Literally saw this as I’m preparing to go get printed for a background check for my first gov job. I’ve been debating how dressed-down I wanna be since this isn’t an actual “work” thing. This just persuaded me to ditch the polo shirt and wear a tshirt. I’ll have plenty of other days when I “need” to wear a colored shirt.
So, just a caution. The folks in the area of the department you’re working for may be chill and following the norms of leadership. But bureaucrats are cautious and traditional to a fault. Many still see formal wear from subordinates as a sign of respect for the hierarchy and office, and changes like those from Schumer as a temporary stunt that may or may not stick around. Further, the folks who are printing you are likely law and order types and are even more likely to make judgements based on appearance. Unless you know they are chill, caution may be best. In general, government work is highly context dependent, with lots of unwritten rules and judgements based on perception and relationships. Caution is best if there aren’t written rules to follow.
looks at my DHS badge with it’s literal just woke up face and memphis devil lady t-shirt
Huh, that explains a lot of things now.
A note to programmers: don’t “dress up” for any important business or government meeting. I got yelled at once because I was supposed to “look like a programmer” in a sales meeting but I dressed nice
In my first job out of college, I dressed up in a suit and tie for my first day. I was (nicely) told not to dress like that again and that the office was much more casual.
Of course, this was a technology magazine in the mid-90’s so it might have been an exception versus other work places.
Moral of the story, ask your manager how you should dress for that important meeting.
