Only a third said that they still have a dress code, and this tends to be “smart casual” rather than “formal”. However, 40 per cent of larger businesses still insist on formal wear at work.
Agnes Maisonial, research executive at Continental Research, said: “If you prefer more relaxed working attire, then smaller companies are the places to be, as very few companies with less than 10 employees have a dress code.”
In the event of a heat wave, half of the companies questioned said they would relax their dress code, but three quarters of those with a formal dress code would make no such concession. Just a quarter would consider installing air-conditioning, and 20 per cent said they won’t be making any concessions.
