Every year, the first week of September brings a series of desperate behaviors from some of our colleagues. In an effort to make the summer break last just a little bit longer, some can be found every evening at 6 pm, slumped in front of a glass of rosé, heavy with memories. Others prefer to slather their faces with tanning extender that leaves their skin as greasy as a barbecue grill after a month of intense use. Others go even further: They insist on wearing their vacation clothes to the office, showing up in shorts.
While this behavior is somewhat touching in its display of distress, and deserves to be approached with empathy, it does call for a reality check. Although dress codes – including the wearing of Bermuda shorts – fall under individual freedom for employees (according to article L1121-1 of the French Labor Code, clothing restrictions can only be justified by the requirements of the job), this practice carries its share of risks.
A man strolling bare-legged through the open-plan office will inevitably become the center of attention. While his closest colleagues may respond with amused sympathy, others, less familiar, will openly scrutinize the former vacationer’s calves, noting whether they are tanned or pale, hairy or smooth, attractive or off-putting.
Professional credibility
But the person paying the closest attention will, of course, be the manager. After wondering whether the brown spot on the back of the employee’s calf is a birthmark or a streak of chocolate ice cream left over from a seaside walk, the manager will likely see such sartorial laxity as a sign of a lack of motivation and commitment. Worse still, if the employee’s job description involves customer contact or external meetings, the manager will see this as a risk for the company.
Thus, a man in Bermuda shorts risks losing professional credibility. Reduced to his unusual choice of attire (“So, Bernard, no shorts today?”), he will see his prospects for advancement dwindle. In the medium term, it is quite likely that he will be encouraged to take a long vacation – and never return. In the end, perhaps that is the whole point of the operation.
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