Ask a Manager

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1. Ask a Manager* Post authorOctober 31, 2019 at 12:01 am

   We’ve already got lots of answers to the Halloween question (which is great!) so I’m consolidating them all. If you’d like to weigh in on that question, please do it as a reply to this comment.
   1. Rachel* October 31, 2019 at 12:14 am

      I dress up for Halloween at work at the public library. I’m not a children’s librarian, but I do interact with a lot of kids in my work at the main desk.
      1. Princesa Zelda* October 31, 2019 at 12:21 am

         Same at my library! I’m a circulation attendant so I work the desk. I’m going to be Batgirl tomorrow, and I expect the kids to be pleased.

         When I was in retail and food service, we were absolutely forbidden from dressing up, as it violated our uniform policy, and in the case of food service, could introduce potential contaminants to the kitchen.
         1. Christmas Carol* October 31, 2019 at 7:59 am

            I was Barbara Gordon last year.
            1. curly sue* October 31, 2019 at 9:48 am

               +1
         2. Decima Dewey* October 31, 2019 at 11:43 am

            I’m an Adult/Teen Librarian, and I’m currently all in black, except for a sequined witch’s hat and a gray scarf with cutely spooky stuff on it. Sort of a reformed witch (not scary, but still likes to wear the pointy hat now and then).

            I do dress for Halloween, usually in a minimalist way. Wearing a red and black dress with a devil’s tail safety pinned to the hem and a plastic pitchfork leaning against my desk, or a multicolored wig with a dragon’s tail attached to my skirt.
         3. Eclecticism is a Virtue* October 31, 2019 at 4:00 pm

            I work for a company that has multiple brands. I work in the ecommerce group, the websites. We’re very laid back, in the Western US (not California), and come and go as we wish (flex hours). Generally, we all get along. The culture is one where the director, the person in charge, will come in wearing shorts and flip flops in the summer and couldn’t care less if everyone else does, too. Right now I am waiting for an email with photos of all the people who are participating in this year’s costume contest. The office is around 50-60 people, probably a dozen or so are participating. No one cares if you do participate, or if you don’t. On my team, no one dressed up. In my department, I think one person did. I’ve worked for lots of companies over the years and it’s all industry and workplace driven. (And yes, the culture here is a big part of why I hope I stay a long time; they actually treat us as adults and trust us.)
      2. Librarienne* October 31, 2019 at 12:22 am

         I’m in adult services, and we all dress up too!
         1. Anne of Green Gables* October 31, 2019 at 1:01 pm

            Another librarian here! I’m at a community college. I’m in costume today (Elton John) as are a few of my coworkers. I’ve seen a couple costumes from staff in other departments on campus and a few students are in costumes or funny hats. When I was at the public library, probably 80% or more of staff dressed up. It’s much less here, but it’s still an environment where I feel comfortable doing it. Our social media person usually posts pictures of staff who dress up to try to play up the fact that librarians can be fun.
      3. Lauren* October 31, 2019 at 12:45 am

         Librarian here also, though I do work with kids. I think libraries are typical of the kind of job where you’re likely to find Halloween participants: nerdy people, people working with youth, and fields where deviation from what is considered “professional” is more common. Libraries are also (at least in every library I’ve ever worked) cool with tattoos, piercings, colored hair, eccentric clothes, etc. Dress code is usually business casual at most, and while the day-to-day pace of libraries differs dramatically, the work we do is not typically deadline or profit driven. I think that leads to an office environment that can make some time in the day to accommodate a little silliness.
         1. Curly sue* October 31, 2019 at 5:22 am

            I’m in academia (prof) and it’s the same at my school. I wouldn’t say the majority dress up, but many do. My Halloween-day lectures are usually to a costumed crowd, and more than one faculty member pulls out Hogwarts robes every year.
            1. Sand Dollar* October 31, 2019 at 6:05 am

               That’s interesting! I’m also a professor (at a smallish public university) and I’ve never seen a professor dress up for Halloween.
               1. curly sue* October 31, 2019 at 6:46 am

                  I teach in a Theatre department in a performing arts school at the Uni, so that may have something to do with it, though the History and English departments also get into the holiday. My former grad supervisor goes full Hogwarts every year, and I’ve got a Captain Marvel closet cosplay on today – leather jacket and appropriate t-shirt. It’s not like full-on haunted house costumes, or things that are hard to move around or teach in, but there is definitely a presence.
               2. Vermonter* October 31, 2019 at 9:40 am

                  I had a professor who not only dressed up, but gave you extra credit for showing up to class in a costume. (He was pretty lenient about his definition of “costume,” so everyone got the extra credit if they could B.S. something: “I’m dressed up as a X University student” was popular.)
                  1. curly sue* October 31, 2019 at 9:48 am

                     I should do that next year. I usually bring in candy but forgot to do it this time; luckily / unluckily for my blood sugar levels the student society left two massive boxes of candy in the break room today.
            2. VAP* October 31, 2019 at 7:57 am

               I’m also in academia. It definitely seems to vary by institution–at my last job I don’t think I saw any faculty dressing up. At my current place, some departments regularly put together a theme and encourage all the faculty and staff to join in (Star Wars, Superheros, zombie versions of your favorite scientist, etc). And there is always a Hogwarts robe!
               1. curly sue* October 31, 2019 at 9:14 am

                  I’ve seen four out of the seven faculty & staff in my department so far today and we’ve all got something happening – my Captain Marvel, a generic Hallowe’en skeleton, a neon gecko onesie, and Sad from Inside Out (with blue face and body paint).
                  1. TeeGee* October 31, 2019 at 10:17 am

                     I’m Helga Hufflepuff today. I consistently dress up for Halloween, since I often work directly with library patrons. Off the top of my head: I’ve previously dressed up as a hippie, Sonia Sotomayor, a penguin, a sister of the Brown Ajah (Wheel of Time), in various RennFaire dresses, and as a Hufflepuff student. (Access Services, Academic Library).
                     1. Librariann* October 31, 2019 at 10:50 am

                        I love your costumes!!!! Kudos for the brown Ajah and the penguin in particular ;)
            3. Sparrow* October 31, 2019 at 12:33 pm

               I’ve worked at a couple of universities, and it seems to vary pretty widely! On the student affairs side of things, small things seem to be common – cat ear headbands, witch’s hat, skull earrings, etc. – but I haven’t seen all that many full costumes. I think the most I’ve actually seen was a former boss who pulled a Jim Halpert and dressed up as a colleague who wore suits everyday in a business casual office. But even though it was clear to all of us that she was in costume, a random person walking through wouldn’t have known.

               At one university, I encountered an academic department who was well known for doing themed costumes every year, and pretty much everyone in their main office participated, as did some random professors. Every year, enough people would stop by their office to check out the costumes that they started handing out candy.
               1. Curmudgeon in California* October 31, 2019 at 3:53 pm

                  I’m sitting at my desk dressed as a “Ninja Hacker”, complete with keyboard slung on my back. I work in University IT (staff). I’d say that about 10 – 20% of staff dress up, sometimes whole teams will do a group theme. I’m the only one on my team that does, but they know I’m weird.
         2. LadyL* October 31, 2019 at 7:45 am

            I think you nailed it, because I’m not a librarian but “nerdy, non-traditional job that works with youth” describes my career perfectly (museum education), and yeah every place I’ve worked at does Halloween costumes with the caveat your costume must be kid friendly (and some places have required costumes be thematically matched to the job, like the history museum required any costume to be a historical figure of some kind).
         3. Dust Bunny* October 31, 2019 at 9:12 am

            Private academic library: We tend to do costumes lite (because we have to be able to do our jobs without getting tangled in witch hair or tails) but people do costumes sometimes, yes. I didn’t this year, but I’m wearing a dress with skulls on it.
            1. schnauzerfan* October 31, 2019 at 11:44 am

               SciTech academic here. We are very lite on the costumes, a couple of us are wearing seasonal tees, some orange and black, funky earrings… I expect that a couple of our student workers will have some sort of costumes too.
         4. Color-coding snowflake* October 31, 2019 at 10:18 am

            Somewhat related: children’s publishing, and people do dress up; there’s even a “feel free to dress in costume!” email from HR a week or two earlier. (There’s also a lot of black and orange and the OP’s “bat earrings or pumpkin pin” throughout the month of October.) Sometimes people dress up as characters from our books, which is always endearing. There’s voting on the best costume, too.
      4. Shhhh* October 31, 2019 at 1:14 am

         I’m an academic librarian (in a student facing role) and dressed up at my last job. Never anything elaborate—I always chose costumes where if I, say, removed a cat ear headband, I’d be dressed normal and professionally. I’m at a different university now and don’t know what the culture around it here is yet and I’m out of the office today so I won’t know until next year. If I were going in, though, I’d probably throw my cat ears in my bag and wait and see when I got to work.
         1. marxamod* October 31, 2019 at 8:58 am

            The great thing about a neutral black outfit is you can toss on cat ears or a witch hat and *costume* then remove them and be a totally normal human. I keep a little witch hat on a headband in my office for… just in case
         2. Halloween* October 31, 2019 at 10:32 am

            I used to work as an admin in a huge university, and my non student facing department got very into Halloween! Pretty much everyone had at least a casual costume (I wore black and added a giant witch’s hat) and some people changed into really elaborate costumes before the department lunch.
      5. Liberry pie.* October 31, 2019 at 1:16 am

         Another library worker here. I dressed up as a literary character and let patrons guess who I was. I wore a red high school graduation gown and a white bonnet made out of poster board.
         1. Kersten* October 31, 2019 at 1:33 am

            Also a library worker and we are encouraged (but not pressured) to dress up! We even have theme costume days leading up to Halloween. It’s a public library so obviously costumes are expected to be kid-friendly and work-appropriate as to movement. I’ve only seen a few people dress up (mostly in the kids’ area) but then it isn’t Halloween yet and I think this year has been quieter for several unrelated reasons. There’s been a Hermione Granger, Phryne Fisher and a fairy so far so I think they skew more literary.
      6. Galahad* October 31, 2019 at 1:42 am

         I have dressed up, and other co-workers too, but at most it is 1 in 3 persons.
         Where? An engineering office, a fortune-50 retailer (backstage office as well as customer facing), an engineering design office. Prairies, PNW, San Francisco. The retail back stage office – think accountants, customer service reps, admin staff, HR, Labor relations, management, marketing.

         Women dress up more than men, but men do so if there is a a team costume event. Some of my fellow engineers were quite clever with their costumes. So creative types (engineers are creative) and people-oriented types. Marketing and HR, admin and managment leads. Our lawyer NEVER dressed up, for example. I did see IT at one office and a computer programmer dressed as a sports fan.

         This applied to 40 hr /wk hourly employees as well as exempt and 60 hour a week salaried staff.

         Sometimes people get changed for the afternoon break through end of work “happy hour / social” only.
         1. Jack be Nimble* October 31, 2019 at 8:11 am

            My current workplace is similar. I’m on the east coast and we had our Halloween party yesterday afternoon. Nobody wore costumes during the day, but several people changed for the party itself, and their costumes ranged from “added a funny hat to what I was already wearing” to full-on face paint and props.

            At my former workplace in the Midwest, there was a lot more dressing up and a lot more intense costumes. It was a very slow-paced work environment with low turnover and people took Halloween very seriously! My boss (jokingly?) threatened me about dressing up. It was weird.
         2. Anax* October 31, 2019 at 2:33 pm

            Yep, that sounds accurate to me. I’ve worked in state government back-offices, and currently at a bank – the Halloween party on the patio is very loud and joyous right now.

            (I, meanwhile, have had a migraine for most of the past week because of wildfire smoke – thanks, California – so I’m a little too frazzled to participate.)

            I think a strong emotional investment in team culture also affects things strongly, even in “non-people” jobs – my current team is pretty close-knit, and we have a lot of potlucks and other low-key networking events, which has driven participation here.

            I’ve also noticed that a lot of immigrant folks don’t participate in Halloween festivities; it’s a pretty North American cultural phenomenon, and depending on workplace demographics, that can have a substantial effect on participation.
      7. LimeTwist* October 31, 2019 at 4:47 am

         We, a tech scale-up , had our Halloween party last Friday and there was a costume contest as part of it. Most people changed right before the party, but one of my peers went the whole day in full costume including face and hair paint – as the Heath Ledger Joker nurse. She was the only one on our floor (that stood out. Someone else was Captain America and had the jacket on but it’s the dark blue/grey one), and at some point, there was a meeting with an external party, possibly an investor, that got a tour of the office, so that was funny. She won the contest.
         1. Colette* October 31, 2019 at 8:09 am

            Yeah, most tech companies I’ve worked for encouraged dressing up for Halloween – there was usually a costume or decorating contest, and some sort of in-work social event. Participation wasn’t mandatory, but some groups got really into it.
            1. That Lady in HR* October 31, 2019 at 9:45 am

               Tech company too, and we have a pumpkin carving contest, costume contest and pizza!
               1. Anax* October 31, 2019 at 2:36 pm

                  I think things like this – as well as a relaxed dress code, on-site food, and flex time – are often very deliberate perks in tech! The work is difficult and specialized, and a lot of the big-name companies draw talent with perks to compensate for long working hours, which seems to have trickled culturally into the rest of the industry.
      8. CallofDewey* October 31, 2019 at 6:25 am

         I work at an academic library and we dress up as well!
         1. Librariann* October 31, 2019 at 10:58 am

            Contrary to popular belief, librarians do know how to have fun. ;)
      9. Mrs B* October 31, 2019 at 6:40 am

         Also work in a public library, while we’re neither encouraged or discouraged from dressing up, it tends to be low key or literary character based. My go to “costume” is Harriet the Spy, which most people don’t even pick up on as it involves wearing a hooded sweatshirt, cuffed jeans and high top sneakers. My co-worker dressed up as Ramona Quimby which was much the same except she made a barrette that looks like an cracked egg which is a reference to one of the scenes in one of the books. When we have a Halloween program for kids, it can be a little more fanciful, but as there are times when you have to be serious when certain patron issues come up, I’ve always found it’s better choose something subtle.
      10. AnonEmu* October 31, 2019 at 7:15 am

          I’m in academia, and it varied but there were definitely grad students and staff on campus dressed up. I used to bring candy to classes I taught for Halloween, and give it to students as a treat, and wear a work-appropriate costume. I live overseas now but I dressed in a work-appropriate costume today and made some baked goodies for my coworkers to celebrate – they don’t really celebrate Halloween here, so it was a bit novel for my coworkers, but I think it went over well? (My costume was a t-shirt and baseball cap, so it wasn’t too out there). In the US I have definitely noticed the medical field dressing up for Halloween though? Either festive scrubs or something work-appropriate but def a costume.
      11. Wish I had a Barbara Gordon costume* October 31, 2019 at 8:30 am

          My southern public library also has a day we have events for kids and all staff who want to dress up that day. We have enough who do dress up across all city facilities that the city (we are city employees) has a costume dress code.

          I have a friend in a CA academic library. Staff are dressing up so friend is getting something simple (think witch hat) to fit in but does not care to dress up.
      12. Steph the Editor* October 31, 2019 at 9:04 am

          I work for a county, and omg do people dress up! It was shocking to me (coming from a different kind of public agency) that there were full costumes that made it hard to keep a straight face!
      13. Ellery* October 31, 2019 at 9:07 am

          I work at a legal library so the most I have dressed up is a Superman shirt under my regular work shirt. I wear glasses so this is an instant Kara Danvers costume
          1. BadWolf* October 31, 2019 at 10:01 am

             Love it!
      14. Nerdy Academic* October 31, 2019 at 10:05 am

          We dressed up when I worked in a library, too! And we were an academic library, so no children. But we always had so much fun picking a theme and making our costumes!
      15. Chocoholic* October 31, 2019 at 10:14 am

          I work for a small non profit organization in Denver. People always dress up here, though not everyone does. One time, years ago, a bunch of people dressed as another employee, unbeknownst to him. When he came in to work that day, he was actually dressed as a *different* employee. Today I am dressed as my 15 year old daughter, which was a dare from my daughter. :)
          1. Chocoholic* October 31, 2019 at 10:28 am

             My husband works for a large architectural firm and they have a full on costume contest, which he has won once or twice. Today he is dressed as steampunk Green Lantern. They have around 175 employees and lots of people dress up. Lots of people don’t as well.
      16. Matilda* October 31, 2019 at 10:25 am

          I work in a public library too! I don’t tend to dress up (mostly because I’m never on top of it enough to put together a costume in time – although after attending an area comic con I finally have an homage to Daria costume so I’ll probably wear that in the future just because I love her), but plenty of my coworkers do. Those in actual costumes tend to be the people who work in children’s (although not always), but some of my adult services colleagues have great Halloween dresses and sweaters.
          1. it's me* October 31, 2019 at 11:13 am

             I’m Daria today.
      17. aebhel* October 31, 2019 at 11:00 am

          Yeah, it’s pretty common in libraries, IME (also a public librarian).
      18. BethRA* October 31, 2019 at 11:03 am

          For OP#4 – I’ve only ever dressed up at food-service jobs, but my partner’s last company (they were in the tech sector and did a lot of work with banks) went all-in. Someone would pick a theme (say, animated movies) and each department would pick a sub theme (“Coco” “Frozen”) and they not only dressed up but decorated their area. There were prizes and fierce competition for them.
      19. Stephanie* October 31, 2019 at 11:18 am

          I came here to say this! Public library in Louisiana. We’re encouraged to dress up, just nothing gory, sexy, or otherwise inappropriate.
      20. Awlbiste* October 31, 2019 at 11:36 am

          Same, public library, we all dress up. I’ve also dressed up when working retail, phone centers, and at a public university. Upper midwest, if location matters.
      21. Valprehension* October 31, 2019 at 11:40 am

          Same! I actually am in children’s services, but dressing up is *highly* encouraged for all staff, and the execs actually visit each branch on Halloween to take pictures of our costumes, and award prizes for best individual and group costumes (we’re pretty competitive about it too!). It’s a whole thing.
      22. Anonymeece* October 31, 2019 at 11:54 am

          Academic librarian here at a community college, and we dress up, to varying degrees. Some of us go more subtle, but some of us go all out!
      23. Kimmy Schmidt* October 31, 2019 at 12:14 pm

          I’m an academic librarian and I dress up every year!
      24. Sandan Librarian* October 31, 2019 at 2:18 pm

          I’m also a public librarian, working in technical services, and I’m dressed up as Wednesday Addams even though I don’t even get to see the public.
      25. Rose* October 31, 2019 at 3:44 pm

          Yeah, I was about to say, as a librarian who works in a public library but primarily in the adult reference area, dressing up is definitely not required but is encouraged. My go-to costume is an orange sweater, black pants, and a pair of wings — I call myself the Halloween fairy. I’m not much for costumes, but it feels wrong to do nothing. We get people who go all out — at our Halloween storytime and costume contest this weekend, the children’s librarian was dressed as Merlin and another librarian was the Wolfman — but we also get people who do nothing. We do fit that category the OP listed, of working with kids, but even those of us who aren’t really dealing with the kids often do at least something.
   2. Dragoning* October 31, 2019 at 12:15 am

      Regarding #4: My company allows us to wear costumes (and last year, even though few of us did, our department manager seemed disappointed and wanted us to show more, I don’t know, holiday spirit and felt like she was competing with one of her peers over it). Not everyone does, but enough people do that it’s not super out of place, and it’s culturally allowed.

      I’m absolutely dressing up, because Halloween is my favorite holiday, I love costumes, and it’s fun. And I definitely work in a place where work is more “career” than “job.”

      But we also get to wear jeans daily as long as we don’t have external client meetings, and I frequently wear a hoodie into the office.
      1. Dragoning* October 31, 2019 at 12:16 am

         (I actually overheard a conversation in the office last week about whether or not it was okay to wear a costume if they were presenting at an early morning meeting, and the answer depended heavily on who was in the meetings–but even the worst-case scenario was “put it on after the meeting when you’re done presenting!”)
      2. Lynn Whitehat* October 31, 2019 at 12:31 am

         Quite a few of us dress up for Halloween. Tech company, Austin, Texas. People definitely have “careers” rather than “jobs”, specifically in software development and sales. It’s not a slow time at all. Actually, since October 31 is the last day of the month, it’s a busy day for sales as they try to meet their monthly quota. I’m not usually big on “office bonding and fun!” I’m the first to come here and complain about optional-but-really-mandatory boat parties and things. But since the costumes are genuinely optional and people seem to actually enjoy doing it, I kind of feel like, why WOULDN’T it be a thing, assuming the type of work doesn’t make it impossible. I’m hoping if we have actual fun and socializing, it will crowd out some of the mandatory “fun”.
         1. MK* October 31, 2019 at 1:11 am

            That mandatory fun probably is (or started as) someone’s idea of actual fun. And your actual fun could be (or quickly become) someone else’s semi-mandatory fun.
            1. fposte* October 31, 2019 at 9:33 am

               It could, but I don’t think you have to avoid informal fun just for fear it will become codified.
         2. Kate, who will be dressed as a pumpkin* October 31, 2019 at 1:39 am

            Consultant mostly working with tech companies here, also in Austin and I agree wholeheartedly! Costumes are strongly encouraged in our office, and management seem unconcerned about potential client meetings and interviews.

