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HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | DECEMBER 19, 2022 25 WORKPLACE In uncertain times, flexibility is more vital than ever. Whether you're looking to design benefits that inspire wellness and engagement, help your people plan for a healthy and financially secure retirement, or build an agile workforce for the future, we're here to help. Flexibility for the changing world of work. www.mercer.us Flexible and future-ready 'Dress for the day' There is a limit, though. Morneault said she's heard from some compa- nies that employees don't always come to work in appropriate attire. "A lot of people think when they hear casual wear to work, they think that they can wear something that maybe they would wear at home on the weekend. … It can't be like you'd be hanging out at your house in sweatpants," Morneault said. Reilly agreed, and said dress code policies should make it clear what is and isn't acceptable. Just because someone wore sweatpants during Zoom meetings while working remotely doesn't mean that should be replicated in an office setting. "A lot of dress codes we see would rule out extremely informal casual wear like something you'd wear to the beach," Reilly said. And a shift to more casual isn't across the board. Johnson Brunetti Partner and finan- cial advisor Heath Grossman said that because his Wethers- field-based firm deals primarily with retirement and investment services, it's important to look the part when meeting clients. "We generally try to wear a suit and tie, and I don't really think that's Heath Grossman changed pandemic-wise," Grossman said. "We work in an industry where you're dealing with people's money and it's pretty serious — we try to dress accordingly." A "dress-down" day at Johnson Brunetti could include skipping a tie, but jeans are still a no-no. Even non-client facing employees dress professionally. However, Grossman said sneakers have been increasingly popular in his office, but he considers that more of a stylistic change over the past few years rather than a formal dress code shift. "We recognize that someone's attire is going to depend on the nature of their business and their role and what they're doing," Grossman said. Lattimer said CLA has a "dress-for- the-day" policy where an employee's attire is based on what they have to do during the workday. Ties are no longer a daily requirement, and Lattimer estimates that about half of men have stopped wearing them regularly. "If you know you're not going out to see a client and you want to dress in nice jeans and a shirt, that's perfectly fine," Lattimer said. "But if we are going out to a client, we have to dress for how that client is — if that client wears a suit and tie, you're probably wearing a suit and tie." WORKPLACE FLASH POLL HBJ polled its readers during the week of Dec. 5 about their office dress codes. We asked: Coming out of the pandemic, and as more workers return to the office, has your company's employee dress code changed? 3% Yes, the dress code has gotten stricter 46% Yes, more casual attire is permitted 51% No, it has stayed the same