Asked not to wear a Rolex to work…

[Hydrangeajp]

I've been with my current company for several years in a senior legal role, managing a team. The company's struggling lately - redundancies, pay freezes, and bonus cuts. My own manager recently left, and their replacement (board level), joined last week. After a positive initial face-to-face meet, she scheduled a meeting later that week about the Rolex watch she noticed me wearing into the office.

She told me it was inappropriate and insensitive, given both my seniority and the company’s current situation, and ultimately requested that I stop wearing it to work. She essentially said that "most senior staff already know to avoid wearing expensive, flashy items to work”.

I’ve had this watch for years and wear it daily. I’ve never given it any thought and would think most people wouldn’t even notice it's a Rolex. Am I the completely deluded and inappropriate one here? I was so taken aback and put on the spot that I simply agreed not to wear it, but since then I can't stop thinking I should’ve stood my ground (not because I’m desperate to wear the watch, rather, the whole ask felt excessive and inappropriate?) WWYD? I’d really appreciate an honest outsider’s perspective.

I don't even know what a Rolex looks like, so it wouldn't bother me if you were wearing one!

Sweet Jesus what on earth had the world come too? is redundancies due to the fact you have worn a watch for years ?
I wear my expensive jewellery to work all the time along with designer clothes - I love certain things and spend my hard earned money on them. we have redundancies going on at the mo too. but no one would tell me to stop wearing what I wear. some people with millions in their bank account wear charity shop clothes and drive bangers.

This! You need to challenge this, otherwise it could be a gateway to all kinds of crazy shit!

Ask HR if jewellery is covered by any policy that your firm has? If, as I suspect, there is no such policy, perhaps they could explain that this could be considered bullying and an apology from your manager would suffice on this occasion.

Same 😂 i care very little about these things but each to their own; everyone have different priorities with money

No battery

However, it is more appropriate not to wear things a lot more expensive than your colleagues. I reckon one notch up looks commendably smart, but two or more notches higher will grate. Especially if people are being told "times are hard."

Foxtrot Oscar!!. Wear what you want. On a sort of similar note my daughter works Saturday and Sunday till 2 o,clock part time to suit having kids etc. She drives her husband's company car, a big 4x4 Mercedes thing I think it is. She jumped into it other week just after she'd finished as the MD was getting into his an older beat up number. She said he nearly crashed into her staring at her. Note I'm not slagging older cars, I used to drive old bangers myself.

Start coming to work in a Porsche, with a sticker that says "My other car is also a Porsche".

Brilliant 😂😂😂

Yup.

Keep wearing the watch OP and inform HR.

Why was it deleted? It was funny AF 😂

Like what? You really, really aren't convincing me that you're a senior lawyer. The KCs I know would just laugh this off.

Are you actually serious?? HR are meeting with you to discuss your low standard of dress !!!!! Since when did how you dress have anything to do with your ability to do your job ?? I'd have to tell them where to go, and not politely!!! None of their damned business. Just like the OPs watch..... wear what you want and to hell with them. I'm flabbergasted!!!!

Is just carry on wearing it regardless of any 'agreement'.
If she says anything I'd just reply that I thought she was joking.

No way, unless it’s in the contract. Watches and jewellery are personal, it’s none of their business.

If it's not policy, it's none of her business BUT I didn't wear Louboutins with red soles or take designer handbags to work for this reason. Not because of redundancies exactly but I just think I should keep it understated and not flash at all at work personally. I also wouldn't wear a Rolex if I had one. My DH doesn't wear any of his expensive watches to work either, nor anything designer. He's very private generally, especially so about wealth.

So bizarre. Im an in house lawyer and I would be bewildered. What if you just have a rich husband? 😄 or - what if its a ‘replica’? 😁
I think she’s a strange so expect more weirdness from her - start looking for another job

You were robbed, mine was $10 in Tijuana with a 'lifetime guarantee'!

If this was bought with the salary from the firm then it shows aspiration to those juniors that achieving a senior position means that you earn enough to be able to buy stuff like a Rolex.

"Is just carry on wearing it regardless of any 'agreement'.
If she says anything I'd just reply that I thought she was joking."

Agreed.

Clearly she's so fucking stupid, not knowing laws, legal, HR, the role of senior leadership... hopefully if you pass her a shovel, she'll dig her own grave.

How absurd. Keep wearing the watch. I'd be adding some flash, fancy jewellery too.

This is a ridiculous request @Hydrangeajp Is the firm going to require all employees wear £50 polyester suits from Next ?

I mean, are they going to police the cost of people’s wedding rings and other jewellery, the cost of their shoes, their suits and do on? My hair cut costs me £150 a pop - will they require people to go to those cheap places that just cost £15?

I have no idea what a Rolex costs or what it looks like ( my Swiss watch is tiny and fairly ordinary looking) and I tend to think people’s investments in brands is naff and vulgar. But what they’re doing is just silly. How do they think they can police this?

@category12

come off it - when does anyone really notice the brand of a colleague's watch? or even if they wear a watch at all?

exactly, anyone who is the type to notice those things will have already noticed the watch given OP has been wearing it for years. So anyone who doesn't know/care about watches will continue to not care, those that do will just think "OP isn't wearing her rolex watch today" rather than "OP doesn't have a rolex watch."

I'd be interested in whether what she says about the company culture is true - does everyone higher up than you avoid wearing or using any sort of status symbols? They all drive to work in ford focuses wearing tkmaxx suits with inexpensive jewellery? That seems unlikely....

To some extent she has a point in that if the company is struggling senior staff could try and tone down any talk of expensive holidays, try to avoid showing off new cars etc (although tbh even that is difficult, if you've come to the end of a car lease most people aren't going to downgrade just to make a point). But one classic purchase that you've worn for years...yeah she's being unreasonable (and I do wonder if she'd ask a man at the same level as her to do the same...)