By The majority of UK workers believe that flip-flops are unprofessional and shouldn’t be worn to the office. Despite a trend towards more casual work wear in modern office environments, and the recent upturn in UK temperatures, according to a new survey, flip-flops are strictly for weekends.
Flip-flips - fine for the beach, not the boardroom
Only one in 10 people polled by Monster.co.uk found flip-flops suitable attire for the office, with six per cent admitting they really didn’t want to see colleague’s feet at work. A whopping 81 per cent said they were entirely unacceptable.
The worldwide poll found that the UK’s attitude is reflected by most other countries, with the US, Canada, Mexico and Sweden all coming out strongly against flip-flops in the office.
Italy and Austria were the most relaxed about revealing footwear. In both countries only 60 per cent of respondents thought flip-flops shouldn’t be worn, and 25 per cent of Austrians didn’t see what the fuss was about.
The poll also found that it isn’t any better for women to wear flip-flops, despite being more likely to have nicely-pedicured toes. In the UK only three per cent of respondents made a distinction between men and women, saying flip-flops were acceptable on female feet.
"In just about every industry, work environments are becoming more casual, so it can be hard for people to know what's appropriate," explains Michael Gentle, from Monster. "And in summer months, staying cool becomes a priority. But in any job, you should dress with an eye toward your future career. Emulate your managers and people you admire at your company, make sure you understand official dress codes, and pay attention to your calendar -- you may want to dress up a bit on days with important meetings, for example."
Oops, Y! Lifestyle might have to make a quick trip to the shoe shop at lunchtime...