            I’m being cautious and wearing something I can easily remove if necessary, but others are definitely going all out.
         3. T3k* October 31, 2019 at 3:12 am

            I worked in a similar field (entertainment and tech) on the east coast for 2 well known companies. Both encouraged dressing up for Halloween, but before that the other jobs I had never bothered. It was rather amusing walking into a meeting and seeing my boss’ boss dressed up in a unicorn onesie costume.
         4. BTDT* October 31, 2019 at 7:35 am

            Also in tech (Midwest) and we have a costume contest today.
            1. Tweidle* October 31, 2019 at 8:59 am

               Also in a tech company in the Upper Midwest. We’ve got costumes and careers rather than jobs. I actually dressed as non-hulk David Banner as I type this. Our lunch room has been decked out in Halloween decorations for a couple of weeks. Our facilities person really likes Halloween.
               We have our children and spouses in to trick-or-treat for company provided candy this afternoon at 4.
            2. Frances Quotes* October 31, 2019 at 1:55 pm

               BTDT, I wonder if you are in my office. Also in the Midwest, in a large recognizable tech company. (FWIW I voted for the Ron Swanson in the costume contest).

               Definitely a career place, but it’s part of the same culture that has foosball tables and a froyo machine and massages available on site.
         5. Former B4 Manager* October 31, 2019 at 11:25 am

            My office has mostly back office support for a decently sized private equity held company in the upper midwest. Mostly accounting/marketing/HR/IT. We are a pretty laid back office in general (most everyone wears jeans every day, but still collared shirts or nice tops).

            We have a variety of Halloween activities today, including a costume contest (I won last year, and got a little mini-cake as a prize), contest for spookiest decorations to their cube, donuts in the morning and a catered lunch, and an explicit invite for your kids to stop by to show off their costumes.

            Definitely feel there is no pressure to participate in the costumes, as maybe 1/2 of the people dress up, and I think it is a fun way for everyone to relax a bit and have some fun with their work.

            I think the fact that we don’t have in person interactions with customers matters a bit, as unless you are in specific jobs (the librarians above), it probably would be seen as out of place.
         6. littleandsmall* October 31, 2019 at 1:55 pm

            > But since the costumes are genuinely optional and people seem to actually enjoy doing it, I kind of feel like, why WOULDN’T it be a thing, assuming the type of work doesn’t make it impossible.

            This was my thoughts! I also live in Austin and used to work in tech (in the non-profit world now) and I know in general as a city, things are more casual/laid-back here in general but I was probably just as shocked that the letter writer had never seen or heard of people dressing up at work (although understandable given their line of work) as they were to find out that it was A Thing.
         7. JJ* October 31, 2019 at 4:39 pm

            Also in a tech firm, in Canada. I’d say about 1/3 of the office was in costume and another 1/3 came to the ‘costume contest’ to cheer and have fun with the participants before voting for best costume (and pizza lunch for all).

            We did have serious client meetings for some people today and at least one of the people came dressed for client & then changed into costume so it is taken seriously by those who participate – but no one judges you if you don’t decide to

            (and for the record if I knew the costume contest was going to include a catwalk walk this year I would have been in the spectator crowd, not in the showing off crowd)
         8. Indigo a la mode* October 31, 2019 at 5:11 pm

            IT firm here, too. I’m not usually a costume person, but I’m sitting here typing this dressed up as Princess Leia. We actually had a great turnout costume-wise this year, with a contest for groups – we have classic Star Wars (my team), a hilarious team of sushi, a bunch of heroes, and the entire cast of Dodgeball. On an individual level, we’ve got a guy in a gillysuit, a horse, a witch, etc., plus people wearing general Halloween-type shirts and accessories.

            It’s all totally optional, no pressure, nothing offensive – just half an hour out of our day to mill around and take pictures and eat the sweets people baked for the also-optional spooky baking contest, featuring everything from “tricky-treat” chocolate/caramel cookies to “witch fingers” to rice krispie pumpkins to utterly horrifying “poppable pimple” cupcakes.

            I love when people are into office spirit stuff. Halloween and the annual chili cook-off have been great this year.
      3. Diahann Carroll* October 31, 2019 at 12:38 am

         I’m absolutely dressing up, because Halloween is my favorite holiday, I love costumes, and it’s fun.

         Halloween is my favorite holiday as well. I need to start dressing up for it again, though – I feel like I haven’t done it properly in years. It’s shameful.
      4. Feline* October 31, 2019 at 6:21 am

         Our office has in years past encouraged costumes to the point of offering prizes for the best team costumes. One team turned their entire cubicle area into a pac-man scene, complete with dots on the floor, the works. I am a party pooper and told my team I wasn’t participating. Spending money on a costume I didn’t want to wear to work on the day of our ugliest deadline of the year didn’t seem like a good time to me.

         I’m working remote this year while recovering from some medical stuff, and it’s a relief not to have the peer pressure on about it. I haven’t seen emails about it, so it sounds like the costume mania may be dying down at our office. Or maybe someone pointed out to the Fun Contest Holders that this is a rough deadline for half the office, and they don’t have time for a costume parade.
      5. Anon Today* October 31, 2019 at 9:08 am

         I work for a state elected official, but even at that, there’s variation. A few years ago, our top manager’s favorite holiday was Halloween, and everyone in her chain of command went All Out. New administrations have come and gone since then, and now the vibe is more year-round professionalism. Today I’m wearing a black skirt suit with orange shell, which is festive and seasonal, but still perfectly appropriate.
      6. Gumby* October 31, 2019 at 11:20 am

         Yep, I’ve always worked places where it was allowed and encouraged to varying degrees. Sometimes costumes were only donned for part of the day but generally that is because they were bulky or would otherwise impede work. Yes, “career” type workplaces – multiple internet companies (highest participation), scientific R&D (medium-low participation), a university (not student-facing, lowest participation). I think one thing that could be common is that they are all casual-dress type places even on non-Halloween days. So it’s not “skip the suit today and wear a costume” it’s “skip the jeans/khakis today and wear a costume” which seems a smaller gap.
   3. PlantPipesUp* October 31, 2019 at 12:16 am

      My office dresses up, and has a party that includes not only a costume contest, but a pet costume contest as well (you submit a photo in advance, the animals themselves are not present).

      We work in extracurricular educational programming, though. So lots of former teachers, camp counselors, and other educational professionals, which comes through in company culture pretty strongly. This is also (for my department especially) our slow season. So carving out 1-2 hours isn’t difficult. Departments are also very silo’d, but would definitely benefit from more collaboration, so company-wide events are also helpful for increasing communication between departments, even if it’s more informal.

      Lastly, and most importantly, it’s completely voluntary. Nobody is judged for not participating, and even the party is not mandatory.
      1. LQ* October 31, 2019 at 8:37 am

         Similar here. We are primarily a call center in government. A lot of jobs rather than careers. It is mostly voluntary. If your whole team is really into it, it’s hard to be the one person sitting it out. But that’s entirely peer pressure, there’s no pressure from above. Most supervisors and managers don’t participate. A few have teams that rope them in, but the pressure comes from below in all those cases.

         We don’t have a party, but lots of potlucks today.
      2. Red* November 4, 2019 at 2:23 pm

         Yes, I work at an org where we have an annual Halloween breakfast. Costumes absolutely aren’t required but a fair amount of folks do low-key costumes: no face paint or onesies but usually shopping from our closets with orne or two additions. I think it’s a fun way to get out of my business casual clothing and I’m always curious to see what people will come up with!
   4. Halloweenie* October 31, 2019 at 12:17 am

      #4 – raises hand. I work for a pretty well known consumer product company in Los Angeles (about 250 people) and our office does a Halloween dress up day every year. At least half the staff participates.
      1. Product Person* October 31, 2019 at 1:25 pm

         Me too, I’m in Austin and have worked for plenty of companies in all sorts of fields, and especially in the mid-sized ones, Halloween costumes are a thing. Pretty high level folks dress up as well: just saw our Chief Data Architect heading to a meeting dressed as a cowboy riding a horse (!).
         1. Rose* October 31, 2019 at 2:02 pm

            Yes, I’ve found that it’s really about what the high-level people are into. I’ve been in my job many years, and a decade ago, people decorating their work areas and coming to work in costume was popular and many did it–it was a good time. Then management changed and even though there was no policy changed and technically you can still come in in costume if you like–and a few people do–it’s really not “a thing” now and you’d barely know it’s Hallowe’en. I don’t think it’s about career vs. job, or anything like that–we’re all career publishing people and very dedicated to our work–we just like a little morale-boosting fun now and again. It’s about what tone management takes. “Goofy fun costumes” is definitely no longer the tone around here!
   5. Questionly* October 31, 2019 at 12:17 am

      #4- My office is crazy for halloween and dressing up. They may actually be the opposite of what Alison mentioned.

      Where I work, it’s not just a job and we are always super busy. But my division is also led by a group of managers who-
      -seem to have no life outside of work/work is their life
      -put a strong emphasis on not mandatory (but really they are mandatory) “fun-tivities” and team-building activities that supposedly make this such a fun place but really just make many of us want to run away screaming

      The irony is that I personally love halloween and would be okay coming to work in a costume, if everything wasn’t so contrived and dictated from above. I should also mention that one of said managers actually likes to go around ahead of time suggestion costumes to people. And suggestions are often based on the person’s looks or ethnicity, which in addition to being offensive, goes against the main reason for a costume- you know, to dress up as something completely different.
      1. Diahann Carroll* October 31, 2019 at 12:42 am

         And suggestions are often based on the person’s looks or ethnicity,

         Oh lord – where is Shocked Pikachu? I need to borrow its expression. (This is a discrimination suit waiting to happen.)
      2. Tasha* October 31, 2019 at 8:41 am

         I have worked for several insurance companies in three states in the upper Midwest–so, conservative industry, conservative locations. BUT there’s been frequent costuming, and often office decorations, with departments competing for the “best.”

         Once our (male, MD) medical director dressed as a pregnant woman and gave “birth” in the cafeteria. Crazy times. (If any of my previous colleagues are reading this, they will surely remember who I mean.)
         1. Thundersnow* October 31, 2019 at 3:58 pm

            Also in insurance, in Dallas TX. My section manager dressed as a movie-accurate Wonder Woman last year!
   6. IsbenTakesTea* October 31, 2019 at 12:17 am

      OP4: At my previous office job, there were no full costumes, per say, but some festive headbands/jewelry/ties/accessories were normal and welcome.
      1. Ophelia* October 31, 2019 at 2:04 pm

         Yeah, this tracks with my experience (government contractor/consulting firm with a social/environmental bent). I wouldn’t show up in a costume, but something like a scarf with spiderwebs on it, or an orange sweater, or some kind of bat pin or something would be totally accepted/expected.
   7. AussieGhoul* October 31, 2019 at 12:17 am

      RE: #4 – people definitely have dressed up at my various (Australian) workplaces, which is kind of funny because it’s such a Northern Hemisphere autumnal holiday and it’s not even autumn here in the Southern Hemisphere in October. But, you know…capitalism/globalisation! Not everyone dresses up – I would say the majority do not – and it really depends on the industry and your role/team. I’m guessing there isn’t a lot of dressing up happening at law firms etc – but in retail and hospitality you’ll often see people wearing costumes (again, not the majority, but it’s not out of place either) and some workplaces will do things like dress-up social events/competitions, etc. I’m currently at work at a university here in Australia, and the student support team is all dressed up as part of hashtag student engagement. However, in terms of the rest of the staff in other departments, only a couple of people dressed up. Basically: it’s not wide-spread but it’s also not super weird, depending on the role/team/context of your job.
      1. Takenoko* October 31, 2019 at 12:48 am

         Halloween is getting bigger here in Japan thanks to capitalism/globalization, but people don’t dress up for work. At my local supermarket the retail workers had little witch hats on, and foreign/English teachers might dress up at school. Some places have events for children (or even adults) to dress up, and trick-or-treating is more common than in the past, but it happens in a controlled environment like a mall or event space, not people’s homes. And of course lots of adults go out partying in costume. But work attire is pretty conservative here and I’ve never seen anyone dress up at an office job. Sometimes people don’t even know what day the holiday actually is because events happen on the weekend and it’s an imported holiday.
         1. Minocho* October 31, 2019 at 2:00 pm

            When I was a JET, our town had a Halloween celebration put on by the city government with involvement from other local JETs. This was back in 2000, and it was obvious it wasn’t something that had caught on widely, yet.
         2. sacados* October 31, 2019 at 2:19 pm

            Yup. My office actually did have a lot of people who dressed up, but that was cause it was both a creative industry/casual environment (people mostly wore jeans or whatever every day) and also even though it was technically a Japanese company it was a super international atmosphere.
            One of my friends works as an English teacher for really little kids, and the classroom locations are all in various department stores. The past few years, they have done little trick or treat events, all her kids will dress up (lots of Elsa) and they go around to the stores on their floor.

            My favorite part of Halloween in Japan though is the jimi halloween — have you seen that? If you search #地味ハロウィン on twitter there’s a bunch of pics. It’s an event where people dress up as something totally mundane yet a thousand percent relatable, like “person you would expect to see at a combini at midnight” or “guy who just bought an umbrella and then it stopped raining.”
            1. Takenoko* October 31, 2019 at 10:20 pm

               Oh man 地味ハロウィン is my new favorite thing. Thank you for this
      2. londonedit* October 31, 2019 at 5:08 am

         Halloween seems to be getting bigger every year in the UK (there are now themed TV adverts from supermarkets specifically featuring Halloween products, which there never used to be before) but outside of maybe schools (although a lot of schools are on half-term holiday for the last week of October) and maybe customer-facing jobs like retail (it’s reasonably common to see checkout workers in supermarkets wearing some sort of small Halloween-themed thing like devil horns or maybe a pumpkin jumper or something) I’ve never heard of a workplace where people would dress up for Halloween, or have a party or anything like that.
         1. Media Monkey* October 31, 2019 at 7:14 am

            also never seen anyone in any UK workplace i have worked at dressed up. and we are generally pretty laid back, wear jeans and so on. it’s just not a thing here. we do have a couple of decorations – some spiderwebs on the pictures and crime scene tape along the windowsill this wear.
            1. Media Monkey* October 31, 2019 at 7:15 am

               also don’t see anyone dressed up on the tube in the morning, so i don’t think it’s just my workplaces.
               1. londonedit* October 31, 2019 at 7:52 am

                  Yes, same. We’re also very laid-back in my industry – people wear jeans all the time and tend to dress quite casually, but I’ve never seen anyone dress up, and I’ve never seen any Halloween-themed workplace activities. And you’re right, I’ve never seen adults dressed up during the day on the tube, so I don’t think many people are wearing Halloween costumes to work!
                  1. TechWorker* October 31, 2019 at 8:30 am

                     Those who do dress up would likely change at work for the themed event (were having cake and pumpkins carving) rather than wear it on the tube, to be fair.
         2. Grace* October 31, 2019 at 9:16 am

            Currently on my lunch break in my UK workplace… and there’s a Halloween bake-off competition (entirely voluntary, most people in my small office have brought something but I don’t think that’s the case in the bigger office) and a low-effort party later (quiz and a couple of drinks, but again, I’m in the office with fewer than ten people; uncertain as to what it’s like in the bigger office). We were encouraged to do costumes – out of the people here now, they range from closet cosplays (I’m River Tam from Firefly – loose long hair, blue dress, combat boots) to casual spooky (skeleton leggings and skeleton jewellery) to actual costume (Ghostbusters-style flight suit).

            We’re normally an office that allows jeans or miniskirts or leggings unless you’re having a client meeting – none of the clothes people are wearing today would be disallowed on the average workday – so it’s really not that different from the norm. No Halloween decorations, though.
      3. Snuck* October 31, 2019 at 5:51 am

         Another Aussie here…

         I never saw it in any of my corporate jobs… middle management and above, project, IT and engineering management sort of spaces… Think Dilbert spaces. Not even in the country’s largest internet provider where rounds of Katamari on the Dunkin’ Donuts bean bags were normal. Definitely never in finance.

         I’ve seen it more often in customer facing lower skilled roles – cafes, checkouts, supermarkets etc. Or child centred roles (childcare, libraries, maybe some of the assistants in medical spaces like dental or nursing). Or lightly skilled/large volume roles like call centres maybe.

         Something might have changed more recently (I now work in a different field entirely) but it definitely wasn’t a thing a while back in Australia.
      4. Government, Washington, DC* October 31, 2019 at 7:25 am

         People who are not public-facing (HR, budget) go all out. We see some really incredible costumes. Those who are public facing may do something modest – hat, ears, or just Halloween sweaters, ties or jewelry. Ditto for middle managers – they might do something fun, but low key and easy to remove if an important meeting comes up.
   8. alienor* October 31, 2019 at 12:18 am

      No. 4 – I work for a large global company with headquarters in the western U.S., and dressing up for Halloween is definitely a thing. Over the last several years we’ve started having official contests for best costume, best departmental decorations, etc, which actually seems to have dampened the enthusiasm somewhat, I guess because it feels more like work when the company is sponsoring it . I don’t personally dress up beyond a black T-shirt and some bat earrings, but I know plenty of people who do (ironically the department that participates the least is the creative team; it’s the accountants who go wild).
      1. Seeking Second Childhood* October 31, 2019 at 2:27 am

         Here too–one of our senior analysts has her office decorated to the nines, down to a pumpkin-print tablecloth covering her low bookshelf.
         But anyone back-office gets into the act… I haven’t decided how nuts to go in the morning myself, but it’ll be removable because my new desk is near the lobby…and not long enough to tangle my chair. (Definitely career type place–we design & build networked systems. )
   9. Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler* October 31, 2019 at 12:18 am

      Re: #4: I work in a field that’s fairly business standard in terms of dress (think project management), and my company is quite large. But people definitely dress up for Halloween, sometimes with work-specific costumes, and different divisions will even have costume contests and parties.
      1. Sami* October 31, 2019 at 12:21 am

         LOVE your username. One of my favorite books ever!
         1. Sami* October 31, 2019 at 12:22 am

            To stay on topic, I’m a teacher and no I don’t dress up, except for some jewelry.
         2. Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler* October 31, 2019 at 2:25 pm

            Thank you <3
      2. Lily Rowan* October 31, 2019 at 9:17 am

         I’ve generally worked in fairly intense kinds of places, with varying levels of “celebrating” Halloween. I’ve not seen people generally dressing up unless there were a party, and even then, a lot of people were changing clothes at 3. My current job has a huge office-wide day-long celebration with teams taking on different themes and mass participation, and we are vary “career” and quite conservative every other day of the year.
   10. Booklover13* October 31, 2019 at 12:21 am

       LW#4 I am one of your mythical people-who-dress-up, and work in Massachusetts. About 10-20% of people dress up(there is explicit permission from upper management), so I’m not fully out of place. With my local friends their companies ran from no costumes at all to giving out multiple different categories of best costume prizes.

       I think the two big factor are how client facing the workplace is and how professional the dress code.
       1. EPLawyer* October 31, 2019 at 8:45 am

          Definitely. Lawyers tend not to dress up. Why? Dress code expectations and if you litigate, you might wind up in court. No one is standing in front of a judge wearing a full costume and/or face paint. Maybe a little Halloween themed jewelry for women and a themed tie for men. Oh socks, both genders. Defiinitely themed socks are a THING for lawyers. But that’s it.
          1. Anne Elliot* October 31, 2019 at 11:26 am

             Another lawyer (government lawyer) endorsing this. Today (Halloween) we have a couple of women with Halloween jewelry, one woman and one man wearing business-appropriate orange sweaters, and one man in a Halloween tie (orange with Jack O’Lanterns). There’s some people on other floors (in other departments) in costumes, but not many. Nobody in the legal office. Wearing a costume would be out of sync here. I’m in a metropolitan area in the American South.
             1. Philosophia* October 31, 2019 at 12:27 pm

                (Not to mention that Anne Elliot is known for her elegance.)
                1. Anne Elliot* October 31, 2019 at 3:41 pm

                   Thank you! :D
             2. Emily* October 31, 2019 at 12:59 pm

                I have a friend who works at a law firm and not only did they dress up for Halloween, they had theme days for the entire week leading up to Halloween so people were in costumes all week. I was moderately flummoxed by this.
       2. Senor Montoya* October 31, 2019 at 9:10 am

          OP #1. Don’t do it. This is a thing with student affairs and certain kinds of academic affairs depts. Our office has done a number of these sorts of things — I always find my own results unsurprising, and can pretty well peg my colleagues, but a lot of my colleagues find it revealing and interesting, and it does give something to structure otherwise difficult discussions about interpersonal relationships.

