Majority of managers find nudity in workplace inappropriate

14/10/2023
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Unsolicited hugs and three kissesook not appreciated


Naarden - More than half (57%) of managers find it inappropriate when someone dresses unnecessarily naked in a customer-facing environment. Female managers find this more often (72%) than male managers (48%). This is according to research by IT secondment agency Neomax|Olgreen among 504 managers/(co-)decision makers in organizations with more than 200 office workers.

Other external features are also not appreciated by all managers in the workplace. Piercings and striking hairstyles, such as shaving up or brightly colored hair dye, are labeled inappropriate by three in ten managers (30%). An almost equally large group (29%) say the same about tattoos. Even when it comes to expressing religious beliefs, some managers are cautious. A quarter see clothing related to religion, such as a headscarf, as inappropriate. Other expressions of faith, for example a necklace with a cross, are considered inappropriate by a slightly smaller group (15%).

Conduct in the workplace
Managers also draw boundaries when it comes to behavior. For example, two-thirds (62%) of managers think it is inappropriate to give someone a hug in a work situation without asking. Interestingly, this is less true when it comes to giving three kisses. Here, more than half (51%) think you should ask the person in question for permission first. Also, one in five (21%) managers find it inappropriate if a colleague puts a hand on his or her shoulder. ICT decision makers (17%) seem to be a lot less keen on this kind of physical contact than non-ICT decision makers (6%).

Richard Stassen, CEO of Neomax|Olgreen: "It doesn't surprise me that a significant proportion of managers find certain outward characteristics and behaviors disturbing. For example, bright hair colors and tattoos are not yet a generally accepted phenomenon in the IT world. As far as I am concerned, you need to set frameworks about what is appropriate or inappropriate, but within these frameworks there should be enough room for diversity. Our ambition at Neomax|Olgreen is to create an inclusive work environment where equality is central. We look at people's skills and talents. Not appearance, origin, religion, gender or other personal characteristics."

Sharing your opinion
Managers don't always feel free to share how they feel about issues. As many as one in five managers (22%) feel they would be better off keeping their opinions to themselves. There are also topics that managers in the workplace prefer to avoid. For example, 17 percent feel uncomfortable expressing their opinions about sexual preferences or politics in the office. Especially among younger managers (ages 18-34), these topics seem to be sensitive. As many as a third of them find it uncomfortable to share their opinions about sexual preferences (34%) or politics (31%).

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