Bosses become hot under the collar in clothes clash with employees

As summer edges closer and the weather hots up, so has the debate about what Britainís office workers should or should not wear in the workplace. Research published today by The Aziz Corporation reveals that 37% of UK directors require staff to dress formally at all times - an 8% increase on last yearís figures.

The survey reveals a clear move away from casual dressing as business becomes more formal in the post dot.com era. Only 52% of company directors now allow staff to wear casual dress except when meeting clients. íDressing-downí appears to have fallen out of favour since it was hailed as the trend for the new millennium with a 10% decrease since 2003. Under a third of UK businesses (31%) now allow staff to dress casually at all times.

Finance companies topped the poll, with 80% stating that they would not allow staff to wear casual dress when not meeting clients. This was an increase of 38% on last yearís results.

The survey also found that male directors look more favourably on very short skirts, with 37% saying they thought that they were perfectly acceptable in a business situation, compared with just 15% of female directors.

Khalid Aziz, Chairman of The Aziz Corporation, commented:
In a business environment you want to be noticed for your work not your taste in clothes. So although it is obviously important that you feel comfortable in what you

wear to the office, your clothes must also project the right image. Wearing an outfit which you feel makes you look good will boost your confidence, allowing you to portray a confident, professional business image and command the respect of people you meet. Whilst being more smartly dressed does not necessarily mean that you are better at your job, there is no doubt that the more formal the attire, the more seriously people are taken.

Most employees appreciate the need for professional dress in the work place and many in fact believe that they are less effective in their jobs when ídressed downí. As long as management provides clear guidance and show a degree of flexibility in warmer conditions office dress codes need not be a matter of dispute.

The Aziz Corporation, the UKís leading independent executive communications consultancy, conducted the survey as part of the seventh annual Aziz Management Communications Index.