To want my work team to wear shoes in the office

[reddaisy]

I manage a team and work in a large, open plan office. Today a member of staff came to talk to me wearing just socks (and clothes thankfully).

I told him to go back to his desk and come back with his shoes on. He seemed shocked and asked me if I was joking and that he was "trying to relax."

I replied: "You aren't here to relax, you are at work so put your shoes on."

This is the second time I have spoken to him about this, the first time I did it in a more casual manner but he seemed genuinely surprised that I cared whether he had his shoes on.

The dress code is usual suits, shirt and tie for men and smart office for women.

So, AIBU?

does it matter? he may work better being comfortable....

yanbu

I used to be guilty of this but in my defence it was a call centre so no customer face to face contact and I only did it at evenings and weekends when there was a skeleton staff and a more relaxed atmosphere. YANBU to request he wears his shoes though. If I had been asked to put mine back on I wouldn't have thought twice about it.

YABU, why do you care?

Yanbu. There are health & safety issues involved.

YABU. If in front of the public, fine - but if just in an office, fine. I HATE shoes and avoid wearing them whenever possible. So long as feet are clean/non-smelly, tis fine.

I think YABU. Does it really matter? If he's good at his job and getting the work done, I don't see the problem.

think it's very odd not to wear shoes in the office. i wouldn't like it either.

slackers

ASecretLemonadeDrinker, I think if he was just at his desk I wouldn't have mentioned it but I feel it is inappropriate walking around the office in socks.

Sorry, my first sentence didn't make any sense at all.

If he's in front of the public, fine to needing shoes: if not, fine not to wear them.

YANBU - it's an office and there are dress codes. If someone wants to slip their shoes off under the desk maybe OK. But not to wander around without shoes in case someone is showing a client around or something.

x post with OP about sitting at desk

Just seems unprofessional for an office environment. He could kick his shoes off under the desk to be comfortable, but for walking around the office he should have them on.

YANBU.

xposted with everyone on the desk vs walking around issue!

yanbu send an e-mail to everyone regarding appropriate office attire.

I think it is pretty strange not to wear shoes in an office like that. However, I would have referred specifically to the dress code/health and safety, rather than just personal dislike of the behaviour.

YANBU....next he will be taking his socks off and leave them around the office for you to pick up!

This afternoon I got up from my desk to go to the printer and realised half way there that I didnt have shoes on.
I suddenly felt a bit odd but faced it out - for all of the 5 seconds it took to get back to the desk

It was just wrong to be in the office,dressed in office clothes but shoeless.And this is someone who hates wearing any footwear at home-inside or out.

Its a matter of respect .For the job , oneself -and in the situation you posed -definitely for ones superiors.
He was wrong to feel so relaxed at work that he removed his shoes.
And weird.

YANBU - its one thing slipping shoes off under the desk, its another to wander around the office in your socks.

Bit weird if you ask me!

YANBU.

If he wants to relax and feel comfortable then why not come to work in his PJs and have done with it!

depends on whether he has face to face contact with any clients.

I often walk about the open plan floor without my shoes on. I often sit cross legged on my chair (to the absolute horror of my H&S officer), and work much better with my shoes off for some reason. I don't go to meetings without shoes on though, or the loo, or to make drinks and whatnot, but to walk to the printer/photocopier/fax machine, whatever. But then, our dress code is a bit more relaxed. We are allowed smart/casual, depending on our role and who we wish to impress (unless its court, then I am sure wearing shoes would be essential, have not tried walking into crown court suited, booted and with no shoes on, but there is always a first eh?).

yanbu but he was VERY unreasonable to challenge you in that way

You'd have hated me - a few many years ago I used to work in an internal office (no natural light or ventilation) and it got really hot in the summer. I used to fill my waste paper bin with water and sit with my bare feet in it .

I used to get some funny looks when people came into the office and heard gentle splashing sound every time I moved .

Luckily it was in the days when my job could be done with a paper and pen. I think there would have been a real H&S risk if I was submerged whilst working on a computer

However, now I am a boss so I think YANBU

(i am not the only one either. A couple of my colleagues even have slippers ).

When I had an office job I used to take my shoes off all the time, but I shared an office with only one other person so it didn't really matter if I wandered around shoeless!

It really annoys me when jobs have (what appear to me) to be arbitrary rules and I would count having to wear shoes as one of those. If he meets with the public then definitely he needs to wear shoes but if he doesn't then surely it doesn't matter at all? If my boss had told me to wear shoes in that office job I would be mighty peeved mainly because I would feel it was unprofessional on her part to even take any notice. But then the nature of the job was such that it wouldn't really have made sense for her to complain. What area to you work in?