Workers Want Additional Perks during Summer

July 28, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - According to a recent Adecco Staffing US survey, employees in the summer of 2011 want workplace perks that give them time and dress flexibility. 

Specifically, the majority of respondents (60%) said they want flex time (e.g. Summer Fridays or ability to leave early on certain days) and 53% said they'd like extra vacation days this summer.  'Dressing down' was also highly valued with 74% of Americans indicating they believe it's appropriate to dress more casually in the summer. 

The desire for time and work flexibility this summer cut across gender lines with nearly three out of five women (59%) choosing 'extra vacation days' as one of the three workplace benefits they'd most want compared to less than half of men surveyed (47%). Men showed a greater interest (60%) in having the ability to leave work early (e.g. Summer Fridays) opposed to checking out completely.  

The survey revealed that in addition to time flexibility, close to half (42%) of American workers also want the option for casual workplace attire this summer. That said, there are limits to how far casual can go in the workplace – interestingly, it seems the wardrobe line was drawn at flip flops, which were considered the biggest summer wardrobe offender with 71% of Americans considering them inappropriate for the workplace.  In fact, more people felt flip flops were more intolerable in the workplace than mini-skirts (70%) or even strapless tops and /or dresses (66%).    

However, men and women had different perspectives on what is considered appropriate workplace attire. More than three-quarters (76%) of women indicated strapless tops or dresses were inappropriate for the workplace, compared to only just over half of men (55%) who felt the same. Eight out of 10 women believe mini-skirts are inappropriate compared to only 61% of men.