Unbuttoning never felt so….. acceptable?

Unless you’ve been living under a rock lately, then you’ve probably noticed that some Australian offices are doing something a little bit differently.

No its not mandatory team fitness boot camps at the Domain..

No its not asking workers to BYO laptops (although we hear this is actually a thing now)..

And its definitely not following the Scandinavian example of shorter work hours (though we all wish this were true)..

Don’t worry if you didn’t guess it we were just trying to be dramatic.

The answer is T-shirts.

A growing number of business are swapping the ties for t-shirts in a shift to a more relaxed work environment. With these ‘new generation offices’ boasting coloured walls, table tennis tables and open desk space, is Silicon Valley onto something? Or just looking for an excuse not to get out of their PJ’s in the morning?

We thought we’d ask Sachin — Hampr’s very own Chief Detective — to investigate whether there is any science to back up the hype that is remodelling Australian businesses.

It seems like the majority of literature agrees that workers in t-shirts (or casual clothing)s, contribute to a more relaxed work environment which facilitates a greater level of productivity. Wight (2015) notes that a relaxed work environment can improve productivity by up to 20%, the studies also suggest positive employee interaction is extremely important.

On the other side of the coin there are also numerous studies that point to the fact that wearing a suit/ business blouse may increase confidence.

So……..Is it time to leave the ties and heels at home? Or old habits never die?

We’d love to hear what you think — leave a comment below or send us an email at social@hampr.com.au