Dress-down days are more popular than ever, with the number of firms accepting casual clothes having almost trebled in the last four years, according to a new report.
The London Chamber of Commerce surveyed 256 companies and found a majority (58 per cent) said their policy was to permit casual dress on Friday compared to four years ago, when only one in five companies let staff dress down.
Only 35 per cent of firms now insist on formal wear on the last day of the working week and 40 per cent said they would not think less of a candidate who turned up for a job interview not wearing a suit.
“These results show just how rapidly attitudes towards office dress codes are liberalising,” said Colin Stanbridge, chief executive of London Chamber of Commerce.
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“The suit and tie is becoming an increasingly rare sight on Fridays. And, with such a rapid pace of change, who is to say that in a few years’ time it won’t become extinct, barring a few die-hards?”
Stanbridge said he found people tended to work at their best when they felt most comfortable.