          Some of my colleagues have their strengths on their door — I do not. The door is ok — but in your email signature? These kinds of assessments are intellectually suspect, and you will look unprofessional and frankly not very sharp when the rest of the university (especially but not only faculty) sees it.
          1. Penelope* October 31, 2019 at 9:21 pm

             OP #1, I am feeling pretty sure you’re a coworker. Is the school one that starts with an M?

             Yes, leave it off your email sig and off your door and just smile blankly if someone brings it up. They’re ridiculous non-parallel words and while it’s not a terrible tool the words are just incoherent unless you’re already familiar with it.
       3. Corporate Lawyer* October 31, 2019 at 9:39 am

          Another Massachusetts person here, and a lawyer to boot (but in-house at a tech company, which is a very different environment from a law firm), and dressing up for Halloween is very much A Thing at my company. Some of the costumes can be quite creative and elaborate. There’s even a costume contest happening at lunch today. Personally, I don’t dress up, but that’s because it isn’t my thing; it would be totally okay and in keeping with my company’s culture if I did.
   11. Edianter* October 31, 2019 at 12:21 am

       My current office (state government agency) has a costume contest and pumpkin carving contest. Last year, less than 20 (of 500+ employees) wore a costume, and there were maybe ~8 pumpkins for us to vote on. I did not (and will not) participate in either contest.

       The most egregious part? In the reminder email about the contests last week, the headline on the graphic was “If you’ve got it, haunt it!”
   12. A Tired Queer* October 31, 2019 at 12:24 am

       #4: I work in a fast-paced department in a hospital in New York State, and there is a surprisingly high number of people who are very invested in dressing up! Granted, most of us don’t work directly with patients, but still. No costume contests or anything like that, but I can reasonably expect to see a large number of at least partial costumes on Halloween.
       1. Cindy Featherbottom* October 31, 2019 at 7:30 am

          Im in the US and work in a large hospital and outpatient and people dress up. It depends on the department but the majority of people I see dress up. The main departments that don’t include the surgical staff and the ER team, which makes sense since they are in more urgent/time sensitive scenarios.
          In my outpatient setting everyone wears at least a little something. Usually it’s stuff that can easily taken off or something comfortable if it’s a full costume since it can get pretty hectic, but it’s a nice way to have a little fun in the craziness that is healthcare. Most patients tend to appreciate it too.
       2. Ktelzbeth* October 31, 2019 at 9:13 am

          I work in pediatric healthcare, inpatient and outpatient, and a lot of people dress up, from front office staff to doctors. I don’t, but some years I remember to wear orange.
       3. MD* October 31, 2019 at 10:22 am

          I work at a children’s hospital and about half of my colleagues have dressed up at least in some fashion. We aren’t patient-facing: we just work in an office in a separate building to the hospital. It’s mt first year here, so my costume is just a prop and two articles of clothing that can be taken off if needed.
          1. bean* October 31, 2019 at 3:49 pm

             Worked at a children’s hospital up till recently, and each department would pick a theme and anyone who wanted to dress up would adhere to their department’s theme. There was always a contest at some point in the day to see which department had the best costumes. Not everyone dresses up, but people get pretty into it. The kids love it.
       4. SNF Halloween* October 31, 2019 at 4:25 pm

          The about 2/3s of the therapy (PT/OT/speech) and nursing staff at my skilled nursing facility wore costumes today with management’s blessing! Outside of Halloween, therapy’s daily uniform is khakis and a black shirt, and nursing’s uniform is scrubs. None of the costumes were super elaborate with props and everything because we all have to be able to easily assist our patients/residents, but there were recognizable superheroes, pirates, etc.
   13. FaintlyMacabre* October 31, 2019 at 12:27 am

       Laboratory job- people dressed up. Boy howdy, did they dress up. I didn’t expect it my first year there on Halloween and got lots of comments on my lack of costume. Bowing to peer pressure, I put some arm and leg holes in a biohazardous waste bag and stuffed it with some packing material. I got mixed reactions at work for my impromptu costume, but at a friend’s party I turned it into a “sexy” biohazardous waste costume, to near universal acclaim. Anyhoo, very little point to the story, but it amuses me.
       1. Okay* October 31, 2019 at 9:32 am

          In grad school I went to a party where someone was dressed as the BP oil spill. aka they wore a black garbage bag as a dress and had fake seaweed in their hair.
   14. ChemistryChick* October 31, 2019 at 12:28 am

       Costume wearer here!

       I work for a small R&D company in the US. My role is very rarely client facing, but I always make sure my costume doesn’t affect my safety/ability to work. I mostly stick to SFX makeup/face paint with an outfit that fits my costume theme. For example, one year I was a Pokemon. It’s totally voluntary, and no one is shamed or called out for whether they dress up or not. Sometimes we have a potluck, sometimes we don’t, just depends on how busy we are.
   15. Kella* October 31, 2019 at 12:32 am

       I worked as a cashier at a grocery store and we were encouraged to dress up on halloween (with some rules and limitations of course). We actually had a costume contest among staff, where even if you weren’t working on halloween you could come in and get your photograph taken, and then the staff would vote on their favorite costumes. Winners usually got gift cards to the store. It was a fun thing! I dressed up as my manager one year (she loved it) and I really should’ve won.
   16. Beverly* October 31, 2019 at 12:33 am

       I work at a very casual office with no client interaction, where most of the people have been in their roles for 10+ years. We have a yearly costume contest (with pizza, prizes, etc.) though no one really goes “all out.” Most people either wear normal clothes, normal clothes with a little bit of Halloween (like ears or a seasonal shirt), or do something closer to Disneybounding. The people who are most serious about their costumes usually put them on for the contest and take them off after. But we are a very casual office!
   17. Sylvia* October 31, 2019 at 12:33 am

       I work for a large health insurance company. We’re probably about a 50/50 divide between call center employees and regular office staff. Dressing up for Halloween is definitely common and officially encouraged. There’s even official departmental and company costume contests. (The contests are held through photos on Yammer, not in-person parade style.)

       It’s part of an overall laidback culture. We also have regular employee fairs, food truck rodeos, official budgets for department events, a Spirit Week, and so forth. (Also real benefits like flextime and paid parental leave, for the record.)
       1. MediQueen* October 31, 2019 at 12:32 pm

          Currently writing this in my parrot costume at what sounds like a very similar large health insurance company, with similar benefits!
   18. Gem* October 31, 2019 at 12:33 am

       On Halloween costumes: I work at a large hospital. The administration and especially upper management is definitely expected to dress up, and a lot of people go all out (nothing scary or sexy, no weapons or fake blood allowed), even though we might not even see patients that day (There are events, but usually not during the 9-5 shift). I usually just wear normal business casual clothes and convert them to a witch outfit with a hat and gloves or other accessories because I’m at my desk all day and want to be comfortable. I don’t mean to be rude, but I resent the implication that jobs where people dress up are less professional than jobs where people don’t. It’s more to do with the culture and the expectations of senior management.
       1. Maria Lopez* October 31, 2019 at 1:06 am

          I worked at a large hospital medical center, and almost everyone dresses up to some extent, even if it was just bat earrings or a Halloween t-shirt. At lunchtime there is a contest for best pumpkin carving. Not just a typical Jack-o-lantern face. There were hospital ERs in diorama style, pumpkins on IV poles dressed like patients ambulance pumpkins. The creativity is amazing. I’m going tomorrow even though I’m retired just for that.
       2. Kelsey* October 31, 2019 at 3:44 am

          I worked for a Medicaid call center in Oregon that went ALL. OUT. and clearly has for decades. The entire building (9 floors) decorated by floor AND people dressed up and there was fierce competition to be the winner. The only prize was personal pride. Since all of our work was phone/desk work and not customer facing, it impacted our policyholders none. But it really brightened the weeks before and built community in a workplace that could get very heavy helping (and sometimes not being able to help) people living through very tough and unfortunate circumstances. The office was very PC and did not celebrate Christmas in a big way. Health needs never stop and people were often cranky having to work the big holidays. So I think Halloween was a chance to all celebrate together non-religiously.
       3. RabbitRabbit* October 31, 2019 at 8:41 am

          Probably fewer people than where you work, but a significant number of people dress up at my hospital/medical center as well.
   19. Llama Face!* October 31, 2019 at 12:34 am

       We don’t dress up for Halloween at my current place of employment and are specifically forbidden to do so.

       However at previous workplaces- including a notoriously conservative insurance company- we were encouraged to do so and there were prizes for best costume. It had to be a work-appropriate costume that wouldn’t be too awkward or bulky to do your job properly.

       If we were allowed to dress up at my current workplace I would absolutely do it; I missed out on many years of costume wearing as a child for family reasons and would have so much fun with it if I could. Part of the fun would be inventing creative dress-code appropriate work costumes.
   20. SQL Coder Cat* October 31, 2019 at 12:35 am

       I work in the IT department for a major medical university. We’ve got a strong geek culture, and I’d say about 20% of folks dress up. There’s no official event or pressure to participate or not as long as you abide by the dress code. Personally, I’ve spent over 100 hours designing and sewing a steampunk costume for cons and love having another chance to show it off!
       1. Engineer Girl* October 31, 2019 at 12:45 am

          That’s a perfect costume for IT.
       2. Kimmybear* October 31, 2019 at 6:51 am

          I work in IT and at a previous company only a few people dressed up one year and there was a scolding email that more people didn’t show company spirit. Got a few raised eyebrows.
   21. Maggie Simpson* October 31, 2019 at 12:35 am

       I work in the fashion industry and people definitely dress up — but more fashiony costumes or dramatic makeup looks (think like YouTube beauty gurus). The idea is to do something clever/trendy/stylish and well done. My go to is typically Cher from Clueless in the yellow plaid suit — still appropriate for any last minute meetings with our equally casual clients that might pop up.
   22. Diahann Carroll* October 31, 2019 at 12:35 am

       Yeah, sorry Alison, but you’re off base with #4. I’ve worked for companies in industries that are super fast paced (law, insurance, and transportation, though the latter not so much as the first two) where employees absolutely considered their jobs as CAREERS, and a lot of the teams/departments/divisions encouraged dressing for Halloween. They considered it morale building in certain areas of the company where morale is typically low (e.g., claims, paralegal/legal support) due to overwork and long hours. My last company even had costume contests that gave out pretty neat prizes. I never participated because all of my costumes would be NSFW (nothing sexual, just graphic and gorey), but I did decorate my cube at a couple of workplaces during rare moments of downtime, and it was very fun. I’m a creative who was working in fields at the time that were not remotely creative, so getting to do arts and crafts every day for 20 minutes at a time to decorate my desk was a nice outlet for me.

       My mom is also in a career job in the insurance industry, and she and her department also go all out with the decorations for their Halloween party. My mom brings in super sized spiders, killer clowns, ghouls and zombies, the whole works, and her cubicle is always voted #1. Again, they work in a fast paced, super stressful environment, so I think they appreciate the break to be silly from time to time.
       1. Engineer Girl* October 31, 2019 at 12:44 am

          It might be more of a high level profession Vs non professional. The office people wear costumes but the doctor doesn’t. The paralegal wears costumes but the partners don’t. The admins wear costumes but the engineers don’t (usually).
          Also, the more junior people are more likely to wear costumes than the senior ones.
          1. Loose Seal* October 31, 2019 at 12:51 am

             As my sister once told me, there’s nothing professional about doing a multi-million dollar loan closing while dressed as Frankenstein’s monster complete with bolts coming out of your neck (as she learned from a rather humiliating experience early in her career). I would imagine doctors feel the same way — it would be hard to give a patient bad news while dressed as a sparkling fairy or as one of the Charmin bears. So that’s probably a large reason for the costume cutoff between support staff and the professional staff.
          2. HelloHello* October 31, 2019 at 2:10 am

             My guess would be it’s less dependent on level and more on whether you’re client/outside interest facing or not. Doctors and lawyers might not want to risk a patient or client being put off by a costume, but my company’s engineering department is among the most likely to dress up, especially the people running the department.
             1. Engineer Girl* October 31, 2019 at 2:33 am

                My company’s engineering departments never dressed up.
                1. AnotherAlison* October 31, 2019 at 8:49 am

                   My large engineering firm used to have a department costume contest. I had worked at a different large firm for the first 5 years after college, and it was definitely not a thing there. The company that did dress up was younger and smaller. Now, 15 years later, the costume contest is no longer a thing. I’m pretty sure people don’t dress up anymore, but I’ll have to look around today. They do a trick-or-treating thing for employee’s kids, and sometimes those employees dress up with their kids.

                   I have never dressed up. Hard enough to be taken seriously as a female.
             2. Engineer Girl* October 31, 2019 at 2:37 am

                To be fair though, the programmers were more likely to dress up than the engineers.
             3. Maggie* October 31, 2019 at 4:10 am

                HelloHello, I think it’s client-facing AND whether your office has a larger/later holiday celebration. In insurance and medical fields, someone has to be there every day but everyone wants the time off. We’d be spread thin and we’d all be separated for nearly 2 weeks, so doing a big Halloween thing worked better for staff morale. Everyone was always there because no one is driving 5 hours to their mother-in-law’s for Halloween.
             4. RabbitRabbit* October 31, 2019 at 8:48 am

                At the medical center where I work, clinic receptionists are frequently dressed up (very client-facing), while those with more serious and/or hygiene-intense jobs may only have a Halloween tie or “spooky scrubs” or something. It’s certainly not everyone who does it, but it’s enough to show some personality among the staff.
                And of course Peds tends to go in heavy with this. We even have costume-wearing volunteers (staff and otherwise) who go to the inpatient rooms on the Pediatrics floor to hand out candy and gifts to the poor kids who are stuck in the hospital on such a kid-important day.
             5. wittyrepartee* October 31, 2019 at 10:16 am

                Actually, it’s more that it’s unsanitary. Which is why halloween scrubs exist.
          3. JSPA* October 31, 2019 at 7:40 am

             Doctors often do, though, in my experience. They face the same challenges as nurses to keep the costumes safe, as far as spreading germs, but they do dress (and no, it’s not particularly gendered, either). I do agree that engineers often don’t, but I figured that was more about the mindset than a status thing.
             1. Ktelzbeth* October 31, 2019 at 9:16 am

                I second JSPA’s observation that doctors dress up, though I can only speak for sure about pediatric hospitals.
             2. wittyrepartee* October 31, 2019 at 10:16 am

                Doctors have stressful jobs, any way to blow off steam is appreciated.
             3. Sharkie* October 31, 2019 at 10:58 am

                Yep, I had an appointment this morning and the doctor had a wizard hat on and a tie with wands on it.
             4. Holly* October 31, 2019 at 1:39 pm

                My partner, who is a doctor, often dresses up as “Web MD” (spiderman accessories on top of his scrubs)
                1. Diahann Carroll* October 31, 2019 at 4:50 pm

                   Ha! That’s cute.
          4. Diahann Carroll* October 31, 2019 at 7:46 am

             Maybe, but the partners at the firm I worked for dressed up since they were rarely client facing (their costumes weren’t super elaborate either). And very senior people at a lot of my workplaces also dressed up or did an elaborate decoration setup at their cubicle.
          5. Yum* October 31, 2019 at 9:14 am

             I’m a senior partner at a law firm. Today I am french fries.
             1. Diahann Carroll* October 31, 2019 at 10:15 am

                LOL, I love that.
          6. Pommette!* October 31, 2019 at 10:03 am

             It’s (surprisingly, to me) common for doctors, nurse practitioners, and other people in specialized healthcare professions to wear costumes. It’s a big part of the culture in many hospitals and clinics, and seems to be a morale/team spirit thing.
             I’ve gotten into a debate with a good friend who didn’t see why it might be weird for a patient to receive a serious diagnostic from someone dressed up as a spider lady.
             1. Diahann Carroll* October 31, 2019 at 10:16 am

                I would love this, too. In fact, I would appreciate anything silly if the doctor was giving me bad medical news – I’d at least get a chuckle over the absurdity of it all, lol.
                1. Pommette!* October 31, 2019 at 11:30 am

                   Haha, I can see that perspective.
                   She had to have a lot of awkward conversations as part of her work, and that was pretty much her take as well.
          7. Lav Superstar* October 31, 2019 at 11:08 am

             I’m an engineer, doing engineering work, in an engineering office (definitely a career and not a job) and yet I dress up and I am not the only one. I worked in an office once where the VP of engineering once wore a costume! These are usually small costumes, with accessories instead of a full-body costume, but it is a costume nonetheless! Not everyone is dressed up, but no one looks badly upon the ones who are dressed.
          8. Close Bracket* October 31, 2019 at 12:27 pm

             Semi-senior engineer wearing a costume right here! Maybe I’m just the exception that proves the rule, and my costume is barely distinguishable from regular office wear. That’s sort of my style, though. I’m going to wear the same thing Saturday night with more make-up.
          9. DrRat* October 31, 2019 at 8:54 pm

             Yeah, I would disagree with this. I have seen the Chief of Staff at a large hospital dressed up, an airplane pilot and full flight crew with devil horns, etc. Plenty of MDs, PhDs, JDs, etc. It’s more about the particular company/hospital/clinic culture, as well as who is doing what that day. Have I dressed up for Halloween at work? Yes. That day I had to give a talk to an audience that included the governor, if it happened to fall on Halloween? No.
       2. CU Attorney* October 31, 2019 at 5:11 am

          I agree, I work in a large credit union at the corporate headquarters and 50% dress up. Some teams do group costumes and some have contests. Our average employee has been here 10 years, and that’s only because we are growing so fast and that brings the number down. It seems to me it is more related to general formality or the office, and maybe location.
          1. Diahann Carroll* October 31, 2019 at 7:48 am

             Yup – formality, location, and whether or not the people are client facing seem to be the deciding factor as to whether or not people dress up for Halloween in my experience.
             1. DrRat* October 31, 2019 at 8:56 pm

                Agreed. Plus how the feeling of whether the clients would appreciate it or not.
   23. Danielle* October 31, 2019 at 12:36 am

       I have only worked in the nonprofit sector, and dressing up for Halloween (in an appropriate way) is often encouraged. I currently work in a community foundation (charitable bank) and while we must normally dress somewhat conservatively, Halloween is celebrated with costumes and and afternoon dessert treats. Dressing up can definitely be for professionals!
       1. many bells down* October 31, 2019 at 12:51 am

          I work for two different nonprofits – a museum and a church – and the museum encourages dressing up for most of October!

          No one really dresses up at the church but they haven’t told me NOT to and I’ve been wearing low-key costumes all week.
       2. huh* October 31, 2019 at 1:43 am

          Non-profit worker here too and have never worked anywhere where people wore costumes to work (five different non-profit orgs). I don’t think it’s a non-profit thing particularly.
       3. ashie* October 31, 2019 at 9:17 am

          I’ve always been in nonprofits too and everywhere I’ve ever worked it’s been allowed and encouraged. (Not at my current company, though. Very disappointing!)
   24. Naomi* October 31, 2019 at 12:38 am

       I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a lot of this at tech companies, which already tend to have a relaxed dress code and a casual atmosphere. (My current job is 100% remote, but if we had an office I would probably be fine wearing a costume to work.)

       I also know someone who works with robots and puts a Halloween costume on a robot every year! It’s very cute.
       1. robot* October 31, 2019 at 12:50 am

          I work in tech at one of the very large tech companies. Definitely people dress up, in part because of what you’re saying about relaxed dress code and casual atmosphere. I think the main part however is that for many of the software engineers and other people who primarily work with the engineers, they don’t have a lot of client-facing interaction. You might have a few meetings on Halloween, but they’ll probably be with your own coworkers, so it’s not such a big deal.
       2. Engineer Woman* October 31, 2019 at 1:42 am

          Yep, I’ve worked at a few SF Bay Area tech companies and dressing up for Halloween can be a Thing – including contests – not only for the engineering groups but across the companies as a whole.
       3. Mystery Bookworm* October 31, 2019 at 5:37 am

          Yes, I worked at such an office in the Bay Area and not only did people dress up, but departments had themes and competitions. We’ve even had departments do skits and such.

          It is definitely the sort of white collar work that people think of as their ‘career’ — I think it was more about cultivating a certain kind of fun culture.

