Swiss bank UBS will overhaul its painfully detailed employee dress code
Laser-like precision is an admirable trait when it comes to Swiss timekeeping—but maybe not so much when you’re telling employees what to wear. Amid much ridicule, Switzerland-based banking giant UBS has decided to overhaul a painfully detailed employee dress code that was recently leaked online. The 44-page guide ventured into such personal territory as what colour underwear women should wear (flesh-toned) and how often men should cut their hair (monthly). It also suggested wristwatches (to convey trustworthiness and punctuality) and cautioned about the dangers of failing to trim and file toenails (shortens the life of stockings). UBS has said its original guide was “misunderstood.” But while the bank has pledged to focus on the basics in its revised code—dark suits, white shirts and red ties for men—it’s doubtful its 65,000 global employees will enjoy sartorial freedom any time soon.