A basic human right or plain gross? Business casual or just letting yourself go? Today Dutch readers of NU.nl endeavoured to answer the question: Should employees be allowed to wear shorts at the office?
As the home to Europe’s official “drug capital” and the world-renowned red light district, it’s no secret that Nederlanders are fairly liberal and progressive in their ways.
So if we’re amid a scorching hot heat wave, and want to be spared the discomfort of feeling sweat trickle down our thighs, surely it’s acceptable to replace the usual suit pants for shorts at work? (Especially considering the lack of air conditioning in some of these places.)
Or is that an unprofessional move, damaging to the group morale, and a bad look for the company?
NU.nl posed the question “to do or not to do” to their online readers, and was met with a mix of responses. 👇
The answer? Yes and no
One commenter says that despite “never” wearing shorts themselves — “not even on vacation” (um, what??) — they think dressy or “nice” shorts should be tolerable in a corporate space, while “sports” ones shouldn’t be.
Someone else, who is decidedly team shorts, believes the stigma surrounding them is a “culture thing” that should be abolished. How they will “behave” at work has nothing to do with whether trousers are long or short.
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Others are advising to just go for normal-length trousers with “thin fabric” for warmer temperatures, with someone else referring to shorts as “a piece of clothing for camping”. Ouch. 😮💨
Double standards between genders?
Another reader believes a sexist “gap in the market for” the male leg “hair removal” is to blame for this phenomenon. O…kay. Men out there better start the painful process of waxing their legs and hope it starts a revolution.
meanwhile I would commit murder for shorts to be acceptable in the workplace https://t.co/JVnkLMyjMq
— Dogkota (@CathodeCoaster) March 6, 2023
They also point out that “women wear all kinds of clothing styles”, ranging from dresses to “short skirts”, so in light of equal opportunities, men should be allowed to do the same.
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So long as they’re not alarmingly tight/short (we know it’s Europe, but, please, no Speedos), covered in palm trees — or worse, hemp leaves — wearing shorts during a hot summer day feels like a reasonable solution. Just make sure you’re leaving something to your colleagues’ imaginations.
After all, it’s the Netherlands; how hot can the temperature really get? Famous last words…
Are you for or against shorts in the workplace? Share your thoughts in the comment below!