          Not everyone dressed up though, and people weren’t required to (and, at least in my department, weren’t shamed for not doing so, although I don’t know about other departments).
       4. today, I'm Miraculous Ladybug from a children's show* October 31, 2019 at 9:39 am

          Can confirm! I work for a small tech start-up in NYC and last year almost everyone dressed up. It’s such a chill atmosphere (no dress code, founders had to be convinced not to wear sweatpants to talk to investors) that nobody would bat an eye. There is an understanding that your costume should be pretty chill, though, like not a full gown or something that would get in the way of you getting your work done.
       5. Woman in tech* October 31, 2019 at 11:18 am

          Yes, I work in tech in a Fortune 500, and we do have a (voluntary) costume contest. I think if we were customer/vendor facing, we would not allow costumes.
   25. Danielle* October 31, 2019 at 12:40 am

       I have only worked in the nonprofit sector, and dressing up for Halloween (in an appropriate way) is often encouraged. I currently work in a community foundation (charitable bank) and while we must normally dress somewhat conservatively, Halloween is celebrated with costumes and afternoon dessert treats. Dressing up can definitely be for professionals!
   26. Heidi* October 31, 2019 at 12:42 am

       I do work in a hospital, and each department is supposed to have a unifying theme. This year our floor was supposed to be 101 Dalmatians, but yesterday someone was trying to change it to the 1970’s. This was almost certainly too last minute to get to everyone, so the floor is going to probably be a bizarre mix of disco and Dalmatians. Halloween is the best.
       1. Bree* October 31, 2019 at 7:16 am

          I love this.
          1. Diahann Carroll* October 31, 2019 at 10:17 am

             Me too.
   27. Loose Seal* October 31, 2019 at 12:45 am

       When I worked as a bank teller, we were strongly encouraged to wear costumes (but they didn’t make things weird for those who didn’t want to, like our teller who was a Jehovah’s Witness). So much so that they had contests with really good prizes. For instance, if you won the overall best costume, the prize was a personal day off to be used in the next 6 months. The prize for best team costume (like if the tellers dressed as a theme or the loan department, etc.) was lunch catered in for that team.

       In my branch, I was in charge of security (not as a guard but in charge of things like rotating our “all clear” signal and making sure everyone was up to date on their security training) and so it was my job to make sure costumes didn’t make security more difficult. So I would post a sign on the door saying that adult customers had to remove masks and head gear prior to entering, for obvious reasons. And I wouldn’t let employees wear masks or hoods or full face paint or prosthetics like gashes or bullet wounds. They could wear tiaras or antenna or anything that was basically just a decorated headband.

       And the reasons for this costume encouragement were centered around community engagement. All of the preschools in the town brought their children to trick or treat during the workday so we had between 6 and 10 groups of adorable young kids coming by for candy. And we were part of the town’s Halloween celebration* that was held in the area where our branch was and ran from 5pm to about 8pm (on the clock if you were an hourly employee so we would get longer lunch breaks that whole week to keep our hours under 40. Another bonus.) So it helped that we were already dressed for that.

       *As part of the town”s Business Association, each business was responsible for a different part of the celebration as well as handing out candy as kids came by trick or treating. So some businesses ran bobbing for apples competitions. Another ran the costume contests. We ran a scream contest. Another organized a mini parade down Main St. It was a great representation of small town America and I loved it.
       1. Lizzy May* October 31, 2019 at 9:03 am

          My experience as a bank teller was very similar. Most of the staff dressed up but we didn’t cover our faces, no gore and the financial officers who had hour long meetings tended to wear things that could be taken off for the meetings. It was fun and the clients loved it.
   28. Charlisaurus* October 31, 2019 at 12:48 am

       I worked for years at a management consultancy in Boston, though one where most of the work was done from our offices rather than the client’s office (market research, etc.) . We would never have dressed up if going to a client site, but for the ~60% of people who were working in the home office, many dressed up for the second half of the day. Usually there was beer and snacks toward the end of the workday and most years there was even a costume contest.

       The costumes sometimes got elaborate (one year someone went as Fenway’s “green monster” — the left-field of the stadium, not the furry mascot) but were never risque.
       1. Charlisaurus* October 31, 2019 at 12:52 am

          oh! and people would bring their kids in to do “trick or treating” around the cubes. Now that I think harder about it, it’s entirely possible management tried to make Halloween in the office fun so that parents wouldn’t feel like they should / could leave the office to experience it with their kids.
   29. katiecombat* October 31, 2019 at 12:49 am

       People at my office tend to go all out for Halloween (think: colored contacts, elaborate makeup, homemade costumes). I work at a very fast-paced tech company in Atlanta.
   30. Rose Red* October 31, 2019 at 12:50 am

       #4: It’s normal for people to dress up in my industry, anywhere from festive t-shirts to full costumes with wigs and makeup. That said, we work in a creative media field where people wear sweatpants to work without raising any eyebrows. The two companies I’ve worked for also happened to have big halloween celebrations over lunch– The office gets decorated, the company provides snacks, people bring their kids, there’s a costume contest that encourages skits, etc…. But we also have to treat it like a normal work day (the deadlines don’t move)– just in costume, with a long, weird lunch. As you might imagine, people don’t end up being particularly productive, but there’s an attempt.

       (It seems like big companies in my industry love to throw flashy celebrations at the drop of a hat, I assume to boost morale and provide content for the company social media. There’s an air of cynicism over everything, but at least on Halloween it’s easier to ignore because it’s an actual holiday that people want to celebrate, haha.)
       1. NYWeasel* October 31, 2019 at 4:29 am

          The majority of companies I’ve worked for in my career encourage dressing up. Last year we held a global workshop at our office, and multiple directors were wearing costumes and allowed the meeting to pause so we could see all of the costumes go by in a parade. (Note-this is the third company that not only encourages costumes, but also has an official way to share them with everyone). That said, I didn’t put any energy into a costume this year, and I’m not worried—no one is penalized for not participating either.
   31. Turquoisecow* October 31, 2019 at 1:01 am

       My longest job was in the corporate office for a retail store in the Northeast US. Not a major city, but a more urban suburb. Some people in my office dressed up for Halloween, and maybe one or two people went for pretty elaborate costumes, but most people who did dress up were pretty low key, like just wore cat ears and a black shirt, or a sports jersey or something, and I think the vast majority of us didn’t wear anything. It wasn’t specifically prohibited, but the company didn’t really encourage it either

       FWIW I think a lot of the people who do wear costumes either have kids, so they’re going to go trick-or-treating after work, or maybe have plans to go to a party later. Otherwise, it’s not really worth it for most people to bother to wear a costume when they’re just going to work.
   32. Phil* October 31, 2019 at 1:05 am

       I’d say, if not working with children, it’s places that have younger or more liberal employees. My workplace has such personnel, and while only a few tend to do it, it’s especially notable because I’m in Australia where most of us still think it’s a stupid holiday.*

       * Tongue-in-cheek, don’t @ me
       1. Mystery Bookworm* October 31, 2019 at 5:41 am

          I’m not sure what’s like in Australia, but I’m a US transplant who now lives in the UK. It seems like a lot of the worst parts of Halloween have gotten exported, like: heavy drinking, ironic “slutty” costumes, giant parties.

          I’m not saying those things are bad, but the BEST part of Halloween to me was always that it seemed, first and foremost, like a holiday for children. Trick or treating and costumes are SO FUN when you’re seven and it’s such a heady amount of power for children to be running around after dark. England doesn’t seem to have much of that, which I think is a shame, because it’s the sweetest part.
          1. Media Monkey* October 31, 2019 at 7:23 am

             they do where we live (South east, about 50 miles from London). and as a kid in scotland we always went guising (trick or treating but we never called it that – the name makes me think it is more closely related to 5th nov/ fireworks/ guy fawkes night tho).
          2. Grace* October 31, 2019 at 9:25 am

             Kids going out in costumes is the original All Hallows’ Eve, the one the UK has always had – guising in Scotland and the north, I’m not sure about elsewhere – but we’ve always had that. It’s not an import.

             The imported aspect has been the Americanised Halloween – adult Halloween parties, sexy costumes, etc. That’s what’s become more popular in the last decade or so, and that’s what people complain about when they talk about the UK adopting too many American customs. Children going around houses in costumes and singing songs or reciting poems in exchange for sweets is something that the UK has always had.
             1. wittyrepartee* October 31, 2019 at 10:23 am

                Yeah, I was wondering about this. I think Halloween came over with the Irish.
          3. Amy Sly* October 31, 2019 at 9:43 am

             Trick or treating and costumes are SO FUN when you’re seven and it’s such a heady amount of power for children to be running around after dark. England doesn’t seem to have much of that, which I think is a shame, because it’s the sweetest part.

             True, but that aspect of the holiday is the next week with Guy Fawkes Day.
          4. Diahann Carroll* October 31, 2019 at 10:19 am

             Trick or treating is fun regardless of age (says the woman who went trick or treating all the way up until her sophomore year of college).
   33. Ellen N.* October 31, 2019 at 1:06 am

       I worked at a entertainment business management (managing the personal finances of clients who work in the entertainment industry) for four years.

       Halloween costumes were not only permitted; they were encouraged. The partners dressed up. There was a prize for best costume and one for best decorated cubicle. It was so much fun.

       Some of the best costumes: Lady Gaga, Otcomom, a Venice Beach street performer (bathrobe, turban, roller blades).
       1. Patty Mayonnaise* October 31, 2019 at 8:06 am

          Most of my experience was in the entertainment industry and people definitely dressed up – we had costume contests and baking contests too. But participation varied from completely-decked-out to nothing (it wasn’t a big deal either way). Some of us dressed up as characters from our own properties, others didn’t. I’m freelance now and I miss this!
       2. theothermadeline* October 31, 2019 at 12:39 pm

          Nonprofit theater management over here. Today our entire department is dressed as character from a show we just hosted for an off-site festival.
   34. Hallownope* October 31, 2019 at 1:07 am

       Oof. My work (with vulnerable older adults) is also very into Halloween. I tried to get in the spirit and wore a costume one year. I had a long discussion about potential elder abuse dressed as a cactus. Never again.
       1. Hallownope* October 31, 2019 at 1:18 am

          Also: US west coast city, government social services, definitely a huge volume of work, and lots of long-term, serious employees. My only explanation for it is it lightens up a very tough job, but… then you risk having my experience.
   35. I AM a lawyer.* October 31, 2019 at 1:11 am

       I’m a lawyer, and we were told we could dress up for Halloween. I’m wearing a headband with ears, not a whole costume.
   36. Zombeyonce* October 31, 2019 at 1:15 am

       I’ve worked in many places where people dressed up, from the animal onesies in IT, the fleet of phlebotomists in vampire attire in clinics, and retail where it was a free for all. I even dressed up as my boss one year when in retail and won the costume contest.
       1. Auntie Social* October 31, 2019 at 1:48 am

          My SIL is a phlebotomist. She dresses up her doxie in a black cape so that once a year he’s a “blood hound”.
          1. Jaid* October 31, 2019 at 6:39 am

             +1
          2. Wintermute* October 31, 2019 at 10:51 am

             she should dress up as a cowboy, she’s got a long, little doggie!
             1. Autumnheart* October 31, 2019 at 5:01 pm

                LMAO.
       2. Jack Be Nimble* October 31, 2019 at 9:22 am

          Alright, the vampire phlebotomists are extremely fun and I’m into it.
          1. Diahann Carroll* October 31, 2019 at 10:46 am

             I love that idea, too. This whole thread makes me want to go out and buy a last minute costume to work in for the rest of the day.
   37. Viva* October 31, 2019 at 1:23 am

       I work in food service and we are encouraged to dress up. The general guidelines are keep it PG-ish and sensible for the work environment, and everyone needs to wear their uniform shoes for safety reasons. We usually have candy for the trick or treaters and everyone has a good time.
   38. The Rat-Catcher* October 31, 2019 at 1:26 am

       I work for a state child welfare agency. Dressing up is an option, but really depends on the work being done that day. For example, I’m a trainer who does not have a training class today, so it wouldn’t matter a bit to anyone if I dressed like a pirate. However, someone who has to do meetings or visits probably would not participate (or, they might be a pirate in a black dress with a hat, so that for the visits or meetings they had on the black dress).
   39. A Steampunk Kinda Gal* October 31, 2019 at 1:40 am

       I work at a nonprofit organization, and we are encouraged to dress up for Halloween. We have done this for the past thirty-plus years I’ve worked here. Back when we shared an office building with other companies, we even trick-or-treated them at second break. Now, we go out and watch the parade from the elementary school on our block and then have a party. Pumpkin carving optional.
   40. Busted biscuits* October 31, 2019 at 1:41 am

       I work in a hotel and this year, for the first time, we are encouraged to wear costumes and there is even a contest. We have already been instructed that they need to be workplace-appropriate. I can’t wait to see what people are doing! Personally, I am going as a coworker—not like in that one letter from a few years ago where the subject of the costume was so hurt she never came back to work though. This is someone I am friendly with, whom I am sure will get a laugh out of my funny-but-not-mean portrayal of him.
   41. West Coast Reader* October 31, 2019 at 1:57 am

       West Coast Canada here. I worked at a startup and a non-profit, and there were many amazing costumes.
   42. OrganizedHRChaos* October 31, 2019 at 2:01 am

       My company goes all out and holds contests for costume and cubicle decorations. We do various things monthly and either cater meals or grill meats/ non-meats and have sides. I wish we could upload photos here. I would love to show a picture of my costume for 2017 when I went as a zombie nurse. Won $300 top prize. I scared myself. Haha We are an online call center with around 150 employees.
   43. HelloHello* October 31, 2019 at 2:02 am

       I work in an office in silicon valley and every year I’d say about 1/3 to 1/2 of our office will come in costume. Nothing super over the top or elaborate, but in the past we’ve had witches, plenty of animal costumes, some Harry Potter characters, a Katniss from the Hunger Games, and once a very memorable group in Fraggle rock costumes.
   44. Paperdill* October 31, 2019 at 2:16 am

       I used to work in a children’s hospital, as a nurse. Many of the staff members would dress up. Costumes would, obviously, have to allow us to safely do our job, or be easily removable in emergencies, etc. Often, for the nurses it was just something like a funny hat/headband.
   45. My Willie Wonka hat is ready to go* October 31, 2019 at 2:17 am

       Engineering & manufacturing…. We design, market, and build at this site and others.
       Costume contest is back after a hiatus of afew years after we were acquired by a Fortune 100 company. Contest is smaller than it was before, but some people never stopped dressing up a bit.
       Costumes must meet safety regulations so for example, loose mummy wraps are a no-go on the factory floor. Masks & full face paint strongly discouraged because we must be recognized against our badges. (My favorite costume yet was the co-worker who came AS his badge, and still attached his badge to the outside. No he didn’t wear it except at the contest.)
       We’ve been working at highstress for years — too Lean and with budget restrictions — so the Powers That Be encourage us to have fun where we can make it.
       No participation is required for any of this, just tolerance of co-worker antics.
       1. I look ridiculous on purpose* October 31, 2019 at 10:31 am

          Similar industry- I dress up every year (engineering/programming), although I’m the only one at the company who does. People think it’s either weird, hilarious, or both.

          I might be a bit of an edge case, since I’m willing to use some political capital to dress in a green wig and dragon ears one day a year, but fortunately my boss thinks it’s funny.

          (Completely dressed up today, even though we have customers here. I’m also the only one dressed up. No shame!)
          1. Diahann Carroll* October 31, 2019 at 11:30 am

             Hahahahaha! I love your spirit.
   46. Beth* October 31, 2019 at 2:18 am

       The job I had where Halloween costumes were most a thing was at a company that 1) ran very young (a lot of people in our 20s) and 2) worked real hard to create a startup-culture “work is your job, but also your social group, and also maybe just your whole life!” type vibe (they were not a startup or a small business). They were big on any kind of potential team-building activity, so dressing up for Halloween was super in line with the culture.
   47. Poppy the Flower* October 31, 2019 at 2:21 am

       I’m a pediatrician and I’ve always dressed up at work. My current hospital is REALLY into Halloween and you’d stand out more if you don’t dress up. We also have other costume days. But it’s a children’s hospital so I think it fits culturally. At my last hospital, also a children’s hospital, people did more of the headband/hat variety of costume.
   48. RedInSC* October 31, 2019 at 2:21 am

       Hi, I’ve been dressing up for Halloween for work for the past 20 years. Both in high tech and non profit.

       These are all fast paced busy, stressful jobs/companies that use it as team building and a chance to hang out with ones co-workers.

       Tomorrow, my teammates and I are dressing as super heroes and villains, to go with a company-wide marketing theme. I’m on the west coast in CA and have been working in silicon valley.
       1. zora* October 31, 2019 at 1:32 pm

          This seems like a good one to tag onto, San Francisco is just generally super into costumes, and tons of people here dress up for Halloween, in all kinds of industries.

          Just walking to work today in the Financial District, which is the most conservative business neighborhood, I saw a couple dozen costumes, from animal onesies to wigs/makeup, all kinds of things. And those were only the ones you can see outside of people’s coats. I’m wearing a costume, but it’s kind of subtle, so you couldn’t tell from seeing me in my jacket, but it’s obvious in the office. (I’m a unicorn with a fuzzy sweater and a unicorn headband). And about 5 of us in my office of 20 dressed up this week.

          When I worked in the SoMa neighborhood I saw a ton more costumes on and around Halloween.
   49. Sour Mash* October 31, 2019 at 2:41 am

       I work in a med/large sized law firm in a city in the north of England. We started doing Halloween dress up a few years ago. Quite a lot of people get into the spirit! We even have prizes for the best dresses person and best dressed department!
   50. RG* October 31, 2019 at 2:55 am

       Hmm, so I’m in Houston, but dressing up has been encouraged at every place I’ve worked after graduating – at a law firm and two tech companies.

       Actually, now that I think about it, at my on campus job during college, the different finance departments would dress up too.
   51. cg* October 31, 2019 at 3:07 am

       i work at a very large healthcare company (i’m in finance, specifically) and people wore some pretty wild costumes, including some very ostentatious crossdressing (which i feel eeeehh about since the company’s diversity record isn’t great, but you know) and character costumes complete with wigs–but a lot of people waited until the halloween party at the end of the day (within work hours, but later) to change into them.

       i’m still new so i wore a mildly-offbeat-at-best outfit (which is most of my outfits so that wasn’t weird) with a whimsical witch hat fascinator i could remove if i realized i overstepped… people asked what my costume was and i told them “girl who wasn’t sure how intense we were going to get and wanted to participate but not accidentally look crazy”
       1. Hepzibah Pflurge* October 31, 2019 at 12:27 pm

          That’s exactly where I landed this year. I’m in a Halloween t-shirt and a not-too-crazy wig. PARTICIPATION

          I’m at a corporate office attached to a warehouse (so not Class A office space, but casual corporate). A handful of people wore costumes, but more people decorated their cubes. Typical for this place, the costumes/decor is supposed to be “team-building”, but no one above a certain level participates. Then they wonder why so few people join in. UGH
   52. AnonFormerVetGirl* October 31, 2019 at 3:12 am

       LW4: I’ve seen A LOT of people dress up in veterinary offices. Not just general practices, where you may mostly see “well patients” in a day, but also critical care (ICU), emergency rooms and other specialties. I never did it for a number of reasonA: 1. Vet med has a 100% casualty rate. Why anyone would wear clothing that could impede work or something baffled me. 2. It’s almost unfathomably unprofessional to have a serious conversation about a pet’s serious illness or injury, or humane euthanasia while dressed up as anything other than a veterinarian or veterinary technician or receptionist.
       I cannot believe that Halloween costumes were not banned from anyplace I ever worked.
       (PS. I saw costumes in a variety of cities east of the Mississippi.)
   53. Alice's Rabbit* October 31, 2019 at 3:30 am

       My husband’s company has Halloween costume contests every year, and invites employees to bring in their kids after school for in-office trick-or-treating. He works in software development.
       I know not every office does this, but it’s becoming more and more common.
   54. WonderingHowIGotIntoThis* October 31, 2019 at 3:45 am

       I’m in the UK and we get dressed up for Halloween, Christmas, Children In Need and Red Nose Day, as well as more subtly on Wear It Pink etc. These are considered charity days – there are raffles and everyone donates £1. There are often prizes for the best team costume/desk decoration.
       It forms part of our Employee Engagement – you may interpret that however you wish!
   55. Akcipitrokulo* October 31, 2019 at 3:51 am

       Worked in IT for a consultancy firm – UK office about 100 people (also offices in EU, US & Asia but don’t know about them).

       I’d say most people saw it as a career rather than a job, and it was really a good place to work: trusted to do a good job, clear expectations, feeling you were contributing to overall company goals, room to grow, emphasis on devrlopment and good feedback.

       We did an absolutely voluntary hallowe’en costume competition. First year we thought might be a flop, but even though only a few people did it (about half of social committee who organised it, one of directors and CEO wore a pointy hat) it was fun.

       After that, usually about 20 people did it – there was a routine “take 15 min to have a break and meet people from other departments if you want to – we provide cake!” event once a week, so winner was announced at it.
   56. Ruth (UK)* October 31, 2019 at 3:55 am

       I am in the UK and have honestly never come across costumes in the workplace… Or even in the daytime at all. Halloween is growing here cause of American shows and the internet I guess but when I was a kid, trick or treating wasn’t really a thing either. I have an American parent so I knew about it. Me and some friends tried to do it once but (even though we only knocked on houses with some form of decoration… Which by the way was super hard to find) a lot of the people who answered were baffled. This was in the mid/late 90s by the way.

