Casual dress could make your company's botton line greener...and cheaper

The way your employees dress can affect the overhead costs...and the energy use...at your company!

Consider traditional business attire...

Suits.
Jackets.
Long-sleeved shirts.
Wool trousers.
Pantyhose.

People who are "dressed for success" are also dressed for air conditioning. Lots of it. Turn that thermostat even a few degrees warmer, and you'll have overheated employees. Keeping the temp lower indoors becomes a necessity.

And then in winter, women's business attire can be too chilly for keeping thermostats down. Skirts, even with pantyhose, are hardly warm. So the temp can not go too low, or employees will be shivering instead of working.

Now consider a workplace without a "dress for success" dress code.

Employees could dress in jeans. T-shirts when it's hot. Sweatshirts and hoodies when it's chilly outside. The thermostat can now be moved to a more economical setting, without affecting employee comfort.

A savings for you, and for the earth. But wait, it doesn't stop there!

• Employees who can dress causally for work don't need to spend as much on work clothes. That a big help to everyone in these times of super high energy costs. Less financially stressed employees are better performers, according to a recent Florida State University study.
  
• Casual clothing tends to involve more cotton, and less synthetics. Synthetic fabric manufacturing can involve major pollutants. Cotton is not only natural, but can even be grown organically.
  
• Sneakers are a natural choice to go with casual clothes. They are also a healthier choice than business shoes, especially the heels most women wear with business attire. That could save your company money on health insurance and even reduce sick days!

Going green -- and helping your bottom line -- doesn't always have to mean big things like new equipment or changing your manufacturing process. Sometimes the little things like a pair of jeans and some sneakers can make a big difference, too.