Mainebiz

V O L . X X X N O. I X A P R I L 2 9 , 2 0 2 4 18 3 0 T H A N N I V E R S A R Y F O C U S Dressed for a new kind of success Casual Fridays are no longer a thing. Other perks have also come and gone, as employees have learned to value new priorities B y W i l l i a m H a l l I n the age of working from home, Zoom shirts and "sweatpants for business," it's hard to imag- ine — 30 years ago, blue jeans were a perk at some blue-chip companies. Across Maine and the U.S., weekend wear was coming out of the closet a day early. In 1994, the New York Times reported, 497 of the country's larg- est 1,000 companies observed casual Fridays. e trendiest term that year, according to the American Dialect Society, was "casual day." On Feb. 3, 1995, even gray-suited IBM went casual. at is to say, the company OK'd khakis. e new look was intended to be a magnet. In the midst of a surging economy, employers were desperately seeking any leverage to attract and retain workers. (Sound familiar?) Along with the relaxed garb, there were foosball tables in the office, restaurant-grade kitchens with beer on tap, and open-door policies for employee pets. ose perks took on greater importance — and served as a distraction — as other benefits started to change. Pensions were becoming more costly for companies and going extinct. American Express announced in 1994 that it would end its fixed- payout retirement plan. Other companies were ending similar benefits and instead offering partially funded 401(k) plans. e high price of health care was forcing many employers to cut back insurance cover- age. While 12% of U.S. companies paid the entire cost of family medical coverage in 1992, Money magazine said, the portion plummeted to just 6% in 1994. at April, after decades of providing free health care for its U.S. employees and their families, IBM began charging monthly premiums. 'A more meaningful way' Today, employees aren't looking for foosball tables, and are more interested in an employ- er's flex hours than in company happy hours. Just ask Johnna Major, a consultant with Falmouth-based KMA Human Resources Consulting. She entered the HR field in 1995 at shoe manufacturer Cole Haan, then based at "big, beautiful offices" in Yarmouth. "Dress codes and office configurations have changed dramatically since then," she says. "And I remember building into our poli- cies that on casual Fridays, you could wear jeans. But then there was this interesting progression of conversation about dress codes and people began questioning a lot of things." Soon Major went on to work in a more senior role, as the HR director for a dot-com startup. "ere was all of this money coming in, we had amazing offices and this cool space — and that was something we promoted as part of the culture. It was attractive," she says. "But today, that's not why people are going to make a career shift. "ey want a company that respects their work- life balance. ey want good health care. ey want affordable health care. Some of the 'fun' benefits are nice to have, but people really look at workplace culture now in a more meaningful way." To find out what workers value most today in the employer relationship, Major's firm conducted a six-week survey at the start of 2024. e 150 respondents represented a cross-section of ages and seniority levels, from Gen Z to the Baby Boom and from entry-level to executive. Among the findings of the KMA research were preferences for various untraditional, "creative bene- fits." Flexible workweeks and mental health support topped the list, ranking as the most-sought by 67% and 39%, respectively, of those polled. V I N TA G E B I Z C L I P P I N G Z O O M S C R E E N S H O T In 1994, the New York Times reported, 497 of the country's largest 1,000 companies observed casual Fridays. 49.7% From an early issue of BIZ, the suit (with pleated pants and pocket square) and necktie made up the business attire of the day for men. Don't forget to shine your shoes! The Zoom call was a familiar part of the workplace in October 2020. This was the Mainebiz CEO Breakfast, one of several conferences held online during the pandemic.

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