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PPB
• SEPTEMBER 2015
THINK
FAST FORWARD
BIZWORDS
PROGRAMMERS AT HEWLETT-PACKARD are being told to ditch the t-shirts
and hoodies and join the business-casual crowd at the office. Though pro-
grammers are traditionally not customer-facing employees, HP executives
who sent their staff a memo on the new dress code believed customers
who might visit the IT company’s offices would be put off by the casual
appearance of its resident geniuses.
The mandate wasn’t well received, of course, despite programmers not
being the only employee group targeted by the mandate. Some critics
have said the dress code is a hint at the company’s upcoming division into
two separate entities—HP, Inc. and HP Business Enterprises—and possible
reduction in workforce numbers. Leaders at HP say the dress code can be
attractive to job applicants who see dressing in business apparel as a sign
of success.
There’s a glimmer of hope for programmers who have a hankering for off-
kilter apparel, yet still need to make a good impression at a dressy work-
place. Irreverent crowdfunded clothing company Betabrand caught wind of
the mandate and crafted a satirical PSA in support of the t-shirt-clad pro-
gramming crowd, bringing attention to its quirky collection of apparel
(and to job openings at its own offices).
Betabrand’s offerings for men include paisley steak-patterned collared
shirts and the Suitsy, a one-piece business suit composed of a shirt, jacket
and pants. Women are offered dress-pant sweatpants and dress-pant yoga
pants in several styles and colors. Take that, dress code.
Engineering A New Dress Code
MARKET SHARE
Administrivia
A trivial administrative task that is time-
consuming, often handed off to lower-
level employees by management and
seen as an impediment to workplace
morale. Try these tips for keeping
administrivia from ruling your workday.
Dedicate A Day To Busywork
If you’ve got a grip on your schedule,
save up your operational activities—
those that aren’t crucial to the bottom
line—to avoid dropping in and out of
housekeeping mode in order to put
out other fires. If a full day is still too
much, try blocking off 10 to 20 minutes
a day, one to three days a week, to
knock it out and get it off your mind.
Divide And Conquer
If you need help tackling your admin-
istrivial tasks, hand over the jobs that
don’t require your singular expertise
or knowledge to complete. This frees
up your time while ensuring every
piece of administrivia gets the atten-
tion it deserves.
Guard Your Time From Intrusions
If you’ve successfully carved out time
to address your administrivia, don’t let
co-workers or technology steer you
off course. Close your email and web
browser, put your phone on silent
and—if you have one—close the
office door.