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Posted By Jeffrey Watt
Ok so if your decanting Pirhana solution you don't want to go casual on a Friday but..
Is casual friday effective in your office as a means of de-stressing the workplace?
Or is it just chinos and slacks day, when you really want it to be t-shirt and jeans Friday and it really just adds to the stress because you are denied true casualness (new word?).
I and a colleague want to benchmark casual activities and would be interested in your experiences of "casual ideas" or any articles/research you found useful or informative in increasing staff morale.
Jeff
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Posted By ME
Whenever I've worked in a place that has dress-down Friday I don't bother. It's more difficult to decide what to dress down in! I don't want to wear my normal clothes for work I'd rather save them for out of work time.
Not sure why wearing 'normal' clothes de-stresses.
In my opinion the best way of ensuring a happy workforce is to treat them with respect. I dress smart at work because I feel that it is professional to do so and clients would expect it of me. It doesn't stress me. I quite like dressing smartly. I get stressed when don't have a voice and get treated like ****.
Simple really!!
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Posted By The toecap
I would like to wear a pork pie hat for work
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Posted By Philby'
toecap
where did you get the pork pie hat...I've been after one for ages, even went down Camden Town market, where I got my original one, but no luck, had to settle for felt/canvas peaked affair simiar to WWII german mountain troops, looks good though!?!
I'm also after a half toppper, opera style, ie collapsable, if anyone knows? and yes, I would wear it on dress down friday...
Jeff...have to be smart if we have meetings, and anything else goes apart from logos, showing tatoos/excessive skin, fatigues tucked into infantry boots...although, as I've said afore here, seems to be a gender bias as to level of acceptance...
the mohican is back though, short, about 25mm, with a very thin bit in the middle where its decided to 'wash and go'!
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Posted By Glyn Atkinson
My H&S assistant leaves today for pastures new, and he has completely revolted and taken his tie off - if he wasn't leaving, I would sack him !!
Bring back the Empire, don't-cha know !!
Eh, hang on though, am I not the one who has revolted and not shaved today, no meetings today and going out with a good close shave this evening instead - should I now fire myself???
Damn these loose cannon Fridays !!!!
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Posted By Jeffrey Watt
Fair enough ME. You're right about the easy option first thing in the morning after your poached eggs and soldiers but before the brain is in 5th gear.
Not all of us are customer facing so we can sometimes relax a bit and take the jacket and tie off.
Some of my colleagues may see the tie as a management distinction between me and them, a white collar/blue collar thing, so I think it can be an ice breaker to wear the boiler suit now and again but not in this weather.
My current employer has a self confessed silo mentality where different departments don't really interact. But it is a nice enough place to work, very friendly but the barriers still seem to persist.
When I worked for an american firm they were big into fun days and Friday BBQ's etc which was great. Like the Army the senior staff had to serve xmas dinner to the troops if you were on shift. All these things don't solve organisastional issues but I do think they help in a small part.
Who cares wins, if you like.
Jeff
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Posted By John Mackessack
The very fact that we need dress-down-days displays how repressed we are in modern life and a symptom of letting otherwise mediocre and unimaginative people take charge. Someone actually condescends to allow another human to try to relax and come to work in 'Smart Casual' attire.
This is a source of huge stress for me! Why? Well, Alan McArthur & Stephen Lowe, in their recent publication "Is It Just Me Or Is Everything Sh*t" sum it up beautifully:
"Smart casual - a suit is too smart, jeans are too casual. What does that leave? F**king chinos!"
Happy Friday!
John
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Posted By Ian Mitchell
Philby, Toecap,
Would I be right in presuming you are ska afficionados like my goodself? I know a source for Madness-style pork pie hats (not cheap repros, but genuine hare hide and broad leather band) so they are quite dear...
Cheers, Ian (formerly ska dj Ian Macc in another life)
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Posted By hoops
dress down is fine but does anyone have the same problem as me in that staf tend to disregard any sensible footwear and opt for flip flops
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Posted By Andy Walker
We can't dress up or down due to the PPE requirements but it doesn't really matter as we all look the same all year round and we're reletively happy
Andy W
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Posted By Jeffrey Watt
John
You have hit the nail on the head. I feel that the half hearted "lets pretend your human Friday" feeling is indicative of a more serious malaise. That everything is kind of 4 asterisks.
