By Jeff Davidson,A flurry of articles and studies reveal that ‘dress down’ days in the workplace have not boosted worker productivity or morale as intended. If anything, employers who have implemented dress down days have noted decreases in productivity and quality of work, decreases in worker commitment, increases in absence and tardiness, relaxed manner and morals, and even increases in litigation.The same phenomena hold forth when it comes to children in school, children who, presumably, are attempting to learn and who are seeking to do their best.More Serious and AttentiveWhen children wear good clothes or a school uniform (so that everyone can be clothed equally), there is a higher probability that the children will be more serious, attentive, and conscientious throughout the day.Where children are allowed to wear whatever they want in one school system after another across America, can we be so sure that they are emotionally, socially, and psychologically primed to be at their best?In an era where people are clamoring for ideas as to how to improve educational systems, where budgets are shrinking, and where finger-pointing abounds, the simplicity and effectiveness of having children dress more appropriately for school is one that we cannot afford to overlook.
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Jeff Davidson is “The Work-Life Balance Expert®” and the premier thought leader on work-life balance, integration, and harmony. Jeff speaks to organizations that seek to enhance their overall productivity by improving the effectiveness of their people. He is the author of Breathing Space, Simpler Living, Dial it Down, and Everyday Project Management.