       Also in the UK, everyone is busy gearing up for guy Fawkes / bonfire night which is only a few days later. I know of a lot of bonfire events happening near me this weekend and next
       1. Akcipitrokulo* October 31, 2019 at 4:11 am

          When I was kid (Scotland) we didn’t do trick or treating – but we definitely did guising which was a very big thing!

          (similar to t&t in that you dress you go to houses and get sweeties – but no tricks – you have to perform for your reward! Usually you get a dozen versions of a hallowe’en song that they learned in school or a joke ;)

          When I lived in England for a while, I heard one kid say to another “you need to tell a joke if you go there but it’s worth it because she gives you lots!”)
          1. Media Monkey* October 31, 2019 at 7:26 am

             i said that above – i loved guising!
          2. ceiswyn* October 31, 2019 at 7:48 am

             I loved guising! At the point where I was growing out of it, though, it had started to be replaced by trick or treating. I’m still sad about this.
          3. wittyrepartee* October 31, 2019 at 10:36 am

             As a note- I’ve never performed a trick or seen one performed. It’s an empty threat. If your house was going to get tossed with toilet paper, it was going to happen whether or not you handed out candy.
       2. Akcipitrokulo* October 31, 2019 at 4:13 am

          (It was big thing when I was kid in 70s/80s, and always got kids round when I was adult too.)
       3. TechWorker* October 31, 2019 at 4:28 am

          Must vary by region – late 90s and through the 00s for me trick or treating was definitely a thing!
       4. londonedit* October 31, 2019 at 5:14 am

          Same here (southern England). Trick or treating is now a pretty big thing, and people do take their kids out in organised groups in the early evening, but when I was growing up (80s/90s) it really wasn’t a thing at all, and people were actually quite actively opposed to trick or treating as it was mainly used by teenagers as an excuse to go out and harass people into giving them money, and if they refused then they’d probably get eggs and flour thrown at their houses. I spent a bit of time in the US with my family as a child, where Halloween was obviously huge, and when we moved back to the UK we tried to do Halloween parties/trick or treating a couple of times but no one was interested and people were indeed quite baffled by the concept. Guy Fawkes Night was a much bigger deal, with bonfires and fireworks displays (and it still is a big deal – I know of at least four big organised fireworks displays in my local area, some this weekend and some on the 5th itself).
       5. Liza* October 31, 2019 at 5:59 am

          Yes, same here. I remember being about 10 years old (mid-90s) and the whole school receiving a lecture about how terrible Trick or Treating was because nobody understood and it was scaring the old people who were alone in their homes. I do think she had a point because, for the most part, it really wasn’t a thing here. Now we get organised groups of supervised, younger kids and it’s more of an accepted practice. I still don’t think we hold a torch to the American traditions though, although I sometimes suspect the all-out parties we see in popular culture are somewhat exaggerated, like a sort of spooky Hallmark Christmas.
       6. raincoatpocket* October 31, 2019 at 6:07 am

          I’m American living/working in the UK (support staff in academia), and rather than be continually disappointed by the lack of Halloween in the UK, I bought myself a themed dress I could wear to work (very similar to this one https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1OqaWXcnrK1RjSspkq6yuvXXaX/Halloween-Vintage-Dress-Women-Pumpkin-Print-Patchwork-Midi-Autumn-Winter-Dresses-Long-Sleeve-Elegant-Party-Dress.jpg) with black & orange nail polish and black & orange striped tights, and I bring in candy for the office. No one else does anything – but they do like the free candy! Makes this little immigrant happy.
   57. everydaycrises* October 31, 2019 at 4:08 am

       I’m in the UK, and our office/company does a Halloween celebration.
       Not just dressing up, but costume competitions (best individual, best team, best homemade) and pumpkin carving. We’ve had auditors and clients judge if they were in the office!
       The company has a ‘work hard /play hard ‘ culture, so it is very busy lots of deadlines, and everyone is encouraged to think of it as a career (example, the customer support teams on phones, they get training to move into tech roles if they want, or management). But there is a budget for fun things, and wellness stuff (life coaches, nutritionists, fitness classes).
       We’re a tech company, so I suppose it is less traditional than something like banking or law.
   58. TechWorker* October 31, 2019 at 4:26 am

       I have never dressed up for Halloween. Our office manager arranged a pumpkin carving competition the last couple of years and this year has escalated to encouraging people to dress up. I think that a) she will dress up b) barely anyone else will (we’re mostly cynical British tech folk and busy management..) and c) she will be disappointed that people didn’t join in. Hey ho….
   59. Petty Editor* October 31, 2019 at 4:42 am

       I work in a Fortune 100 company in the healthcare industry – we definitely do Halloween dress up events with gift card prizes supplied by the company for individual and group costumes. The company executive management team does a reverse trick or treat, dressing in themed costumes like superheroes and distributing snacks to all the employees at their cubicles and offices. Rules are announced at the start of October and everyone is encouraged to participate as they see fit, with explicit instruction to avoid cultural insensitivity (no white people dressing as Native American, for example) and no penalty for not participating.
   60. Gaming Teapot* October 31, 2019 at 4:57 am

       Regarding dressing up for Halloween at work: I work in videogame testing, which is still an office job in many ways though definitely very unconventional. Our dress code is essentially “as casually as you want, so long as all important bits are covered and you’re not offending anyone”. The only people at our company who regularly where business casual are HR and finance. We have an after hours Halloween party at the office, organized by the company’s event committee every year, usually on the last Friday before Halloween, and for that day, dressing up is welcome and encouraged (we even have a costume and pumpkin contest), though not dressing up is fine as well. This year, there were about a dozen of us who actually came to work dressed up (including me) and probably three times as many people who brought their costumes in a bag and put them on as soon as official hours were over.
   61. Amethyst* October 31, 2019 at 4:58 am

       I work in a satellite medical billing office and we dress up for Halloween. It’s completely optional to take part, and there’s a small prize ($10 gift card) for the best costume and runner-up.

       My job provides pizza for us for lunch; we have a sign-up sheet of who’ll bring the sodas, desserts, salad, etc. It’s a nice thing that breaks up the monotony of our day.
   62. Former Scientist* October 31, 2019 at 5:21 am

       I dressed up for Halloween at my last job, as did several other people! It was a lab, but also a small company (15 employees or less), so even though we got quite busy, the dress code and hierarchy were more relaxed. It helps that if we needed to go into the lab, we put lab coats and shoe covers on over everything so it didn’t much matter what you wore underneath. And customers never visited without notice.
   63. QCI* October 31, 2019 at 5:28 am

       My workplace, a large industrial manufacturer, encourages dressing up on Halloween and even has contest for different categories or costumes.The only caveat is the costume be appropriate to work in.
   64. Ralph Kramden* October 31, 2019 at 5:56 am

       The most I ever do is wear a Halloween-themed tie. (Public transportation agency, back office.)
   65. Lisa Turtle* October 31, 2019 at 5:57 am

       I work in finance at a children’s hospital(but not at the actual hospital so we do not get to see or interact with the kids at all) and we have a costume contest/food day every year. I never participate, but it is fun watching people dress up and get really competitive for the prizes, I think first place is like 50 bucks.
   66. Beth* October 31, 2019 at 6:07 am

       I work in IT at a large university, and while not everyone dresses up, we’ll have more than a handful of people who come to work in costume on Halloween (myself included!). I see a lot of folks in Starfleet uniforms on Halloween in my building, haha.
   67. KatieHR* October 31, 2019 at 6:14 am

       I am not the biggest fan of Halloween and don’t like to dress up. I used to work for a non-medical home came company in Pennsylvania and the whole office dressed up. The kicker was that if you didn’t want to dress up, they made you feel bad about it! It was so stupid and I hated every minute of it!
       1. writerboy* October 31, 2019 at 8:15 am

          Yeah. That’s not cool. People can have all sorts of legitimate reasons for not dressing up.
       2. Akcipitrokulo* October 31, 2019 at 9:35 am

          Yeah, that sucks. I loved dressjng up at old job – but loved even more that people could just watch others dressing up ot bypass whole thing if they wanted.
   68. Delta Delta* October 31, 2019 at 6:20 am

       I’m a lawyer and today I have a very serious hearing, so too much Halloween would be inappropriate. But I’m wearing a dress and tights with a fun pattern on them – I feel like it strikes a good balance between professional and Halloween fun. I’ll say I’m going as the sky (the tights have stars on them).
   69. Koivu* October 31, 2019 at 6:21 am

       I work at a large talent agency where Halloween is A Very Big Deal. Every department has to pick a theme and is given money to decorate their area – and when I say decorate, I mean cover every inch of the floor and walls. It’s also expected that every employee will dress up, and each department goes to great lengths to coordinate their costumes.
   70. This Daydreamer* October 31, 2019 at 6:22 am

       Domestic violence shelter employee here. Dressing up here is acceptable and even encouraged a little bit. We try to be as approachable as possible and sometimes being a little bit silly helps.
   71. Non costumed employee* October 31, 2019 at 6:28 am

       Halloween is probably the biggest holiday of the year in my office! Costumes are definitely encouraged and teams will coordinate costumes as a group. It’s not mandatory (I rarely do), but it’s very popular and lots of people participate. There is always a costume contest and snacks + social hour in the afternoon. People bring their kids in and trick or treat the cubes at lunch time even. Not an explicitly child-serving org or anything, just a West Coast non profit that happens to really be into Halloween I guess.
   72. Teapot Translator* October 31, 2019 at 6:28 am

       I’ve worked in two non-profit organizations where there were best costumes contests. It’s a fun activity for those who like Halloween and I think it builds camaraderie? As long as it’s not compulsory.
       I’ve also worked for more corporate offices and Halloween was celebrated with candy. Mmm, sugar.
       I’m in Canada.
   73. Kate H* October 31, 2019 at 6:32 am

       I’m currently adding the final touches to my Eddie Kaspbrak cosplay (from Chapter One) so I can wear it to work today! I’m in Ohio, working in the office of a manufacturing company. We’re a small company, between 50 and 100 employees, and it’s a yearly tradition. All levels participate–last year, our operations manager dressed up as Jon Snow.
   74. Jaid* October 31, 2019 at 6:33 am

       I work for a Federal agency. With a few exceptions, the most anyone would wear are funny headbands, and light up accessories. I, personally, am wearing clip-on cat ears.

       The one exception is the MA in Human Resources dressed up as the Farside cartoon of the old lady looking for her lost puppy…complete with a Beanie Baby sized stuffed dog stuck to her butt with Velcro. Her boss is totally fine with it.

       But K. will dress up at the drop of a hat. She has a Santa costume, a bunny costume, and a leprechaun costume. It’s fun watching her at the train station when the little kids see her!
       1. Hey, your office building has an extra side* October 31, 2019 at 4:00 pm

          Same here with the federal agency. We do some pretty serious stuff day to day and people in costumes is just not done here on Halloween. I think people would feel it was disrespectful to some of the decisions being made in the building. But weirdly, we do go all out for Christmas?
   75. Panda M* October 31, 2019 at 6:36 am

       Halloween got out of control and crazy competitive. Consumer products development/sales in California. Costume contests (group & individual) with management voting and giving prizes, cubicle decorating contests, catered lunch. The group costume contest got so competitive that teams started planning months in advance (like, around Christmas, no joke) and would start fake rumors about their team’s theme to throw off the competitors. One team had a professional costume designer do theirs each year (oh the outrage!). It eventually evolved into the teams performing a skit, song, or dance in order to win. One year my team practiced a song & dance for a month after work (off-site of course… secrecy) leading up to it. After about 10 years of escalating insanity and competitiveness the whole thing was scrapped because it had become such a distraction.
   76. Pickles* October 31, 2019 at 6:36 am

       Fed in the midwest here. Currently dressed as a maester, but subtly enough I could brief a General if I needed to. Black shirt/pants, fancy grey poncho, raven ring, handmade necklace of multi-sized metals. Already got a thumbs up from a Game of Thrones fan, but someone else did a confused double take, probably because the necklace is much larger than I normally wear. And no blazer today.

       Was in class yesterday, and the building I was in held trick or treating for little kids. I was greeted by the mayor of Halloweentown and offered Butterfingers on my way out because they had more candy than kids (score!). The fire alarm going off was more entertaining than usual, with pirates and witches wandering around in the rain…but it was a little hard to concentrate on the class when the two year old screaming rhino charged down the hall.
       1. wittyrepartee* October 31, 2019 at 10:42 am

          City employee in NYC. I’m spending today correcting people who think I’m a butterfly and telling them that I’m actually a luna moth.
          1. Long Tail* October 31, 2019 at 5:06 pm

             This is my Halloween curse – I love to put together costumes, but I always seem to choose personas the people around me don’t know! I joke that I really ought to make a PEDANT t-shirt…but that might stretch vocab recognition for the walk-around population…
   77. Staja* October 31, 2019 at 6:42 am

       When I worked at a call center in downtown Boston, everyone dressed up in team costumes (we were garden gnomes one year!). The company was very young in demographics and tried to do a lot for employee morale (in the right ways). I’m currently in accounting at a software firm in NH. No one wears a full costume, but I’m wearing fun Halloween leggings under my dress today.
   78. Lynca* October 31, 2019 at 6:45 am

       I work for a large state agency in the South. People dress up here and I know some of the offices have costume contests. But we have a large group of employees that can’t dress up because of their job responsibilities so this is generally limited to specific offices. Mine is one of them that allows it and as long as you have no external meetings, it’s fine. I’ve seen people in full costume before, not just headbands and festive shirts.
   79. Julie* October 31, 2019 at 6:49 am

       I work in tech, and every job I’ve ever had (from a huge smartphone company all the way to smaller startups) has had a costume contest on Halloween. I honestly didn’t realize it was out of the norm! It’s always presented as totally optional, and nobody is ever pressured to dress up if it’s not their thing.
   80. Newington* October 31, 2019 at 6:49 am

       #4 UK here. The only place I’ve seen people dress up for Halloween was a small charity for 16-25 year olds facing homelessness where I was temping for a few months – there were mixed levels of how seriously they took it, and nobody seemed to be judged for not participating. It was made clear in advance that you could do. I worked the front desk as a steampunk robot and it was fine.

       Before that, I worked at a media company with about 80 employees. One young American woman wore pointy ears; I assumed it was a US office culture thing. Nobody said a thing to her but we exchanged glances when she left the room, which is definitely a UK office culture thing.

       I’m now in a small company in a cool tech industry where ‘hipster’ is the unofficial dress code and nobody’s in Halloween costume, which suits me fine, although it would have been fun to have a go at “Boris Johnson’s corpse in a ditch”.
       1. londonedit* October 31, 2019 at 7:55 am

          I can’t wait to see how many Boris Johnson guys there will be at Bonfire Night events this year…
   81. Asenath* October 31, 2019 at 6:53 am

       I work on the admin side of things in a university. Among the admin staff, costumes are allowed, but aren’t all that common. A lot seems to depend on the personal preferences of the workers in each little section or department. In my area, we range from not dressing up at all (like me) to wearing small Halloween-themed ornaments, such as earrings or headgear. People in some other departments do more, and sometimes decorate their spaces as well, so you might see a few entrances from the main corridors decked in spiderwebs or something. There’s a Halloween lunch (I’m skipping it this year) and some people who attend put on full costumes even if they don’t wear all of it at their desks. And after Halloween, a lot of people bring in leftover (or extra) treats and leave them on the official You Can Eat Anything Left Here counter.
       1. NothingIsLittle* October 31, 2019 at 9:44 am

          I’m an admin at one of the many Boston universities and it depends on the department here. I don’t think any of the departments go for full costumes (though that would be fun).

          In my department most people wear small Halloween accessories at most, and one wore a small witch’s hat. That said, I’d briefly planned to have a fake wound on my head (we’re a healthcare department, it was themed!) and got the go ahead for it before I realized how early I’d have to wake up to make it happen. Instead I’m wearing a cat print shirt with a cat for a collar and drew Halloween shapes on my face in eyeliner.
   82. ceiswyn* October 31, 2019 at 6:54 am

       In my experience, Alison’s ‘hunch’ is… semi off-base?

       On the one hand, dressing up at work is common among people working in client-facing jobs in service industries (barista, checkout assistant) – I assume they’ve basically been told to do it by their higher–ups.

       On the other hand, VOLUNTARY dressing-up is something I associate with tech startups, which are usually filled with skilled career professionals who work insanely hard. Which is why I’m currently wearing a dinosaur onesie.

       What I don’t understand is this idea that dressing up in a costume necessarily involves having loads of spare time at work. What part of ‘wearing a costume’ is meant to be taking all this time?!
       1. curly sue* October 31, 2019 at 7:21 am

          Right? I mean, I put on a shirt and pants every morning as it is, so where’s the extra time involved in putting on a silly or thematic shirt and pants? Unless it’s the ‘prep time’ issue, which I’ll concede, as I suppose most adults don’t have tickle trunks anymore.

          signed, an adult with an extensive tickle trunk
       2. Falling Diphthong* October 31, 2019 at 7:44 am

          Some costumes limit your mobility, or get uncomfortable after a few hours. Things that are worth it for a 2 hour party, but not 8-10 hours of work plus commute.
          1. ceiswyn* October 31, 2019 at 7:54 am

             Sure, but what does that have to do with needing lots of spare time at work to wear one?
       3. Patty Mayonnaise* October 31, 2019 at 8:10 am

          Yeah I agree with you – my fastest-paced and most career-focused workplace was the one that dressed up the most. I think job sector matters the most.
       4. Asenath* October 31, 2019 at 8:43 am

          I expect it’s not wearing the costume that takes time from work (unless you have to change during the day into something more formal for a meeting). What takes time is the way everyone who approaches the costumed person seems to need to have a short conversation praising the costume and discussing their own (or why they’re not wearing one) and any other related activities that may be scheduled.
          1. Diahann Carroll* October 31, 2019 at 12:12 pm

             Nah, that still isn’t too time consuming. It’s 5-10 minutes at a time throughout the day if that.
   83. Mel_05* October 31, 2019 at 7:02 am

       I work as a graphic designer. When I have worked for marketing companies it’s been an optional thing that most people done really do, but some people really get into. But client facing people usually are not allowed.

       When I was working for a financial institution, it was not a thing at all.

       Today my employer is having a carry-in Halloween party. My boss asked if I was dressing up and I said I might wear a funny headband. He seemed horrible that I might not have done anything so… could be interesting!
   84. Chris R* October 31, 2019 at 7:09 am

       I work in software and the programming departments and other technical departments I’ve been in over the last 20 years have had at least some dressing up – in many, to the point of having costume contests, photos, etc. Not everybody participates (and level of participation varies hugely) but I’m a director now and am just about to put on fairy wings and grab a wand. We will take an hour this aft for costume contests, photos and candy. Everyone gets candy, costume or not :)
   85. Bree* October 31, 2019 at 7:12 am

       Most places I’ve worked, it’s been just those small touches.

       The one place where people went full out was a small non-profit – staff of only 10 – and it was a long-standing tradition, with a contest and everything. We didn’t have many unplanned visitors, so it didn’t affect the work. To be honest, it was pretty fun! Candy, creativity, and a bit of a break after a busy part of the annual work cycle.

       The best costume was when a very pregnant colleague attached bloody doll hands to her stomach. Gave a courier quite a shock when she opened the door to accept a delivery!
   86. Iconic Bloomingdale* October 31, 2019 at 7:12 am

       I work for a municipal governmental agency that has a large technology division (although I am not in IT). There is no official policy permitting Halloween costumes, but senior management is not averse to those who wear something appropriate.

       Most employees do not dress up. However, some will wear accessories such as cat ears, a witch’s hat fascinator, devil horns or bunny ears. Others go all out with costumes such as a cowboy, super heroes, sci fi characters, a butterfly (complete with wings), hippies, cartoon characters, etc. To date, no one has crossed the line with any inappropriate, tasteless or offensive costumes and the atmosphere is generally lighthearted and fun around the office.

       For the last two years, our departmental photographer has gone around to the different units taking pictures of those in costume/accessories and the pics are posted on the agency’s intranet site.

       I am one of the employees who goes all out with a costume and it’s gotten to the point where my colleagues have been asking me all this week if I’m wearing a costume and what will I be this year. They are expecting treats too, since I bake as a hobby and typically bring Halloween cupcakes to share.

       Today, I’m a 50’s sock hop gal complete with poodle skirt, saddle shoes, poodle socks and cat eye glasses. Instead of cupcakes, I made cake pops.

       If I get called into a meeting last minute, I have a regular dress and shoes to change into though. Lol
       1. Iconic Bloomingdale* October 31, 2019 at 7:54 am

          Btw, I’m in a large metropolitan east coast city in the U.S.
       2. Iconic Bloomingdale* October 31, 2019 at 4:32 pm

          Hah! I love this.
          1. Iconic Bloomingdale* October 31, 2019 at 4:38 pm

             Ugh I replied to myself instead of to a fellow commenter.

