John Bowie* So here’s another initiative for your law firm to make in an age when making a difference in an age of sameness is all important. Cavell Leitch have taken the initiative following the initiative taken by some firms, like Australia’s McCabe Curwood.
In a world of flexible work hours, hot desks, casual fridays, flexi-time, work-life balance and just about anything else you might imagine, the ‘dress for your day’ is kind of a casual Friday moved to any day you want, so long as you’re client- and court-free.
When McCabe Curwood adopted the policy last year they said that it ‘formalises’ how employees approach personal presentation in the office which, we imagine, normally involves dressing down for comfort.
Welcome the Allbirds, skinny jeans and wacky hair ties.
“When I look around, the suit and tie are just not worn behind the scenes anymore, so this policy will articulate to our staff that they have a choice in how they present themselves. As legal professionals, we do tend to work long hours and it is important to be comfortable,” McCabe Curwood managing partner Andrew Lacey said at the time.
In a LinkedIn post, Cavell Leitch said the policy was introduced “to ensure our people represent both our firm and their personal brands appropriately through the way they dress, while allowing flexibility and recognising that not every day requires a suit and tie.
“Its early days, but so far we’ve had some great feedback from our people and our clients.”
