according to the dictionary, dress-down day is a (business) day on which employees are allowed to wear informal clothing.
Dress down days began in the 1940’s in Hawaii, and they became a very popular trend within the workplace for many years, as it was new and exciting. It started to grow in popularity within many workplaces – from the US, to the UK. However, how do people feel about this idea 75 years later…?
There are many positive and negative aspects of this particular event; one being the effect it has on professional workers. Some people believe that ‘casual clothing’ encourages a ‘casual attitude’ towards work, which is seen to be unhelpful and unprofessional. Various people have stated that it can become quite difficult finding a perfect outfit that suits both smart and casual. Another source mentioned that there are still strict requirements that need to be met, such as health and safety regulations e.g. appropriate footwear. You wouldn’t wear open-toe-shoes in a warehouse for example!
After researching information online, it is clear to see that majority of workers, do in- fact prefer having ‘dress down days’. As it gives colleagues a bit of freedom within their working environment. It is revealed that 75-90% of companies in the US still have ‘dress down days’ on Friday’s.
Often used as a charity fun day too! Some people are very enthusiastic about this idea. As they see it as a regular reward for all their efforts and achievements throughout the week. It can be an exciting end to the week, as it could also be viewed as a ‘time saver’ on Friday mornings. Having something like this within the workplace, inspires there to have a gentle, more relaxed environment for the start of the weekend…
So how do we use it?
Carole Wilks, Director at Journey Recruitment writes “Before setting up Journey Recruitment. I had never experienced going to work “dressed-down” unless it was a specific one-off charity day or similar. However, it is something I always thought about as I noticed more and more companies were actually offering Dress-Down Friday. As an incentive or benefit whilst recruiting for staff. And now I know why!
At Journey Recruitment, we all come to work dressed-down on Friday and actually, its very liberating. I am keen to promote a friendly, fun, team environment. I do feel that the dressing down policy has its place here as we all love it! Its no surprise to me that in a recent survey 72% agreed with the statement “wearing casual clothing at work improves morale”! In my opinion, anything that is free and improves team morale and productivity is a win win! “
Good luck.
Journey Recruitment hopes you have a great day.