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prefer to be at a company with a business
casual dress code; 32 per cent favour a casual
dress code or no dress code at all.
But there are limits to what passes
as acceptable office attire. When senior
managers were asked about the most
common dress code violation at work,
wearing overly casual clothing was the
top response (35 per cent), followed by
showing too much skin (20 per cent).
“Workers should be aware of business
guidelines and take cues from their
peers, particularly as they look to advance
their careers, in order to ensure
they leave an impression that is consistent
with their desired roles,” said Koula
Vasilopoulos, a district president for
OfficeTeam.
OfficeTeam offers seven questions
employees should ask themselves when
choosing what to wear for work:
■■ Does this follow company policy? If
there’s a written dress code, abide by
it. Also consider what your manager
and coworkers wear, and use that
information to guide your choices.
■■ Am I revealing too much? Avoid
clothes that show too much skin,
and err on the side of caution when
displaying tattoos or piercings.
■■ Is this distracting? In most workplaces,
neutral colours and simple patterns,
such as pinstripes, are a safe bet.
■■ Am I overdoing it? Take a subtle
approach to jewelry, makeup,
perfume and cologne. Also note that
unconventional hair colours or styles
and unkempt facial hair may be
frowned upon at more conservative
companies.
■■ Do I feel confident? If you’re
uncomfortable in your outfit, it will
show. Make sure your clothes fit well
and don’t require a lot of readjusting.
■■ Will I offend anyone? Steer clear of
wearing apparel with profanity, political
statements or other questionable
material.
■■ Does it pass the final check? Give
yourself a once-over from head to toe.
Look out for wrinkled, torn or stained
garments and scuffed shoes.
UNMET MENTAL HEALTH CARE
NEEDS COSTING CANADIAN
ECONOMY BILLIONS
Depression and anxiety cost the Canadian
economy at least $32.3 billion a year
and $17.3 billion a year respectively in
foregone GDP due to lost productivity,
according to a new report from The
Conference Board of Canada’s Canadian
Alliance for Sustainable Health Care.
“A large proportion of working
Canadians have unmet mental health
care needs that prevent them from performing
to their utmost abilities, and
our report shows this has serious consequences
for the Canadian economy,”
said Louis Thériault, vice-president,
KieferPix / Shutterstock.com
IF ALL EMPLOYEES LIVING WITH DEPRESSION OR ANXIETY HAD
ACCESS TO BETTER TREATMENT AND SUPPORT, THEN WORKPLACE
FUNCTIONING WOULD IMPROVE SIGNIFICANTLY.
12 ❚ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 ❚ HR PROFESSIONAL