Poolside Summer Office Outings

Christina Binkley, style columnist for the Wall Street Journal, has an interesting article on what to wear at summer office outings meant to encourage bonding. These outings often include lying in the sun at poolside or taking a plunge in the pool. Depending on how little is worn, bonding could turn into, well, lust — or worse.

As Ms. Binkley notes, that’s not the only problem. Your employees just may not take you as seriously once they’ve seen you half naked. Varicose veins. Fat stomachs. Skinny legs. They’re unlikely to do much for bonding or teamwork.

It’s difficult enough to keep employees sexually separated during office hours or fully clothed office parties. It’s also difficult enough to engender a culture of respect and propriety when executives, managers and employees are appropriately dressed. Ms. Binkley suggests that once your coworkers have seen you stripped down, they’ll always see you stripped down.

If a male university swimming coach has trouble avoiding criminal sexual abuse charges, what’s to be expected of a poor male supervisor who changes into a swim suit after a few drinks, in compliance with the company invitation to the office outing. If another male university swimming coach and one of his female swimmers can’t avoid accusing each other of sexual harassment, how can an executive and one of his subordinates remain professional when they’re wearing almost nothing. And then there’s the bizarre series of sex harassment lawsuits against a fashion mogul.

If you’re sponsoring one of these parties this summer, you should have a welcoming sign which says: “Thanks for attending. Eat, drink, swim, sue.”