Over the summer working attire could present offices with productivity problems, a survey has revealed.
A survey of more than 2,000 office staff has shown that people with a restricted dress code are least likely to work overtime during the summer (3%) compared to the 16% of staff with casual dress codes who would stay back after hours.
Less than a quarter of respondents had a relaxed dress code over the summer, but of those who do, 56% said they were more comfortable, according to the survey commissioned and carried out by Andrews Sykes, an air conditioning hire company.
Those with formal dress codes were most likely to have office disputes over temperature and around a third said they had argued with a colleague about the issue, the company found.
Workers were also more likely to take longer lunch breaks. Close to a third (30%) of staff exceed their lunch break by 13 minutes during the summer, which adds up to more than an hour wasted per week, or 4.3 over a month.
– 18-24 year olds were the most likely to admit to lengthening lunches, twice as likely as those 55+, though the elder group said they took longer.
– The 45-54 age group admitted to taking the longest lunch breaks.
– 12% admitted to extending lunch breaks by more than 20 minutes during fair weather.
Men are 7% more likely to stretch their lunch break and took, on average, 12% longer than their female counterparts.
