A. Hoping to win your new physician's approval, you nod politely, shake the hand of this impressive authority figure . . . One of the more enduring is the movement toward casual dress in the workplace. Suits and ties are out. Polo shirts and khakis are in. Traditionally staid employers such as law firms and banks are enthusiastically jumping on the casual bandwagon, though some still require formal attire for interactions with clients.
Employers argue that it is a perk that improves worker morale, yet costs nothing.
This may reflect a certain democratization. It also may reflect the influence of youth culture, where informality and spontaneity are greatly prized. Casualization has indeed influenced dress and behavior within the health care arena. Nurses long ago shed the white uniform and cap for more practical and comfortable garb. Certain television shows, such as ER, have helped popularize the surgical scrub as the uniform de rigueur in medicine.