Even in a heatwave, the Swiss don’t wear shorts to work

Flip flops to work in Switzerland? No chance. Keystone / Claudio Thoma

In Switzerland, despite the heatwave, people continue to wear pants to work. Shorts have no place in the office – far less so than in other European countries. This is according to a study by the YouGov institute published Tuesday on behalf of the online site Galaxus.

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These somewhat conservative habits remain deeply ingrained in Switzerland. The YouGov survey, conducted on behalf of Galaxus of 2,616 people in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy, and France, shows that 60% of Swiss men prefer long pants, which they typically pair with closed-toe shoes (56%).

Only 27% of Swiss men wear shorts to work. The same is true in Italy. In contrast, Germany is where people are most likely to wear shorts (38%) and T-shirts (69%).

As for women, there are no notable differences between the various countries. T-shirts and pants are the norm in all countries surveyed, even in extreme heat. Only one-third opt for skirts or dresses.

When it comes to appropriate work attire, Switzerland has the strictest dress code. For example, showing your belly button is out of the question. In fact, 73% of Swiss people consider crop tops inappropriate for work in the summer when interacting with customers.

Some 57% even believe they are inappropriate when there is no direct contact with customers. In Italy, this figure stands at only 25%, and 37% when interacting with customers. Sweatpants are also off-limits in Switzerland: 61% of those surveyed say they are inappropriate for work when interacting with customers, compared to 39% in Italy.

Switzerland also stands out for its rejection of flip-flops. 72% of Swiss people consider them inappropriate for the office. In Switzerland, work is still a serious matter.

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Translated from French, reviewed by an English Department journalist.