Jan Dubauskas is the Vice President of Healthinsurance.com.

With more Americans fully vaccinated for Covid-19, some workplaces are looking to transition back to an in-office model. But businesses would be wise not to throw out the baby with the bathwater when shedding pandemic routines. The past year forced everyone to rethink how they interact professionally, whether with colleagues, employees or clients. Suddenly, there were no more in-person meetings, business lunches, happy hours or conferences — everything became virtual. While many of these adjustments were difficult — especially for working parents — some things changed for the better. For instance, I know my company made an effort to keep things formal even after we were all working from home. Men insisted on donning blazers and button-down shirts, and women didn’t shy away from make-up and jewelry — even if it was just for the computer screen.

As we all know, that didn’t last. Once pandemic fatigue set in, most people had a hard enough time trying to get their job done without having to get dressed for it, too. Instead of button-up shirts and blouses, employees were wearing t-shirts and hoodies. One poll found one in 14 respondents wasn't even bothering to put on pants at all! An altered dress code could be here to stay, and leaders can look to the productivity of the past year to see how what people wear can impact the business.

Retailers are paying attention to this shift. Clothing stores stocked more casual items such as t-shirts and joggers while saving trendier pieces for another season. Even shoe-makers were reportedly moving away from high heels or dressier shoes. Instead, they tried to emphasize comfort in new designs. A few standard-bearers of the workday wardrobe — including Brooks Brothers — couldn’t survive the drop in demand.

Then something interesting happened. Once the pretense of business wear and fluorescent office lighting was removed, many people got to really know the people on the other end of their screens. After all, workers all now familiar with the type of small talk that fills the time it takes for everyone to trickle into a Zoom meeting. It’s a time that invites pleasant conversation, especially when most people weren’t seeing or talking to anyone else outside of their homes. I found people, myself included, were much more likely to open up or ask coworkers personal questions in the casual virtual environment of relaxed clothing and informal backdrops. There’s something about interacting with your colleagues in their "natural habitat" that causes you to see them as much more than their job title.

Of course, I knew many of my colleagues well before the pandemic, but some of those connections have only grown stronger, despite not seeing them in person. I know whose dog will be barking in the background, who will be logging back on after a midday jog, and many have come to anticipate an unscheduled musical performance from my younger children.

Certainly, many wonder: Does being comfortable seeing our co-workers in old t-shirts and baseball hats make us less productive? Apparently not. One study found that both employees and leaders reported a high level of productivity while working from home. 82% of business leaders said their company was at least equally if not more productive as before the pandemic. Even back in 2017, one study showed over 60% of employee respondents are actually more productive with a relaxed dress code.

As companies begin to contemplate return-to-work strategies such as considering how many days per week employees should be in the office, the application of social distancing and mask rules, they should also consider whether it's time to update their dress code. While most are likely to agree that yoga pants may not be the best expression of our professional selves, leaders may want to consider relaxing dress codes to more closely mirror what is actually necessary to perform well. With one less thing to worry about, your teams can focus on what they need to do to get the job done.

It's possible employees have more time to focus on the tasks at hand when they aren't worrying about what to wear. Perhaps being more comfortable in general is a boon to productivity. I've certainly found it contributes to a sense of camaraderie that fosters teamwork. Whatever the reason, it looks like the "no dress code" dress code could be here to stay. In the wake of being apart physically, technology helped connect employees in uncommon ways with no dress code required. It’s these lessons that we should bring with us as we adjust to life after Covid-19.

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