Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 12, 1995 TAG: 9502100043
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: F1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MATT CROWDER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The Roanoke financial services broker ``charges'' its employees for the privilege of shedding the standard suit and tie for more relaxed clothes. Employees typically pay from $1 to $5. At the end of each year, the proceeds are donated to several chosen charities.
In 1994, the downtown Roanoke-based company raised about $1,000 that was divided among UNICEF, the Roanoke Valley Speech & Hearing Center, and the Salvation Army's Angel Tree program. This year, the employees are starting out with Special Olympics, according to Karen Hilson, an administrative assistant.
``Casual day'' has been a big hit with employees, according to Ferguson, Andrews President Michael Smith.
``Many people wish it were four or 20 days of the month,'' Smith said.
He said ``casual day'' was started in 1990 at Dominion Investment Banking, which became part of First Union Corp. One day, Smith and several others were visiting The Hartford Insurance Co., which they had just begun to represent.
They saw a large number of people there in casual attire and a big sign proclaiming it ``casual day.'' Smith asked what was going on and was told that they ``charged'' each of their 3,000 employees $1 to dress less formally and donated the money to charity. Smith adopted the policy in his department at Dominion, and the idea took off.
This month, the trend reached one of the nation's biggest and most notoriously formally dressed corporations.
International Business Machines Corp., which gained a reputation in the late 1980s and early 1990s for its strict code for conservative dress, adopted a new code Feb. 3 as part of an announcement that it would build a new headquarters geared to a more relaxed working environment.
Louis V. Gerstner Jr., the IBM chairman with a penchant for golf shirts, informed the 880 employees at company headquarters in Armonk, N.Y., that Big Blue would say goodbye to its uptight New York dress code. Word of the change in the unofficial uniform was passed down from company department heads.
``It's symbolic, I guess, when IBM headquarters executives start shedding their ties,'' said Rob Wilson, IBM spokesman.
Indeed, the move marks a milestone for IBM's PC - political correctness, that is. In an era of downsizing and layoffs, experts say casual dress is an olive branch to employees from managers hoping to ease stress and make the work environment more cozy.
More than anything, Gerstner's decision is a sign of the times. From Wall Street to the conservative Washington area and beyond, work dress in corporate America has become decidedly downscale.
A 1992 Levi Strauss & Co. survey of 502 companies showed that 26 percent had a dress-down day, usually on Fridays. Many companies now encourage employees to toss out the starched white shirts or high-heeled pumps on a more regular basis, especially for staff members who have little daily contact with a corporation's customers, experts say.
While IBM employees may favor the change, it will not be instant.
``People want to dress in business attire to deal with customers,'' said John Caldwell, senior location manager for IBM's sales and service office in Roanoke. ``Old habits die hard. In general, I feel more comfortable dressed [formally] when I'm in the office.
``I think [the change] is a good thing. I've been in the business about 20 years, and I've seen a [casual] progression in our customers in how they dress in their workplaces. To a certain degree, we should take the lead from them.
``Most people are embracing it and are glad to have the option to dress in the more casual fashion in the workplace.''
One group that probably will not accept the business casual atmosphere is trial lawyers.
"You need to have a jacket and tie when you go to court," said William H. Lindsey, of DLC Trial Lawyers. ``You can't go running to a judge without being dressed appropriately and with due dignity to the court.
``I don't think you want to see O.J.'s lawyers running around in jeans and message shirts.''
Some lawyers, however, will dress casually on occasion.
Bob Rider, of Rider, Thomas, Cleaveland, Ferris & Eakin, said he dresses down ``as often as I can. If I don't have court on a given day or if I don't have new clients, I'll dress casually.''
But Rider said that's been his style for about 25 years. He said he doesn't dress casually while in court and that probably no one ever will.
``We still have pretty rigid rules of dress code in the court, and that's how it should be, I suppose,'' Rider said.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
by CNB