That said it could be a lot worse.
Jeff
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Posted By Philby'
DJ Macc,
not exactly, but 'have scooter will travel'...all things punk, except thrashy stuff....esp Clash, but will listen to owt' wi a good tune and a message (for you Rudie)...and will be attending the Ska tent/stage at the wickerman festival in July...WHERE Be the pork pies then?
Philby'
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Posted By Philby'
John and Jeff,
don't care that 'they' may be condescending, they give in an inch and I'll take 1.6KM...for chinos read combats...as for the suit being too smart, rip it up and re-attach with safety pins...in reality it depends how you wear something, watch the Italian guy on BBC2 and all the italians in the background, theres a kind of unkempt cool sophistication that would look good at the theater or a Damned gig, turning up to it in a Maserati or a Fiat 500
Philby'
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Posted By Jeffrey Watt
Philby
Wise words. Like in Aikido, when dragged in a direction... accelerate through in the same direction and you have control.
So the consensus is, it is really not a matter of being good or bad for stress more a question of how you let the experience affect you?
Ok
Jeff
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Posted By Jeffrey Watt
Hoops
I recommended one of our staff be disciplined because they were observed wearing flip flops and then later that day it was very hot and they were wearing no footwear whatsoever.
My boss told me to drop it as the guy is a beach lifeguard.
Jeff
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Posted By Philby'
Jeff
exactly....now I'm taking control of my flexible working conditions andgoing home...well in 36 mins...
have a good weekend all
Philby'
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Posted By Ian Mitchell
Philby, they are manufactured by an Argentinian company called Lagomarsino. They have a website. The hat you are after has a feather in the band but this comes out and is all you need to do to convert it back to standard. Picture does not do the quality or look of the hat justice remotely at all, don't let it dissuade you! PS used to have a lamby myself 98 to 02, A GP175 and an Li Special 175.
Apologies to the forum mods (but not the scooter 'MODS'!) for going off-topic but it is friday!
Back to work, people to protect.......
Cheers, Ian
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Posted By Merv Newman
Hey, I'm in the office, jeans, polo, slip-on shoes but no socks. Now, let's have a look round, what's Corrine our secretary wearing ?
Oh !
Ooooooh !
Mrf
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Posted By Bob Thompson CMIOSH
I solved the problem months ago I permantly wear chinos and no tie, My brain still functions well though.
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Posted By Jeffrey Watt
Bob
If you've got chinos and no tie, do you use a belt to keep them up?
Jeff
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Posted By Frank E. Davidson
On Fridays I let my staff wear dirty boiler suits!
They should be finishing off this week's work and clearing outstanding jobs. Also they should be using Fridays which are relatively quiet to prepare to do list for next week, tidy up their store, gather their tools to organise, clean, sharpen and recharge rather than make themselves unfit by stuffing their faces with cakes and doughnuts.
Fridays are for self organisation and preparation for an efficient next week not for relaxing.
I hate the concept of dress down Fridays. One shouldn't see one's boss in gym shoes and jeans.
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Posted By Mint I have recently started in a new company and was taken aside on my first day and advised to wear a tie as it is what my manager expects! I haven't worn a tie for about 5 years and have somehow managed to work to the expected standard without personal accident or incident. I always kept a tie in my desk drawer to wear to meeting with customers or external visitors. If one works in a customer-facing role then smart dress may be appropriate, but I really don't understand the mentality that believes smart dress makes you work better. As far as pork pie hats go, have a look at http://www.hatsinthebelfry.com or http://www.hatsonline.com or http://www.zootsuitstore.comAndrew - a lover of ska and scooters.
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Posted By Philby'
DJ Macc, AKA Ian Mitchell
Ta for that but the brims on those are a bit big compared with the brit style
Mint,
thanks for that...its gotta be a 'jazz', 'club' or 'R'n'R', one off each website...may even get the 'club topper'
Philby'
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