Personal Finance

Workers say wearing jeans to work is worth $5,000 to them

Key Points
  • As offices get increasingly casual, employees are more resistant to traditional business attire.
  • One-third of workers said they would rather have an informal dress code than an extra $5,000 in pay each year, according to a new report.
Thomas Barwick | Getty Images

What would workers give to wear jeans to the office? About $5,000.

As offices get increasingly casual, employees are more resistant to stuffy suits, ties, dresses and skirts and the companies that adhere to such strict dress codes.

In fact, 33% would rather quit their job — or decline a job offer — if it meant wearing business attire every day of the week, according to a new study by staffing firm Randstad US, which looked at attitudes about workplace fashion.

Similarly, one-third of workers said they would rather have a casual dress code than an extra $5,000 in pay each year.

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"The bottom line is, as long as employees dress in a way that's consistent with their employer's policies, most managers care less about what their employees wear than about their performance and work output," Traci Fiatte, CEO of professional and commercial staffing at Randstad US, said in a statement.

Even on Wall Street, employers are lightening up when it comes to what employees wear.

Earlier this year, Goldman Sachs said it was relaxing the dress code for all its workers. At the time, the investment bank said the shift was due to "the changing nature of workplaces generally in favor of a more casual environment."

How Wall Street's dress code is changing
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How Wall Street's dress code is changing

Millennials, who are more likely to work flexible schedules, have been paving the way to a more relaxed look and, as a result, employers are moving away from long-standing, traditional clothing policies in their bids to attract more talented young hires.

The rise of the Silicon Valley scene and its more youthful fashion sensibility helped propel the shift toward attire that was once solely reserved for "casual Fridays."

However, regardless of how formal the workplace, 65% of those polled by Randstad said it's still important to wear a suit during a job interview. Randstad US polled more than 1,200 employed adults in June.

Don't know what to wear for your next interview? Here's how to choose the perfect outfit.

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