             At any rate, today we had a smattering of employees in costumes and/or accessories- Star Trek, Jungle cat, Cat in a Hat, an anime character, the usual devil horns, top hat/steampunk fascinators and those in cloaks and capes. Fun, lighthearted, no one was inappropriate.

             This year the official photographer sent out a company wide email that anyone in costume who wanted their pic taken could do so between certain hours in the photography area.

             One of our senior managers walked around and she loved my costume. I offered treats to anyone who stopped by office. It was all in good fun.
   87. Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss* October 31, 2019 at 7:14 am

       When we moved to the US eons ago, our first week there we had to visit the department of motor vehicles and it was Halloween. Dour-faced state employees were all dressed up for Halloween. We were served by “Betty Boop,” who looked so grumpy.

       Current company does dress up too.
   88. Hello* October 31, 2019 at 7:16 am

       I work in tech managing policies and standards for a large org and we dress up. The Infosec folks do as well. Actually the whole tech building does
   89. Hush42* October 31, 2019 at 7:20 am

       I work in an Office in the Admin department. 5 years ago my company started having a costume contest every year on Halloween. For the first few years they have out one prize, of $100, to the best costume as voted on by the employees. Starting last year they add multiple groups and prizes such as spookiest costume, best group costume etc. All with prizes of $100.
       There’s no pressure to dress up or participate but we usually get a good amount of entries.

       My team is lucky enough to have an incredibly creative person on our team who loves to make stuff. She makes the costumes and we pay her back for the supplies. So, since we became a team 2 years ago, my whole team does a group costume together. This year she made us all McCormick Spice costumes and we’re going as the Spice Girls. Last year we went as Beanie Babies, and the year before we went as a Glory of Unicorns.
       1. Hush42* October 31, 2019 at 7:22 am

          Forgot to mention- its definitely a place where most people consider it a Career and we’re in Central NY.
       2. Jaid* October 31, 2019 at 8:55 am

          I’ve seen a picture on Facebook with similar “Spice Girls”, wearing black leggings and red and white socks. :-)
   90. First Time Commentor* October 31, 2019 at 7:22 am

       I live in the mid-Atlantic, and my past job was at a bank in a branch. Years ago, I’m told people working in the branches were allowed to dress up for Halloween, but as they started to have issues with employees wearing inappropriate costumes, that policy was ended and nobody is allowed to dress up anymore.
       I now work in a small satellite office (less than 50 people) and since we don’t have any face-to-face interaction with customers our everyday dress code is a little more relaxed (we can wear jeans). We’re having a pot luck today and everyone is encouraged to dress up. Not everyone does, but a good number of us do, and it’s pretty fun!
   91. Random commenter* October 31, 2019 at 7:23 am

       I’ve worked at a couple of software companies in Ontario, Canada, and some people dress up. There have been costume competitions.
       I’ve also worked in the office at manufacturing facilities and the only people who dressed up seemed to be in sales.
   92. Jamie* October 31, 2019 at 7:25 am

       Software company in a mid-Atlantic capital city and we do a Halloween costume contest as well ad a potluck. Dressing up is optional but lots of people in all departments do it.
   93. NEWBIEMD19* October 31, 2019 at 7:25 am

       Surgical resident here. As I write this, I am wearing blue scrubs, black Dansko clogs, a lab coat….and a unicorn horn.
   94. Liz* October 31, 2019 at 7:25 am

       I work for the U.S. House of Representatives. Not sure what people would do if it was a day with votes, but last year I saw full-out costumes as well as small accessories. (We have voting today; I will be dressing business-formal in all black, plus a set of cat ears once votes are over.)
   95. OhGee* October 31, 2019 at 7:28 am

       I work in the fundraising department of an Ivy League university in the northeast. We go WILD for Halloween. Cubicles/ offices are decorated (including some senior staff), there’s a costume contest, teams of people pull together group costumes, and colleagues with small children are invited to bring them in for trick or treating in the afternoon. Many people here see this work as their career, and we’re normally a relatively formal, very hard-working place. Halloween is fun. I feel sorry for OP if they think costumes are only for children or retail jobs. It’s one of many creative costuned traditions in human history and it lightens the mood at work and reminds us we’re all people. (And people who don’t care for Halloween aren’t forced to participate.)
       1. Lily Rowan* October 31, 2019 at 9:29 am

          If we’re not actually coworkers (our big day was yesterday), our offices are remarkably similar!
   96. Oryx* October 31, 2019 at 7:30 am

       I work in communications for a large well-known reading app. Our CEO loooooooves Halloween and every year we have a huge party in the afternoon. There’s costume contests and raffles and pumpkin carving. I’d say at least half the staff dresses up, including executives
   97. JulieD* October 31, 2019 at 7:34 am

       Regarding OP#4 (Halloween costumes at work): I work for a large pharma company in their corporate headquarters, and our VP’s organization has an actual Halloween costume contest with multiple awards (and the people who win get points they can exchange for gift cards, etc.). Those who sit in my area routinely dress up in group costumes that are quite intricate and handmade. I’m not into dressing in costume so I don’t participate, but a lot of people do. The last company I worked for before this job was a large CRO, and they also had a costume contest. So it does happen, even with big companies! Some departments participate and some don’t, but the people who are into it are really into it.
   98. Falling Diphthong* October 31, 2019 at 7:40 am

       Spouse works in R&D, east coast. They are dressing up, due to a person who loves Hallowe’en spearheading that this year.
   99. Maddy* October 31, 2019 at 7:41 am

       I work at an environmental consulting company. So scientists. We are having Halloween treats and costume contest. Definitely a career based company. Located in Canada.
   100. Sally* October 31, 2019 at 7:44 am

        I work in pharma/biotech, and at my last (global, very large) company, there wasn’t a whole lot of costume wearing. But now I’m at a much smaller, newer company that has weekly happy hours and other social events, and people definitely dress up – in a moderate way – during the workday. But at our after hours Halloween party and costume contest yesterday, it was a different story! People go all out, and it was a lot of fun. This is my preference because it isn’t too distracting when you’re trying to work, but people still get to dress up and have fun. I think you get a lot of questions about this because adults like dressing up and wearing costumes! – not all adults, of course, but a lot of the people I encounter in the New England area.
   101. Lady Blerd* October 31, 2019 at 7:48 am

        We are allowed to dress up but it’s part of our annual charity fundraiser and isn’t mandatory. I dressed up last year, am not this year as I didn’t think about it ahead of time.
   102. Somewhere in the midwest* October 31, 2019 at 7:51 am

        I used to work in the corporate office of a road construction company, where they not only dressed up, they held a party and costume contest. Sometimes, departments would coordinate their costumes around a theme. One of my former colleagues is my best friend and she now works for a different (smaller) company. I don’t think they go all out, but she just posted a photo on Facebook and she’s in costume today. Now, where I work now (university library), I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anyone in costume. I don’t get out of the building often enough to see what’s going on elsewhere on campus, though.
   103. Art3mis* October 31, 2019 at 7:52 am

        I work for a Health Insurance carrier in the claims department and we’re able to dress up. Most don’t, but I do because I love Halloween. Most other companies I’ve worked at didn’t allow it though and I’ve mostly worked in Insurance or Group Benefits.
   104. Katefish* October 31, 2019 at 7:52 am

        I’ve worn costumes at retail jobs, but I’m currently a New York attorney about to unpack my shark costume and wear it today-my managing attorney loves Halloween. I don’t dress up if I have court on Halloween, however.
        1. Sharkie* October 31, 2019 at 10:51 am

           That is amazing and I love that.
        2. Diahann Carroll* October 31, 2019 at 12:44 pm

           This is very cheeky, lol.
   105. Chrysanthemum's The Word* October 31, 2019 at 7:52 am

        I work in Massachusetts in a health center – about 75% of our employees dress up and we have a HUGE decorating contest that is very competitive. Our patients like it, especially the kids, most of our employees enjoy it. It’s completely voluntary but I think what is kept it growing year after year is the enthusiasm is contagious and planning themes and decorating can be a bonding/fun experience for our employees that helps distract from the work in a positive way.
   106. New Job So Much Better* October 31, 2019 at 7:54 am

        Full-on Costume Contest here at the mortgage company today :)
   107. Software Developer* October 31, 2019 at 7:55 am

        I work for a huge tech company in their Boston location and Halloween is huge at my site. There’s contests for best costume, best decorated pod, best baked goods, and most people seem to dress up. I think it has a lot to do though with the dress code already being casual and the fact that the workers at my location skew pretty young so most people are pretty enthusiastic about it.
   108. Josh Lyman* October 31, 2019 at 7:55 am

        I work at a graduate school at a large university. And everyone who is student-facing dresses up! The average age of our students is 27 and nearly all of them are working professionals, but it’s like our staff is blinded: students! Dressing up! Yes! We must! To be fair, most (MOST- some people go all out) of the costumes are just like cat ears. But still. Still.
   109. Bagpuss* October 31, 2019 at 7:57 am

        I’m a lawyer in the UK, and none of the places I have worked have involved peopel dressing up.

        For our business, I would see it as inappropriate for any staff-members who interact with clients, as it would strike the worng note when someone is coming in about their divorce, or to deal with the estate of a loved one. (and as a high-street practice, people often just call in, so even if you don’t have any appointments booked, you may well still end up speaking to clients)

        I would have no problem if a member of staff were to show up in halloween colurs or with discreet things such as bat / cobweb ear-rings or a brooch, although I can’t think of anyone who ever has.

        I have seen staff in local shops dress up but haven’t seen it in an office, but of course I don’t visit many non-law offices!
   110. Name escapes me..* October 31, 2019 at 7:58 am

        Work in a very busy govt office where we serve the public directly and we always dress up as a team with a theme.. a lot of fun goes into the planning though that mostly takes place during lunch hours.

        We also decorate the heck out of our offices for whatever season we happen to be in the midst of at the time and if it’s a season where there is candy involved (christmas stockings, halloween bags, easter baskets) we all have one on our desk for others to fill.
   111. Emily B.* October 31, 2019 at 7:58 am

        Today is my first Halloween at my new job. It’s both a very career and very fast-paced environment–I work on a very specialized kind of emergency response, and many of the people I work with have multiple degrees and decades of experience in the field. Not everyone dresses up, but some do, and interestingly, it seems to be the people with the most demanding jobs who are most likely to dress up. I imagine that this is part of a work hard/play hard response to the demands of the job.
   112. sheworkshardforthemoney* October 31, 2019 at 8:00 am

        I work with international students who are here attending university. Most of them have never experienced a North American Halloween and are very excited about dressing up. I’ve been asked for ideas for costume ideas all week, my advice was nothing openly sexy or super gory. We’re having a themed dinner, Gruesome Goulash, kitty litter cake, pumpkin carving and treat bags etc. It’s been a fun week watching them get involved with it.
   113. PolarVortex* October 31, 2019 at 8:01 am

        Tech company here.

        Not only does my office encourage dressing up, but it has costume contests. With serious prizes. Full teams dress up to attempt to win it.

        We also have employees bring their kids in to “trick or treat” at employees desks. C-levels have candy in their offices, my VP has a decorated door and a giant bowl of candy.

        I freely admit I lean in hard, I bring in halloween treats and candy and pencils/stickers for the kids who have allergies. It’s a fun break in what is our company’s run of 3 hellish, busy, chaotic months.

        And I dress up.

        Sincerely,
        Jayne from Firefly
   114. What's with Today, today?* October 31, 2019 at 8:02 am

        I have two, one is not PC.

        In the early 2000s, we had a part-time employee that worked nights, he was rarely around the bosses. He had long, long hair and a very long beard, like mid-chest. He went to help video the local Halloween festival for us, and the BIG BOSS was there for some reason, I don’t remember why. Anyway, the guy went dressed as Osama Bin Laden with a fake bomb strapped around his neck. Our boss, who admittedly is laid back, literally just chuckled. The funniest (worst, maybe) part is that our boss has trouble with names anyway, so he called him Osama forever after.

        Same Halloween festival – our sales lady that coordinates and sells the remote at the festival dresses up every year – full out, expensive, elaborate costumes. This year she was a midevil times woman and easliy spent several hundred. That was Tuesday, I’m sure today will be good.
   115. JT* October 31, 2019 at 8:03 am

        I don’t usually dress up for Halloween. But I work at a very large corporation where staff In my office is mainly engineers, mappers, and scientists. It’s very high paced, we take our careers seriously, and we have a lot of government contracts. It’s very normal for our office to have costume contests. Some people go all out, some do something basic, and a lot don’t participate – but we all enjoy it!
   116. writerboy* October 31, 2019 at 8:08 am

        I work for the Government of Canada and have done so since 1997. In general, it’s an industry where people take their work and their oath of office very seriously. That said, what happens on Halloween varies from workplace to workplace. At my last position, the entire directorate had a friendly competition among branches and people went all out, but we still did our work just like any other day. This competition was instigated by two particular executives, both of them much beloved, highly competent and well-respected. I have also worked in shops where people “sort of’ dress up (like wearing a witch hat or something), and also in environments where it doesn’t happen at all. That’s what I have right now, although the social committee did plan an after-work outing to a haunted farm this week.
        1. StudentPilot* October 31, 2019 at 8:37 am

           Another Canadian federal public servant here, I’ve worked in a variety of departments and have seen the same range. The commute every Halloween is always a mishmash of full on costumes, halloween touches and regular attire.
        2. Pommette!* October 31, 2019 at 10:25 am

           I don’t work in the civil service, but grew up in Ottawa, so most of my family and many of my friends do. Growing up, my parents’ departments always held awesome halloween open houses for employees’ kids. Their work was intense and demanding, with lots of overtime, so Halloween was treated like an opportunity to let family (or pets!) into a space where you spent so much time. I have some fond memories of it!

           Likewise for my friends who work there now. They are in fast-passed “career” roles that often require prolonged and specific training and long hours… but many dress up, and they take their costumes seriously. There’s variability between departments, for sure, but some go *all* in, with elaborate costumes, team costumes, competitions, food, and games. It sounds as if the directors are often the most dressed up.
   117. Xarcady* October 31, 2019 at 8:12 am

        Education-adjacent form with 400 employees regularly has a contest for best-decorated department. Departments go all out with themes, decorations, and costumes. Not every department participates, but most do. So at least during the judging phase on Halloween, quite a few people are running around in costume.
   118. SpookySzn* October 31, 2019 at 8:15 am

        My current employer (healthcare consulting firm) is VERY into Halloween. Leadership is really big on avoiding burnout, so they use stuff like Halloween as a way to do fun things in the office. Many people dress up to varying degrees and there’s office trick or treating, as well as an office party and a happy hour.
   119. Ivy Gator* October 31, 2019 at 8:15 am

        I work in health policy at a research center in the northeast. We work in a highly political, fast-paced environment but Halloween is our chosen holiday for some reason. People go all out, the conference room is converted into a haunted house, and we have a potluck. It’s gotten so out of hand that an email went out reminding people that participation is optional. Multiple directors (PhD, MD-level staff) have come in elaborate outfits including face paint. That said, we don’t book any video conference calls and those who are likely to interact with people outside the organization on this day do show restraint.
   120. Kitty Cathleen* October 31, 2019 at 8:16 am

        I work in insurance, at a company of about 250 people. The vast majority don’t dress up in costumes, but lots of people do seasonal accessories: a jack-o-lantern scarf, fun earrings, maybe even a cat-ear headband. One woman wears a costume every single day in October, but if you didn’t know that, you might not recognize it as such. For example, yesterday she was Daria: orange blouse, green skirt, black blazer and boots. Entirely office-appropriate, but still a costume. She was Gaston earlier this month: brown pants, black belt, red blouse, yellow scarf. She’s been Charlie Brown, Yoko Ono, a piece of nigiri, and tons of other things. People from other departments regularly swing by to see what she’s wearing and if they can figure out what the costume is! It’s definitely a little unconventional for our office, but she’s been here 12 years and only started doing this after 9. She’s well known for producing high-quality work. Being a known quantity can really make a difference in situations like this.
   121. Quinalla* October 31, 2019 at 8:20 am

        A lot of our staff is non-client facing, so as part of the culture/events team, we have a Halloween costume contest (very laid back) and this year we had a dress up thing every week. If you have client meetings, it is stated that you would NOT be dressed up for those. I’m not a full costume person myself, but I did wear a hat for hat day and I’m wearing a knit knight’s hat today in honor of Halloween. Also, I work in a regional office, so we participate differently since the dynamic is different here and no one did any dress up except hat day and probably tomorrow when we can wear company t-shirts. Everyone participates in summer short fridays here though and yes we can wear jeans everyday except when meeting clients.

        And our work is honestly pretty busy this time of year, but we try to keep the culture of the office fun and also laid back so if people are really into certain things, they can have a blast, but if not then they aren’t pressured to participate. It works pretty well and we keep an eye out for when we need to adjust and often have generational misunderstanding when a lot of our younger staff wants to do something and older staff just doesn’t get it. The wearing jeans everyday took WAY more effort than it should of because of a few staff at the top not getting it (they still don’t, but are ok with it as long as people aren’t meeting clients).
        1. Jaid* October 31, 2019 at 9:00 am

           Annnd I just remembered that I have the knit Viking hat/yarn beard attachment. That’s ok, My fuzzy clip in cat ears with sequins are fine.

           *still a little sad* ;-)
   122. Syfygeek* October 31, 2019 at 8:21 am

        I have worked at places where departments competed against each other for best costume (by the way, Men in Black is super easy and not really noticeable until everyone is together and puts on the shades) and places where no one dressed up.

        My current job doesn’t dress up, but I’m wearing a nice black sweater, pearls, and slacks and have a plastic cup of cereal on my desk with a plastic knife through it. I’m a “cereal killer”, you know they always look so normal….

        It’s a know your audience, know your workplace thing.
   123. Sick of Workplace Bullshit* October 31, 2019 at 8:22 am

        I know mine isn’t a typical office, but I teach in a private English-as-a-second-language school in Toronto. We love Halloween here! We have pumpkin carving and a costume contest for the students, and a good number of the staff and teachers dress up. It’s not mandatory, and there’s no pressure to participate. It’s fun for the students (young adults, for the most part) and they get to learn the culture around Halloween as well.
   124. Pretzelgirl* October 31, 2019 at 8:23 am

        Right now I work for a place with a religious affiliation. So there isn’t much but some candy left out. Sometimes someone brings donuts in.

        I have worked 2 places where Halloween was a big deal. Costume contests, cube decorating contests, parties, potlucks etc. Honestly they were very fun and everyone always had a good time. Voluntary, but a lot of people participated. There were def places where people had more of a career. One was a tech company, with lots of RD, product development and sales. People took their jobs very seriously.
   125. Lyudie* October 31, 2019 at 8:27 am

        I’ve worked in tech companies for 20+ years and it’s mostly been some people but not everyone dressing up. Some people will wear a Halloween-themed t-shirt or something (I forgot to dig out my ghost earrings, darn it). My current company (medical software) used to do a costume contest but I guess as we’ve gotten many more people in the office (and no longer have the whole building to ourselves) that’s been dropped. I saw an Amy Winehouse here (shortly after she died) and I thought that was a bit much, but most of the costumes were fun…a bunch of ladies dressed as chickens one year, with rubber gloves on their feet, for example.

        I used to work with a lovely woman at IBM who did amazing costumes…one year she was a tavern wench (she said she had a lot of odd looks in meetings with developers that day) and a full nun habit (complete with ruler).
   126. Nuva Ring* October 31, 2019 at 8:29 am

        My partner is an Ob-gyn, and they all do Halloween costumes, usually coordinating, and usually involving puns related to their careers. This goes double for the Halloween night shift.
   127. No costume today* October 31, 2019 at 8:32 am

        Every non-profit I’ve worked for the US has had a lot of costumed staff for Halloween, though c-suite less often than the rest of us. (If there is a costume contest, c suite wears no costumes at all.) Nothing gory or scary allowed. And we were always encouraged to leave on time to go play, rather than our usual longer hours.
        Retail jobs have always had staff dress up. On more than one occasion I tried to help a customer who turned out to be a costumed colleague!
   128. AD Collins* October 31, 2019 at 8:33 am

        Not my own office, but several years ago I had a medical appointment on Halloween and all the nurses were dressed as nurses used to in dresses, white stockings, and their nurses caps. It was a flashback for someone my age.
   129. dedicated1776* October 31, 2019 at 8:34 am

        This is my first year at a home health agency. It’s 8:33 and I’ve already seen five people (out of about 50 at this location) in costume. So yeah it’s a thing. lol I also worked at a cigar company that had a big costume contest. We had about 150 employees and usually about 20 people would compete, plus there were always a few others dressed up who didn’t enter.
   130. Short Time Lurker Komo* October 31, 2019 at 8:36 am

        I work at a financial software place and my specific branch is in Texas. My company is employee oriented in a good way. Today, we have a costume contest and pumpkin decorating contest that are both opt in and both reward cash prizes funded by the company (75/50/25 for the costume contest 1st/2nd/3rd). Maybe 20 or so people will dress up and be in the costume contest and 10 or so in the pumpkin (with overlap). The pumpkins are blind votes – as in the pumpkins will be numbered so it’s not immediately known who made what to help avoid making it a pure popularity contest. The costumes will have pictures taken and then a ballot sent out with the pictures connected, and people vote on their favorite costumes (or coworkers). Both voting processes are opt in as well – no one is monitoring who is doing what. Participation is also opt in. I am dressing up, but I’m not gonna do the contest.

