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R&D teams within HP Enterprise Services received memos this week reminding them about the company's rules regarding workplace fashion. "If you aren't dressed like the models in the posters that HP displays around its locations, then your appearance is sapping the productivity of the workers around you," was one summary of the memo by an anonymous source. Many employees have become comfortable wearing t-shirts and shorts on a regular basis, and it is believed that "scruffy-looking" engineers might alienate visiting customers.
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HP Enforcing Dress Code for R&D Employees
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Can anyone remember when the times were not hard, and money not scarce?
(Score: 5, Insightful) by srobert on Sunday July 26 2015, @07:23PM
Before my generation (Jones), it was normal for people to judge the people by their clothing, or more generally their appearance, especially with respect to their professional competency. This is actually a dumb idea. One thing I'd applaud generations coming after mine for, is that they don't do that as much. So your college professor or your surgeon can be wearing a tie die shirt instead of a suit and tie, and you still respect his educational achievement. That's actually smart. Let's not go back to the "judging a book by its cover" prejudices of previous generations. It makes it too easy for morons in suits to pass themselves off as qualified.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Michelle on Sunday July 26 2015, @07:38PM
Well said. I was hoping society had moved beyond outdated styles of dress, but apparently not; I just see this as yet another sign that we're regressing even further. It's becoming the 1950s all over again (complete with McCarthyism).
"Right now is the only moment you'll ever have; so why be miserable?"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 27 2015, @09:26AM
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday July 26 2015, @09:51PM
+1, Smart
(Score: 3, Interesting) by morgauxo on Monday July 27 2015, @02:10PM
What makes you think future generations will be any better? It's hardly anything new for the younger generation to have more open ideas about these things. But then they grow out of it. Just look at how the hippies turned into the yuppies. Talk about a warning sign to anyone who thinks their generation is somehow any better!
I think things like this are just a part of human nature. It's encoded in our genes. It isn't going to change unless somehow it becomes advantageous to one's reproduction not to think this way and remains so for several generations. Do you think that is going to happen? Sorry.. the ladies do still like a sharp dressed man. Well chosen clothing certainly improves a woman's attractiveness too.
Exactly how this ends up translating in the business world to the hideous and uncomfortable clothing that gets worn in most offices I will never fully understand. That's just how humanity is though.. natural instincts get distorted by society and become something truly strange like super ugly stretchy black dress pants on women (gag me) and ties on men (hey, i said gag, not choke!). You take that natural instinct to dress oneself up to attract a mate, add in the very reasonable business need of employees not turning each other on all the time and you get something really strange and pointless.