In the world of employment policies, there is a magical two-word phrase that suddenly changes one key policy (the infamous dress code) into something completely different: “casual day.” The casual day is a specific time when employees are allowed, and sometimes encouraged, to dress in a more casual, relaxed, and laidback style than the normal dress code calls for, and is generally seen as a fun way to break from the norm.
At aeSolutions, we have our own version of the casual day every Friday. On these days, employees who aren’t meeting with clients or working at a job site may wear jeans and a more casual shirt to the office. Occasionally, this can lead to some funny discoveries about an employee’s fashion sense, or propensity to go clothes shopping at the same stores (check out the picture of Ken and Josh, who came in as accidental twins a few weeks ago!), but overall it’s appreciated by everyone as a way to relax as we close out another fast-paced week.
This tradition started in our Greenville, SC headquarters, but as the company has grown and expanded into Texas, Alaska, and beyond, it’s been fascinating to watch how our “dress down” Fridays have been incorporated into each office.
Our Greenville office, which has an average January temperature of about 50 degrees, is where you’ll usually see the most t-shirts year-round. During the college football season, all the shirts in the office seem to change color at the same time, and it’s not uncommon to see clusters of Clemson Orange or University of SC Garnet & Black take over some of our conference rooms.
Meanwhile, over in our Houston office, polo shirts (the unofficial uniform of engineers everywhere) tend to come out in full force when Friday rolls around. Given the heat, we’ve recently even incorporated a system where employees can contribute to fundraising efforts for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in order to earn a “shorts day” – which is much appreciated in the middle of summer!
The Anchorage office has its own unique take on the day. Some of our Anchorage staff actually start the week at the exact opposite end of the spectrum, wearing ties on Monday (not required by our dress code!) This makes the eventual “dress down” on Friday all the more visible. For most of the year, these days are accompanied by a sea of flannel taking over the office. For a rare handful of weeks in the summer the odd short-sleeved shirt will make an appearance, but those usually disappear before September and the season’s first snow.
Regardless of the office you’re in, our casual Friday has become an important part of the aeSolutions culture. We have fun with it and get to show off what snazzy dressers we can be while staying focused on continuously improving the process safety performance of our clients. If you’re interested in exploring whether aeSolutions is the right fit for you, you can view our open positions at www.aesolutions.com/careers