Guidelines for Grooming at the Office

Is it okay to comb your hair at your desk? How about applying foot lotion? Here's some advice on what's OK and what's not.

Sandals may show up at work in summer, even at The Emily Post Institute. But casual attire doesn’t mean personal grooming is acceptable in one’s cubicle, any more than it’s acceptable in one’s office. Most grooming should be done privately, in a restroom, or at home. The only exceptions that spring to mind are a quick brush of the hair, an application of hand lotion, or, for a woman, a lipstick touch-up. My litmus test is simple: How would the grooming behavior look if a major client or prospect happened to walk by as it was being done? Seeing someone with shoes or sandals off, bending over, and applying lotion to bare feet doesn’t send a very positive or professional image.

If you do use the bathroom at work to brush, floss, shave, comb, or groom in any way, follow the leave no trace philosophy. Don't leave anything behind that you would want someone to throw away. Do take an extra second for a quick wipe down of surfaces and mirrors when you are done.

(Editors note: For many office environments open toed shoes themselves would be a level of casual attire that goes to far. Assume a workplace requires closed-toed shoes unless you have explicitly heard otherwise.)