Googlers

Everyone has dreamed of not being bound by a dress code, and for those thousands who are employed by Google they have realized this dream.

Everyone knows Google, everyone uses Google. The company was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin and launched in 1998.

" What makes it so great? Everything was up at Google last year -- revenue, profits, share price, paid search clicks, hiring -- and so, too, was employee love; the search giant climbed three slots in our ranking to reclaim the top spot. " Fortune Magazine   

          100 BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR IN 2012 

Google is a prime example of dress code not affecting productivity and success.
So if the number one ranking company to work for has thrown out the dress code and not suffered; than is the dress code actually effective or necessary?

Jordan Newman was quoted as saying:

"At Google, we know that being successful has little to do with what an employee is wearing. We believe one can be serious and productive without a suit." 

http://www.tlnt.com/2011/07/29/weekly-wrap-when-is-summer-casual-too-casual-for-the-office/

The top three companies 1. Google 2. Boston Consulting Group and 3. SAS Institute all have casual dress codes.

"Almost all of the firm's offices in North America are business casual all week, and the firm plans to move to daily business casual in every office by 2000." Boston Consulting Group

"SAS Canada's work atmosphere is rated as exceptional. On the job, employees enjoy business casual dress; casual dress Fridays; SAS Institute

These top three companies may be on to something, after all a happy comfortable worker seems to be a more productive, creative worker. There are percentages out there that say we spend around 30% of our time at work, why not feel at home?

Bending Rules

Just this past summer I let my toes breathe and wore .... gasp.. flip flops to work. As my work dress code goes this was me bending the rules to include flip flops in the sandals category. Everything was going fine until I walked towards my manager and she glanced at my feet, her eyebrows raised in question. Caught bending the rules I said the only thing that made sense to me "If I don't flap as I'm walking do flip flops really differ from sandals?"

Can a bend in a rule really be something that can be reprimanded when the dress code does not specifically outline every item of clothing or shoe?
I wore my flip flops knowing they were not specifically listed but also knowing that they really were not work attire.
So if a fellow employee decided that cargo shorts, instead of golf shorts were work wear attire, how is he supposed to know that cargo shorts are too casual if they are not listed as part "do not wear".

I feel like the rules almost need to be bent by every employee so that the dress code can be revised and become less vague. Everyone has at one point in time experienced the co-worker who was in complete disregard of the dress code, and ultimately has read the resulting memo that has new items added.
Bending also allows for personal expression and ensures that employees do not look like carbon copies.

Needless to say, my work dress code has been updated to say "No flip flops"