Dressing Down? 60% of Teleworking Americans Report Wearing Sweatpants Daily

ALEXANDRIA, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--More than half of American workers (60 percent) report wearing sweatpants while working from home, according to a new survey released today by SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management). The survey also found very few (6 percent) of teleworking Americans don business attire and that most dress according to whether they’ll be seen by others via video.

The survey asked a panel of 1,002 American workers about their attire during stay-at-home-orders. Of those working from home, it found:

• Three out of five (60 percent) Americans working from home during COVID-19 are wearing casual or athletic wear (such as sweatpants, hooded sweatshirts) as their usual daily working attire;
• Seventeen percent are wearing an office-appropriate top but casual pants as their usual daily working attire; notably, this rises to nearly half (49 percent) when taking a video call.
• Seventeen percent of Americans are wearing their pajamas as their usual remote work outfit, while a brave 7 percent stay in them during video calls;
• Just 6 percent said office-wear or business attire was their usual daily attire.

“With just six percent of teleworking Americans wearing business attire at home, and 17 percent working in our pajamas, it’s very clear comfort has beaten formality,” said Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM President and CEO. “It also reaffirms something many of us may have suspected all along: That colleague in the nice jacket may very well be wearing sweatpants, too.”

Taylor added: "As businesses reopen, employers should review their dress policies, and reaffirm guidelines so executives, employees, and managers alike can ensure pajamas remain worn at home—and not at work.”

About SHRM

SHRM, the Society for Human Resource Management, creates better workplaces where employers and employees thrive together. As the voice of all things work, workers and the workplace, SHRM is the foremost expert, convener and thought leader on issues impacting today's evolving workplaces. With 300,000+ HR and business executive members in 165 countries, SHRM impacts the lives of more than 115 million workers and families globally. Learn more at SHRM.org and on Twitter @SHRM.