        We are encouraged to bring snack food and wear something ‘Halloween-y’ even if we’re not in costume – which is even as vague as ‘Halloween colors’. Specific friends may tease friends if someone doesn’t participate, but its definitely no pressure at the company level.

        The snack food will be breakfast and lunch for most people because we love to feed each other. There is no tracking who brought food and no limiting the amount of times you can go get food, no shenanigans like that.

        We’re busy, and not everyone can make time to do things, and that’s alright! But the option is there!
   131. LimeRoos* October 31, 2019 at 8:36 am

        Jumping on the bandwagon of responses, I’m currently sitting at my desk wearing a flying squirrel onesie. Greater Minneapolis area, non-profit healthcare/insurance, ex-job 1 we dressed up, ex-job 2 we couldn’t wear costumes (but festive jewelry and stuff was fine), current job we can dress up and there’s 10 spots for trick or treating & a costume contest. I’m super stoked, and the first line of the company wide e-mail was that it’s totally optional which I thought was nice. And it is truly optional, so far it seems like only 1/3 to 1/4 of our department dressed up, but I’m sure once it’s past 8am it’ll be a bit more, but not over half.
   132. Justin* October 31, 2019 at 8:38 am

        I wear a lowkey costume every year. I have a bumblebee headpiece, basically.
        1. Justin* October 31, 2019 at 8:39 am

           I have a 9-5 (ish) office job. It’s pretty sedate. It makes people smile as they walk by.
   133. Sara without an H* October 31, 2019 at 8:40 am

        I work in higher education. Some people dress up, some don’t. My personal favorite was a senior colleague who wore his academic gown (he had a Ph.D.) with a jester’s cap and bells.
   134. Bank* October 31, 2019 at 8:41 am

        I work for a -gasp- bank — in the Marketing department in the Midwest and we definitely go all out for Halloween. Our CMO is SUPER into it, and we have a party that takes up half the day. She goes all out — like theater level costumes. We perform skits and have group costumes.

        We also send in our pet costumes and they get posted on the intranet. I think other departments do dress up too, but I don’t think customer facing people (bankers, teller, etc) can dress up, but I may be wrong on that.
        1. Save your forks* October 31, 2019 at 1:15 pm

           I work at a Bank too and we are all about Halloween. Company-wide costume contest plus local office costume contest (team costumes are a big thing), tons of decorations, a party with parade and people’s kids come in to trick or treat. It is a lot of fun and you might get slightly chided if you don’t wear a costume (like yours truly) but it’s definitely not mandatory. The front-level customer-facing people, like you said, don’t dress up, and neither do most people with client meetings – but I have seen it happen!
   135. header* October 31, 2019 at 8:42 am

        we have a dept-decorating contest every year, that is accompanied by a costume contest. last year, we broke this across two days, with one day for individual costumes and one day for department thematic costumes. this year, we slimmed it down to just a contest between departments. over the years, we’ve had an entire department do a KISS/rock and roll HOF theme with a fog machine, we had a dept do a huge, stunning GOT theme, and another do a freakshow theme complete with “lion” (chihuahua with a mane). costumes range from a simple tshirt to something you’d see at a comicon with various prosthetics and accessories. this is the first place i have worked that has done something so orchestrated company-wide. for what it’s worth, we’re about 45 min south of Boston, MA, and we definitely skew more “professional career” than “job.”

        other companies i worked at (mostly in RI) just had handfuls of employees in costume if they felt like it.
   136. The Ginger Ginger* October 31, 2019 at 8:43 am

        Creative agency here. This is my first Halloween at this company, but apparently everybody GOES IN. Costume contest, dog costume contest (dog friendly office), and a 2hr company party starting at 3. We already had a conference room decoration contest and a pumpkin carving contest during work hours in the lead up to today. Also, we are not slow paced in the least. Top to bottom of the ladder, Halloween is a big deal here. My last job did costumes too. I won the contest one year with cat makeup a la Broadway cats. I didn’t have time or bandwidth to pull a costume together this year, and I’m pretty disappointed.
   137. cmdrspacebabe* October 31, 2019 at 8:45 am

        I’ve worked for multiple Canadian federal government departments and while costumes are never mandatory and there’s no pressure to participate, there’s usually at least a potluck and some kind of low-key costume contest. At least a few people who go all-out; costumes are typically worn all day. I myself am dressed as a galaxy today via a space-patterned dress and starry leggings.
   138. Halloween Fun* October 31, 2019 at 8:45 am

        I have worked in a variety of fields – agriculture, manufacturing, transportation and logistics, hospital owned fitness facility – and every single place have had people dress up. I am an accountant and sitting next to a bumble bee, a ray of sunshine, Wednesday Addams, and the Mad Hatter. I am wearing pumpkin bell earrings that will likely get thrown across the room within the hour. Some places were more “witches hat and headband” style but my current workplace, which is the HQ for my large national company, goes full tilt. One of our departments is currently dressed up as hunters and prey (rural area with lots of hunting for meat and animal control). Hunters are wearing camo and orange vests so no weapons or anything – one even brought in a stuffed hound dog.
   139. Minocho* October 31, 2019 at 8:48 am

        I had a former job in a company that serviced small aircraft in Houston. The corporate office had an interdepartment contest, where each department turned their work area into a funhouse/haunted house, and C-suite people would come through and judge.

        I was in IT, and we opted to go all out with a Matrix theme. We played the soundtrack, dressed like Agents, colored a guy’s vitamin pills with blue and red markers, replaced all the screen savers with the green vertical characters dropping theme, brought in a fog machine, painted black butcher paper (like teachers use as backing for their display boards?) with green colored black light luminescent painted green characters and brought in black lights.

        Everyone loved our area – except the C-suite judges. Only one of them even knew what the Matrix was. we didn’t get any prize.

        But we felt strongly that we won a moral victory.
   140. Theme Park Technical Writer* October 31, 2019 at 8:50 am

        I work in a theme park in Florida. Front of house roles aren’t allowed to dress up because they already technically have costumes, but back of house roles can. It’s probably 40% of people dressing up here.

        I transferred from another theme park where we went all-out on team costumes, and when I came to this one and asked if costumes were okay, my boss looked a little nervous but said yes (I went as a cat that year to be safe). It’s been 4 years now and we now do full team costumes as well; that same boss is currently at his desk as Fred Flintstone.
        1. Lyudie* October 31, 2019 at 10:17 am

           As a former technical writer, I am wildly jealous of your job right now lol. I thought writing about server racks was fun haha.
   141. AliceBD* October 31, 2019 at 8:55 am

        I’m fairly indifferent to Halloween (not opposed to it at all, and would love to hand out candy if any kids ever came to my door, but I’m fine with not being invited to parties and having to come up with a costume) but people at lots of my jobs have dressed up. I’m in marketing and the place where the most people dressed up was when I was working in the craft industry — lots of creative people in marketing, web design, product development, graphic design, etc. We never saw clients so there was no issue with that. That was also a workplace where people frequently sewed and embroidered their own clothes, wore shawls they knit, etc. so (always homemade) costumes were a natural fit.

        I’m working for a big medical practice now and among the admin team accounting all coordinated and are characters from The Wizard of Oz. Otherwise I think it is just the call center (definitely more job than career) and maybe some of the clinical and front desk staff — I think I saw a physical therapist dressed as a super hero on my way in.
   142. A Teacher* October 31, 2019 at 8:55 am

        High school teacher. We were told we were expected to dress up to help promote school harmony–about 2/3 of the staff did dress up. We had an emergency staff meeting first thing this morning with lots of costumed people.

        I think the oddest thing so far has been the sophomore dressed as a furry, complete with a leash and a girlfriend that was petting him… you just can’t unsee some things.
   143. Anon for this, colleagues read here* October 31, 2019 at 8:57 am

        People in my line of work mostly feel their job is a career or even a mission.
        We are always busy and right now ridiculously busy.
        And yet we have decorated our doors and some of us have costumes. I wear a costume every year . It’s the same costume

        (I’m kinda feeling dissed about the “job” and “slow paced” comments — like, really Alison? only slackers dress up?)
        1. also anon rn* October 31, 2019 at 9:09 am

           I’m with you – I read that and immediately bristled. At my job we’re crazy busy too and the work is very fast paced, almost everyone dresses up and we all still manage to get our work done and stay career-focused…
           1. Amesip* October 31, 2019 at 9:52 am

              I agree. I mean, I’m sitting here in my office in a costume that my Director ‘strongly encouraged’ me (and everyone else) to wear for a department-wide group costume. Frankly, I dress up more now that I’m out of retail! I usually love your advice, Allison. Today though…I’m a little offended by the judgement…
           2. a heather* October 31, 2019 at 10:16 am

              Me too! Since I graduated college, my “jobs” have always been “career” and not just “job”. I feel like that was a bit of a dig at places with a culture that encourages fun interactions.
           3. Ask a Manager* Post authorOctober 31, 2019 at 11:01 am

              I clearly called it wrong and the comments here are setting me straight! My apologies.

              I’ll remove that from the post. (But in the interest of accountability, for people who didn’t see it, here’s what I wrote originally: “My hunch is that you might see it more in workplaces where people feel like their work is more “job” and less “career” and/or where the work is fairly slow-paced (and so there’s more time for diversions like dressing up), but that’s just a guess and I could be completely off-base.”)
              1. SWA* October 31, 2019 at 3:17 pm

                 I’m late to this but yeah that’s incorrect. If Southwest’s Gary Kelly and other C Suite members can dress up, and any of the employees, I think it’s not about it being a just “job” or slow paced.
        2. Pommette!* October 31, 2019 at 10:35 am

           Yes, that comment rubbed me the wrong way.
           The way the comment was phrased sort of implies an equation between fast-paced and career vs between slow-paced and job, which doesn’t really stand (there are lots of fast passed, exhausting, entry-level and non-specialized out there!)… And the idea that dressing up is something that only, well, slackers would do is… not accurate or helpful.
        3. Shan* October 31, 2019 at 10:57 am

           Yeah, that bit rubbed me the wrong way. Amazingly, I am able to be extremely busy at work in my chosen career AND throw on a witch hat.
   144. marxamod* October 31, 2019 at 8:57 am

        I work at a software company – we used to have company-wide costume contests (each team would vote, then a single person from each team would go to the company-wide vote) but they stopped a few years ago because it took up too much time. I’d say ~20% of people dress up these days but it’s mostly those fleece onsies?

        That said, a clown just walked past me complete with giant red nose.
   145. Jean* October 31, 2019 at 8:58 am

        We have about half and half in my office (wearing costumes vs not wearing them). I’m not wearing a full costume but I am wearing a couple of fun accessories. We have a really friendly, collaborative culture here so it’s not that big a deal. I can see how a more formal workplace would frown on dressing up.
   146. Scarlet* October 31, 2019 at 8:59 am

        Ok OP #4. I was born & raised in MA – I have always worked at places where you can wear costumes to work. Western MA & Boston. I have also lived in AZ and CO – costumes at work.

        I’m sorry your “legal and policy-oriented workplaces” don’t let you dress up, but for what it’s worth, every place I’ve worked at is in Finance, and they allow it.

        PS I’m a dinosaur today
   147. BankNerd* October 31, 2019 at 9:00 am

        I work in the IT division for a large bank. We have a Fall Festival on the last Friday before Halloween. Employees dress up, some even do group costumes, and there is a staff costume contest with prizes for individual and group costumes. Then in the afternoon, immediate family members come in and kids go trick-or-treating around the cubicles. One of the information security teams always does a group costume and then decorates their entire cube aisle with the same theme. Last year they did The Wizard of Oz, and their aisle was the Emerald City complete with Yellow Brick Road. This year they were The Avengers, and decorated their aisle like a city at night (black paper on the walls with multi-colored sticky notes for windows, and each person’s cube decorated to fit their individual character. They are the definition of going all out…. LOL.

        Also, the staff in the bank branches (tellers and bankers) do dress up on the actual day of Halloween, and give out candy to their customers.
   148. stitchinthyme* October 31, 2019 at 9:01 am

        Out of all my post-college companies, only two of them have done anything for Halloween — both basically dotcoms. They had costume contests, but the participation rate in both was pretty low. I dressed up once or twice at those places, but I felt kind of weird and awkward sitting at my desk in a costume, so I gave that up pretty quickly. My husband’s current company also does a costume contest, but he says participation also tends to be pretty low there.
   149. RobotWithHumanHair* October 31, 2019 at 9:06 am

        I work as a warehouse manager and walked in with a Deadpool mask on, just to amuse a couple coworkers. Didn’t wear it for that long though because my vision is rather hilariously impaired with it on.
   150. LessNosy* October 31, 2019 at 9:06 am

        I think dressing up in costumes comes down to company culture. Our culture is pretty relaxed (as long as you do your work, it’s okay to have some fun too). My company is BIG on Halloween. Our home office hosts a costume contest every year. We are in building products manufacturing. Everyone in the home office is busy and has a lot of work, and most areas are understaffed, so it’s a fun way to just blow off some steam. Our warehouse staff across the country does this too (as long as the costumes don’t interfere with warehouse-type duties).
   151. CoffeeNut* October 31, 2019 at 9:08 am

        I work in local government and we have an optional dress up policy. We are public facing, so there are restrictions and a point made of costumes being appropriate. Today, what I have seen so far, we have a scarecrow, cowboy, broken doll, and an IT person dressed as a 404 error. Not everyone dresses up. Management is only authorized to dress up subject to any meetings scheduled for today.
   152. Archaeopteryx* October 31, 2019 at 9:08 am

        I work in a large healthcare provider, and Halloween is pretty much the biggest company-wide event of the year. Departments go all out with a different theme for each medical specialty, and it’s a contest with prizes best decorations, best individual costume, and best department costume. I don’t know if other medical offices would be as elaborate, as it’s kind of a company-culture thing, but it’s pretty fun. (Though in my three years there I’ve seen two departments go off the rails with too bloody/death-themed decor – pretty tame by Halloween standards but wildly inappropriate for, say, Oncology! Usually it’s more tame stuff like Minions, Candyland, Disney Villains, etc.)
   153. Fela* October 31, 2019 at 9:12 am

        I’ve spent my career thus far in non-profits based in Kentucky and Indiana and have worked on the national, state, and local level. I consider myself a youth worker, though I don’t work directly with kiddos. In all of my jobs (five positions in three organizations), people have dressed up. It’s usually something simple, like a t-shirt tuxedo, a sparkly skirt/witch hat, etc. But one of my current colleagues loves to go all out (we’re the administrative office of a domestic violence services agency). I’m in meetings this morning, so I’m not dressed up yet. But I will be later this afternoon–a group of colleagues and I are going as the “Spice” Girls (aprons with printed pictures of spices. I’m Paprika :) ).
   154. TNT* October 31, 2019 at 9:12 am

        Digital marketing agency – super fast paced and definitely career-focused, but also a younger workforce that prioritizes fun when we can. We’ll all have meetings back to back today, but every person in them will be in costume probably.
   155. Karo* October 31, 2019 at 9:13 am

        I worked at a corporate office/fulfillment center for a professional services company and, not only did most people dress up, we had prizes for best costume and a catered lunch. We were a stodgy business-casual workplace on non-Halloween days.
   156. Hermione Stranger* October 31, 2019 at 9:14 am

        LW #4: Not so! I work at the federal government in Canada, and I’m currently happily wearing a witch hat. Our office is very professional (legal-adjacent), but lots of us are wearing “casual” costumes today — one or two accessories or a prop. A couple of us are wearing full-blown head to toe costumes, including our director. There’s a costume contest in the building, and she wants to win! I wouldn’t be dressed up if I had any outside meetings today, but since I don’t, it’s a fun little morale- and team-building event.
        One of my good friends works in a financial office, and they actually offer real prizes for winning their costume contests. I think it really depends on office culture more than what type of job it is.
   157. Going anon* October 31, 2019 at 9:14 am

        Academic library. We’re quite career oriented here. I have never dressed up, but I have colleagues who do. No one bats an eye.
   158. Res Admin* October 31, 2019 at 9:16 am

        Costumes have never been a thing in most of the offices I have worked in (one exception: the last year in my previous job most people dressed up, however that was also right before everyone who could get out, did).

        Having said that, as I came in this morning I saw, among others, Snow White, Fiona, Ariel, a pirate, several witches, a Minion, and someone in a blue blow up suit. The only thing I can surmise is that they must work in the pediatric hospital. Or some faculty are trying to lift the morale of students?
   159. Adjuncts Anonymous* October 31, 2019 at 9:18 am

        Adjunct Community College instructor, SE USA, we are certainly allowed to wear costumes, although I haven’t seen anyone in costume today. I stopped wearing costumes seven years ago. RIP Papa, 10/31/12
   160. Amethystmoon* October 31, 2019 at 9:20 am

        My workplace has a costume contest every year. I don’t participate, but many people do. Today I’m wearing a casual Halloween print top and an orange scarf with black jeans. Yep, we are casual.
   161. Wearing Many Hats* October 31, 2019 at 9:20 am

        I work at a tech start up in MA. We have a casual dress up, like someone wears a black shirt and cat ears and one team dressed as their manager. I am dressed as Daria, but am just wearing my own clothes (I have bangs and wear glasses anyways!). It’s all very casual!
   162. GoryDetails* October 31, 2019 at 9:20 am

        I see lots of “software development” answers already, but I’ll add mine as well. I worked in several different software companies over the years, and while there wasn’t ever a team-wide “will wear costumes” expectation, lots of us did like to dress up. My most elaborate outfit was a banshee one – long green dress, long red wig, half my face in a skull-mask and half bare (bare side towards the cubicle door, so I could turn my head and reveal the skull when anybody stopped by). My team and I enjoyed it, and none of us were in customer-facing positions or had meetings with higher-ups that day, but I admit that might have been a bit much – it was a very realistic skull-mask {wry grin}. (That team was pretty tight – we’d all go out for lunch sometimes to a local go-cart track and have mad races before heading back to the office for an afternoon of debugging.)
   163. TooTiredToThink* October 31, 2019 at 9:21 am

        My last two jobs I’ve had people have dressed up for Halloween. In the OldJob place – the white collar office employees dressed (maybe about 10-25% participation, depending on the year) and we’d always have a picnic (more like 90% participation there). That was definitely a career place; but yeah, depending on what was going on you might see less participation each year.

        Second job is also a career place; however it is a reactionary (think IT, but not) type job; so sometimes it can be incredibly busy and sometimes …. not so busy. It depends on the department – my department usually has about 75-90% participation , but that’s because we usually have a theme and everyone participates in that theme. Other departments, I’m not sure. I know in previous years one department always had a haunted house, even.
   164. floridaalicat* October 31, 2019 at 9:21 am

        I work at a company that is half call center/half production staff with like 10 percent of employees in tech and marketing and we have an optional costume contest going on. Employees are allowed to wear costumes as long as it won’t hurt their job duties, so plenty of people are dressed up in casual, low key outfits. :) Only a few people are going all out and they are office workers, not production side.

        Its fun, but ultimately not a requirement and no one is pressured to join in so I think its fine at some companies.
   165. Adlib* October 31, 2019 at 9:23 am

        I work in a normally very conservative industry, but for Halloween, at every single office I’ve worked at, people dress up. (I didn’t have the energy to even stuff a costume into my bag this morning, and one of our departments had EXTRA stuff for me to wear so some areas are definitely more enthusiastic!)
   166. Roshelle* October 31, 2019 at 9:24 am

        I work in Florida at an IT company of about 300 employees, and I would say 30% of people dress up. It could be anywhere from just an accessory like a captains hat, to elaborate zombie outfits. Our company puts on a halloween luncheon, and also does a costume contest, so I think people are more comfortable doing it. First place for the costume contest is an extra day of PTO!
        1. Diahann Carroll* October 31, 2019 at 1:05 pm

           OMG, that’s the best prize I’ve heard of so far. I would totally go all out for an extra day of vacation.
   167. a heather* October 31, 2019 at 9:26 am

        At every company I have worked at, at least a few people dress up every year. Sometimes there are coordinated groups or contests for the best decorations (so each department would all get together and do it) and sometimes there are costume contests.

