ATLANTA–Credit unions are often told many workers, especially younger employees, often prefer non-cash benefits and perks over increases in pay.
Now a new study finds that to be just the case when it comes to at least one preference.
The study, released by Randstad, has found a surprisingly high one-third of U.S. workers said they would forego an extra $5,000 in salary in favor of an informal dress code. Even more surprising, the company said, was the finding that the same number of people—33%—are so opposed to formal workwear that they would quit their job or turn down an offer if they were forced to follow a conservative dress code.
“The nature of work — where, when and how it gets done — has changed dramatically over the past several years, and many of those changes have ultimately contributed to a less formal workplace,” said Traci Fiatte, CEO, non-technical staffing with Randstad, in a statement. “It’s great to empower your employees to dress for their day, as well as show their personality, but it is equally important for employers to set some clear guidelines to ensure that everyone feels comfortable.”
Companies Relax Dress Codes
The survey’s figures might be surprising, but the move toward a more relaxed work environment isn’t new news to corporations, Randstad noted. Many companies have relaxed their dress codes in the past few years. Goldman Sachs made such a change in 2017 to make jobs more attractive to tech talent. In 2016, JPMorgan Chase said it would allow employees to wear business-casual attire on most occasions.