INTHEBLACK February 2023 - Magazine - Page 35
“We are a very big employer of young
people, and we need to recognise their
expectations, as well as recognising what’s
relevant and practical today,” he says.
“We are clear that our evaluation of work is
based on impact,” adds Naidu. “If you focus on
that as your core, then allowing people to dress
in a respectful and appropriate but casual way
doesn’t seem a consequential issue.”
When the policy was introduced at PwC
Malaysia, older generations took longer to
adapt, says Naidu.
“For the younger generations, they were
straight into jeans and a T-shirt,” he says.
“However, everyone understood that what
they wore needed to reflect where they were
and what they were doing for the day. A lot
of our clients don’t have a casual workwear
environment, so we need to be respectful of
that. I think people were quite sensible about
it, and it was part of the communication
and change management process to educate
people about applying the policy wisely for
the environment that they’re operating in.”
Melbourne-based accounting and advisory
practice SEIVA had also introduced a Dress
for Your Day policy before the pandemic.
Brent Szalay FCPA, managing director at
SEIVA, says employees can “use their own
discretion” about what they wear to work.
“I feel that, for most people my age, the priority is to
focus on building our capability and learning, so it’s
great not to have the pressure of a strict dress code.”
SIN YEE LIEW ASA, LOOB HOLDING
“If they’re going to meet a client, we leave it
up to them to decide what their client would
expect their accountant to wear,” Szalay says.
Casual workwear has been extended since
the pandemic, with Szalay investing in
SEIVA-branded T-shirts and hoodies for any
employees who wish to wear them at work.
“I think there’s a real sense of ease in
not having to choose what you’re going to
wear to work every day, and that’s what I’m
hearing from people who wear the SEIVA
T-shirt to work,” he says.
GOODBYE TO POWER DRESSING?
The pandemic stripped away some workplace
formality, with many remote workers gaining
an intimate view of their colleagues’ home life.
However, while Dress for Your Day was prevalent
before the pandemic, many organisations are
grappling with what their employees should
wear in the hybrid world of work.
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