Office casual, yes. Jandals, a step too far
New Zealand office workers are getting more easygoing about what they wear, especially if they work from home.
A new survey by working space provider Regus found four out of 10 office workers have worked from home in their pyjamas and 86 per cent smartened up for a video call.
The global survey of just under 40,000 businesspeople found workplace attire in New Zealand was relaxed, with eight out of 10 Kiwi office workers saying a traditional suit and tie combination was often ‘‘too formal’’ for modern offices. Most agreed that acceptable office fashion included jeans (80 per cent), T-shirts (58 per cent) and sandals (52 per cent).
However, only 14 per cent of respondents felt jandals should be allowed in the office, and only 12 per cent could accept a colleague showing up to work in a tracksuit.
Regus New Zealand area director Pierre Ferrandon said businesses were giving staff more dress code-freedom.
‘‘Does wearing a tie increase your productivity? Modern businesses understand that what you wear to work is less important than the results you achieve,’’ he said.
There are still certain occupa- tions where a very formal standard of dress is necessary, but a software developer can do the same job in jeans as in a suit,’’ Ferrandon said.
‘‘Globally we are seeing changing attitudes to how people should dress at work,’’ he said. ‘‘This is part of a bigger trend around the changing nature of work, particularly the shift towards flexible work and away from the traditional office.’’
While plenty of people admitted to working from home in their PJs, only one in eight said they had done so in their underwear.
The chance to loaf around in one’s PJs might appeal to some but others struggled with a lack of structure and professionalism at home, Ferrandon added.
Happily, he said, there were there were no signs of pyjamas or underwear-only outfits becoming acceptable in the office.