        I work in tech.
   168. Recruiter* October 31, 2019 at 9:26 am

        I’m a recruiter, and many people in this industry seem to come from the Greek system in college (fraternities/sororities). So perhaps that’s why we dress up, have a costume contest, have a big potluck, invite everyone’s kids to work for trick or treating, and end the day early to go party…

        …all while having DOUBLE the work/productivity goals (“for fun”) :D
   169. WellRed* October 31, 2019 at 9:27 am

        At my retail job (bookstore) a few people might dress up a bit, I’d maybe wear a t-shirt with a spiderweb. I wouldn’t be caught dead in an actual costume at a professional job that doesn’t work directly/indirectly with kids. That’s what after work and halloween parties/trick or treating are for.
   170. Seven If You Count Bad John* October 31, 2019 at 9:28 am

        Call center here. My employer is a large company that prides itself on its company culture and engagement. Every holiday has activities around it, and the dress code (already quite permissive by my mid-90’s standards) is often relaxed for costume events such as Halloween. People do dress up and often there are team competitions. There’s generally a photo booth provided and sometimes prizes.

        I’m a big bah-humbug, so I rarely participate in the reindeer games, but it’s supposed to be a morale-booster.
   171. Dana B.S.* October 31, 2019 at 9:29 am

        I was once actually chastised for not dressing up. I worked in a “cool” and “fun” retail store as a shipment coordinator. I arrived at work on Halloween at 6 a.m. It was a massive shipment because post-Halloween is when the big Christmas push starts. Plus, I was supposed to have a counterpart shipment coordinator to work on the other half of the store and I didn’t. And then the truck was an hour late. So I was stressed. Our district leadership team dropped in at about 9:30 to give us candy and they were all like, “You’re not dressed up!” I pretended that I just forgot because of how early I got up, but I got some seriously disappointed looks at that excuse.

        To be clear, I did dress up at that job the previous Saturday when we had our big Halloween event. I just didn’t want a costume while I was processing shipment in the backroom.
   172. Okay* October 31, 2019 at 9:29 am

        I would say ~20% of the employees dress up for Halloween and/or decorate their cube. We have a costume contest and party, but it’s lowkey – snacks and socializing for an hour in the afternoon.

        I work in data analytics. We have a casual dress code and are usually not client-facing.
   173. trick 'r' treat* October 31, 2019 at 9:30 am

        I work for a major corporation at the (US) corporate headquarters in the finance department. We get a lot of people dressing up, including C level executives, management, HR, etc. Lots of “career” positions. We do have rules such as no gore, nothing that covers your face, and nothing “racy”, etc. It doesn’t really take away from the work day, in my experience. It’s not like people are just sitting at their desks not working, and from what I’ve noticed there’s not more chit chat than usual (instead of talking about Game of Thrones while making coffee, they might talk about whatever they are wearing instead.) We do have a potluck, etc but again, that’s not taking significantly more time than a normal lunch break would, and we have potlucks for other occasions too.

        Oh, and Halloween is usually the busiest time period for my department, as it generally falls within month end.
   174. Bopper* October 31, 2019 at 9:30 am

        I work in a telecom company and if our “Employee Engagement Committee” has a “let’s dress up and have a costume contest” I dressed up. If we don’t have a particular activity around it, I wear Halloween earrings or something.
   175. shergak* October 31, 2019 at 9:31 am

        I work for the federal government and worked for multiple departments, and most people (career climbers or otherwise) dress up for Halloween. I think it also coincides with our yearly government wide charity drive, so there are multiple halloween events across offices.
   176. These Old Wings* October 31, 2019 at 9:31 am

        I work at an advertising agency outside Philadelphia and we are having a costume contest. I’m sort of half dressed up (Halloween leggings, etc.) but as far as I remember, most of the agencies I have worked at have had at least some of the people dressing up.
   177. Lucette Kensack* October 31, 2019 at 9:31 am

        I’m a Halloween curmudgeon (I think it’s silly that adults have co-opted a children’s holiday), but Alison’s response to the halloween question was suuuuuuper patronizing (even to me, someone who rolls her eyes at adult Halloween shenanigans).

        My office goes ALL OUT for Halloween, and it is neither “just a job” nor slow paced with nothing pressing going on. My colleagues run multi-million dollar policy research projects, manage first-in-the-nation experimental programs to support families experiencing homelessness, provide mental health services to children with severe mental illness, and facilitate leadership programs for Fortune 500 CEOs.

        I don’t care for Halloween, but I AM grateful to work somewhere that remembers that its employees are humans, and that we shouldn’t be aiming for a perfectly sterile, efficient workplace. We can do all the good work we do and enjoy ourselves with our colleagues. In fact, I would guess that we couldn’t do one without the other.
        1. Diahann Carroll* October 31, 2019 at 1:08 pm

           but Alison’s response to the halloween question was suuuuuuper patronizing

           It was, but to her credit, she realized that and fixed it.

           I also 100% agree with the rest of your comment.
   178. Say It Ain't So* October 31, 2019 at 9:33 am

        Earlier this week, we got a “friendly reminder” that we cannot dress up at work. I work in a hospital so… infection control and all that. Many of the nurses will wear Halloween themed scrubs and the kitchen/cafeteria staff also will wear Halloween shirts/accessories, as long as it won’t interfere with food preparation.

        My mom and sister both work in the magical places where one dresses up. They even have costume contests. They both work in accounting but neither one is in a client facing department.
   179. thestik* October 31, 2019 at 9:33 am

        It can vary by offices even within a company. I work for a huge multinational healthcare company, and I know people in my office dress up. However, it’s not as consistent in other buildings (although it’s not actively discouraged). The same happens in my husband’s line of work (which is fuel logistics).
   180. Rowdy Regulator* October 31, 2019 at 9:34 am

        I work in a State Agency in the DFW region of Texas. My Dept has a state-wide costume contest on Halloween. There are rules like it has to be work appropriate and if you have a meeting, you can’t participate, but for the most part it is just a fun addition to normal work day.
   181. Pumpkin Pie* October 31, 2019 at 9:36 am

        I live in the midwest, and have worked at office type jobs in manufacturing and libraries. People were allowed to dress up both places. When I was a consultant in a major city though, it was a huge no no to not look professional at all times. If it does not disrupt the office, I don’t see a reason for not letting people celebrate.
   182. Twill* October 31, 2019 at 9:36 am

        I have worked in the cubicle land of health insurance for 20 years, and every company I have worked for has had Halloween costume and cubicle decorating contests. Some places have been pretty casual about it, and others take it VERY serious ( I really pissed off some people one year because I would not come in dressed as someone from Wizard of Oz). It’s not necessarily my thing, but other people enjoy it, so that’s cool. I will dress in black (because I do every day) and I will bring in chips and dip, and rice crispy treats, but beyond that, they can have at it. I will be at my desk, listening to my audiobooks, and questioning what life decisions have lead me here….
        1. The Man, Becky Lynch* October 31, 2019 at 10:14 am

           I find it’s huge in healthcare. Nursing homes are huge with everyone decorating and dressing up. They even parade kiddos around so residents can hand out candy. My family and friends in healthcare tend to be lowkey with it but I’ve visited enough to see it first hand that others are really all-in!

           Any reason to boost morale and bring smiles in a regularly stressful/drab environment.
           1. Jamie* October 31, 2019 at 11:02 am

              There is a nursing home near my work where atm the outside is covered in skeletons climbing the building, hanging off the roof…it looks like it’s being invaded.

              Not scary just a bony infestation. I told two of my kids I thought it was kind of creepy and not appropriate but when they saw it they LOVED it! They thought it was the coolest thing ever and are now sad I won’t let them do it to our house.

              Guess which two kids get no vote when it’s time to find a nursing home for me?
              1. The Man, Becky Lynch* October 31, 2019 at 11:23 am

                 I’ve never seen a facility with that crazy of outdoor decor, they usually have really limited budgets! They tend to be pretty tame on the inside as well, lots of orange pumpkins and like child-like stuff you’d see in a grade school setting. I think the scariest thing is a wicked witch that is motion censored at at nursing station.

                 I find it pretty tacky to decorate with a death theme in a nursing home, yikes! They try to steer away from that obvious overtone to Halloween in my experience because duh, nursing home.
           2. Belle of the Midwest* October 31, 2019 at 11:02 am

              I do think having kids come to nursing homes dressed up and walking around to get candy from the residents is good for both the kids and the residents.
              1. The Man, Becky Lynch* October 31, 2019 at 11:30 am

                 It absolutely is therapeutic to both the adults and kids. I really enjoyed visiting as a kid because the residents were so happy to see me and talk to me.
   183. Katie* October 31, 2019 at 9:39 am

        There’s a few people in my office that dress up. It’s the first place I’ve worked where any attention is paid to Halloween. I’m wearing a orange sweatshirt and bat earrings today, but a few people in the office go all out. Most people don’t dress up at all. We’re a very button-up’d, career-oriented workplace, but we also serve children and families (though not directly) so we tend to accommodate and encourage a tiny bit more whimsy than the average DC nonprofit.
   184. Gaia* October 31, 2019 at 9:39 am

        Not Current Job but Past Job was in biotech. We were a medium sized office of a large international company. Mostly career with a few job positions at our site. Over 5 Halloweens I would say about 80% of people at our site wore costumes. At the other sites in the US it was slightly less common but still over 50% and highly encouraged (although no one batted at eye at those that didn’t for whatever reason). In the UK it was pretty unheard of except by the US visitors and other international sites didn’t really do anything with the holiday.
   185. Ruth* October 31, 2019 at 9:40 am

        Yep, I’ve got a plague doctor mask and hat going on today and a skirt with skulls. It’s a kind of hybrid so I can take it off and do my work while also maintaining a bit of Halloween spirit in my skirt. I work at an academic library, so we do have lots of students around — and/but/also I’m definitely career and I work mostly in the back. I’m tenure track, even. Our library has a strong sense of camaraderie (maybe not all together, but many pockets of camaraderie) and while most people didn’t dress up or just added a little Halloween flair, we’ve got a quite a few full on costumes!
   186. Rachel the Writer* October 31, 2019 at 9:40 am

        I work at a media company in Pennsylvania, and we’re allowed to wear costumes on Halloween (usually there’s a party as well, and this year we had a costume contest). Most of us are editors and marketers, so we’re just sitting at our desks all day — costumes aren’t a distraction. That being said, I’d say only about half our employees dress up. But it’s still a very fun thing.
   187. HRAssist86* October 31, 2019 at 9:42 am

        #4) I’ve been at my current HR job for seven months. It’s a small not for profit outside of Baltimore, MD with twenty employees. This is the first company I’ve worked at where we dress up for Halloween. We have yearly Halloween costume contests and the winner gets a prize. Although it isn’t mandatory the majority of our employees dressed up. We’re always getting lunch for the staff as well. Our culture is very laid back and casual as it is- jeans are allowed. So far, this morning has been full of laughs! It’s been a lot of fun dressing up.
   188. Avocado Toast* October 31, 2019 at 9:44 am

        I work in the arts, so I’m used to seeing things that are out of the ordinary at work. I interviewed for an internship and my (soon to be) supervisor was wearing leggings with I think a blood splatter pattern on them (something like that…I don’t quite remember anymore). I registered that it was unusual but in a vague “huh, her leggings have blood on them; must be some kind of art statement” way, not in a “Whoa, what a creepy person that I don’t want to work for” way.

        Much later I realized that day was Halloween….
   189. PPP* October 31, 2019 at 9:45 am

        I work in the midwest in a company that has has customer service, accounting and like-departments all in an office that is safety-industry related. We’re usually business casual so on halloween most everyone wears fun halloween leggings, shirts, hats, and jewelry. Some people wear more elaborate costumes and that’s totally okay and fun! We also have cupcakes!
        I’m wearing a cute little witch hat headband and a shawl over my outfit as my “costume” – I’ve gotten lots of compliments but I’m also comfortable at my desk all day.
   190. Rox* October 31, 2019 at 9:46 am

        I used to work as a contractor at Southwest Airlines HDQ, and they REALLY do it up for holidays, Halloween included. It definitely wasn’t a slow-paced job for anyone, but the company takes steps to give people time to have fun and enjoy the festivities while getting their work done.

        Also, I’m currently working as a student assistant in the admin office of my university’s library, and there was definitely a lot of talk and planning about dressing up this month.
   191. Melissa* October 31, 2019 at 9:47 am

        We dressed up at my first job after college (in NJ). It was at a retail manufacturing company with a connected warehouse (production and shipping) and back-office (accountant, purchasing, IT, data entry). I think it was primarily encouraged as a morale booster at very toxic company. HR encouraged us to dress up by promoting costume prizes and a parade (why). I used it as an excuse to wear a very comfortable panda onesie in lieu of business casual.
   192. Kelly Bennett* October 31, 2019 at 9:47 am

        I work in a government office, and we do occasionally interact with the public, but mostly we’re just sitting in cubicles. I dress up every year!
   193. Evil HR Person* October 31, 2019 at 9:48 am

        I know there are tons of replies, but get this: I used to work for an insurance company (home and property) that goes all out for Halloween. I mean: whole departments participating as one unit, costume contests, haunted corridors, the works. They are located in Florida and a couple of other states, but it’s a subsidiary of a much larger company based out of Puerto Rico. Now, the folks on the island REALLY went all out, to the point that the year I was working there, they BUILT a pirate ship at the main office. That always rubbed me the wrong way – it was my sister department that found the time to build that ship. Meanwhile, my department in the states was inundated with work. Obviously, the sister department put aside work (or didn’t have enough) because they had time to build a friggin’ pirate ship! I left a few months later. Morale was actually really low in the whole company. It just goes to show: you can have all these gimmicks, but without meaningful feedback and a deep-down good culture, you will not keep employees engaged no matter what you do. Many of my colleagues followed me out the door…
   194. Book Badger, Attorney-at-Claw* October 31, 2019 at 9:48 am

        I’m a lawyer and currently waiting for a pre-trial conference to start. None of the lawyers are wearing costumes (though a few have fun shoes, ties, or socks), but the court clerks are dressed up.
        1. Book Badger, Attorney-at-Claw* October 31, 2019 at 9:50 am

           Wait! One person just complimented me on my “young lawyer” costume! We’re all dressed up, as it turns out!
   195. HRAssist86* October 31, 2019 at 9:49 am

        I’ve been at my current HR job for seven months. It’s a small not for profit outside of Baltimore, MD with twenty employees. This is the first company I’ve worked at where we dress up for Halloween. We have yearly Halloween costume contests and the winner gets a prize. Although it isn’t mandatory the majority of our employees dressed up. We’re always getting lunch for the staff as well. Our culture is very laid back and casual as it is- jeans are allowed. So far, this morning has been full of laughs! It’s been a lot of fun dressing up.
   196. AnonyNurse* October 31, 2019 at 9:50 am

        I appreciate you and this site, but it feels incredibly condescending to read that people who dress up for Halloween at work aren’t very busy and/or have “jobs” not “careers.” There are some settings where a full costume would be unsafe, and some industries where a brightly colored tie would be considered out of line. But there are many serious, career-minded, incredibly committed and busy people wearing consumes to work today.

        In a prior role, I reviewed and summarized the death of any child in my jurisdiction. Sadly, this kept me quite busy. I presented findings to stakeholders and government leaders. I led changes to prevent child death. And on Halloween, I wore a damn costume.
   197. Mia* October 31, 2019 at 9:51 am

        I work in marketing for a fairly large company and Halloween is huge here. We have a costume and cube decorating contest everywhere and a lot of the departments (especially the more creative ones) take it really seriously.
        1. Mia* October 31, 2019 at 9:51 am

           Ugh, this should say “every year” not “everywhere.”
   198. ClumsyCharisma* October 31, 2019 at 9:51 am

        I work in financial services in Dallas. My company goes all out including individual and group costume contest and department decorating contest with pretty decent prizes. I know some buildings go more out than others and I think some buildings have done away with the department decorating because it is end of month and it got out of hand.
        I will participate and dress up for the department decorating (there are usually scripts or roles included in the decorating) but I don’t generally just dress up on my own. Plenty of people do and it’s fine.
        Several years ago it was less common but now that we are an “employee focused company” or something like that there is more emphasis on things like going all out for Halloween.
   199. Sharkie* October 31, 2019 at 9:52 am

        Most places I have worked have dressed up for halloween ( I am at my first job where people don’t) but they have always been low key dress ups- Someone wearing a superhero logo shirt, wearing a harry potter house hoodie, a ton of “basic witch” – Stuff like that. It is usually an excuse for a dress down day if you don’t have meetings. The most extra costume I saw was a pregnant coworker that dress up as ” mother goose” because she had wings on.
   200. Det. Charles Boyle* October 31, 2019 at 9:55 am

        I work with a group of engineers and financial analysts and we have a group costume each year that entails just wearing a solid color top and black pants, and someone creates the add-on piece. One year we were Minions; last year we were M&Ms; this year we are Pac-men and Pac-women.
        1. MOAS* October 31, 2019 at 9:56 am

           But…do you HAVE A HEIST EACH YEAR ????
   201. MOAS* October 31, 2019 at 9:56 am

        I’m at a tax accounting firm and we do a halloween party at work–nothing crazy, just food and drinks during work hours. costumes optional as well.
   202. Livie* October 31, 2019 at 9:56 am

        My mom works for a contractor, the largest in the state, as a commercial division office manager and her office always dresses up for Halloween. Not everyone but most people. This year she’s dressed as a toucan. It’s hilarious
   203. Hiring Mgr* October 31, 2019 at 9:57 am

        I’m in tech in the Boston area. I’ve been at places where dressing up is fairly common, others not. One company I worked for around 10 yrs ago used to to a big Halloween thing where everyone would dress up, kids would come etc. But the tradition stopped when a new CEO was hired who was very religious, and apparently some religions feel Halloween is encouraging satanic belief (or something like that, apologies if i’m not getting it exactly right), so he ended that.
   204. ElizabethJane* October 31, 2019 at 9:57 am

        I work for a startup in Chicago. We do dress up but it’s more gimmicky than actual effort put into costumes. So people wear the t shirts printed to look like a costume (think the Superman/Clark Kent button down thing), or a headband with animal ears. Some people will wear one of the novelty onesies you can get at a store like Target, but that’s also super low effort.

        But we are a startup that does things to be “cool” and “trendy” so I think that’s part of it.
   205. Zanele Ngwenya* October 31, 2019 at 9:59 am

        Sitting here in my pirate costume in my lovely serious career-track job. Later today, the building is hosting a trick-or-treat for the children of employees. Doors with balloons on them are participating, so kids will know where to knock. It’s a lovely and fun way to boost morale by being a bit whimsical for a change. There’s no pressure to participate, so just a few of us are wearing costumes while others are dressed festively.
   206. Ey-not-Cy* October 31, 2019 at 9:59 am

        High school librarian here, we dress up on this day at school. Today I am a bookmobile. I have a cardboard box “RV” that I decorated. It’s on my counter currently, because I can’t really sit in it. Three of our female teachers are the Three Amigos, four males are the guys from the SNL movie. We have a group of Beanie baby teachers, also. It’s a competition, and we play to win, lol. As Student Council sponsor I give prizes to the kids who dress up also. It’s a fun day. My husband works for the government and would never dream of dressing up today.
   207. Classic Rando* October 31, 2019 at 10:00 am

        I’ve never dressed up at work, in retail, food service, or office settings. Most places you could do some accessorizing for Halloween, but not a full costume. My current job is remote, but when we still had a central office no one could ever be bothered to celebrate any holiday as a company, and that was totally cool with me.

        Meanwhile, my mom is the mayor’s secretary in her small New England town and she just sent me a pic of her office where everyone is dressed up, so…
   208. Facepalm* October 31, 2019 at 10:03 am

        I work in defense contracting in a Southern US state and there’s a guy walking around this very minute in a bear suit and another guy in a sponge bob suit. At my last contracting company (which was more formal), a guy dressed up as Hulk Hogan and a woman dressed up as some kind of animal and someone dressed up with professional-grade cosplay makeup. No one batted an eye.
        1. Facepalm* October 31, 2019 at 10:32 am

           Now there’s a guy dressed as Frozone riding around on a hoverboard
           1. Iconic Bloomingdale* October 31, 2019 at 5:52 pm

              This is HYSTERICAL to me!
   209. That Would be a Good Band Name* October 31, 2019 at 10:03 am

        I am not sure that I’ve worked anywhere that hasn’t dressed up! I’m actually not this year, but I have in the past at this employer. I’m in the midwest. I dressed up at my minimum wage retail job and in my current accountant role. When I worked at a bank branch, I was required to as we all did a theme. All dressing up has always been company encouraged. I am not one to just show up in costume if I don’t know if anyone else is going to.
   210. halloweenlover* October 31, 2019 at 10:04 am

        I work for a public company and we love Halloween! My office has been decorating for decades. Children and grandchildren of workers come and trick or treat so we offer a safe, fun and indoor option for kids to come to. We have decoration contests and go all out! We also do costume contests. We are definitely a career business but we have a laid back atmosphere and our particular office is not customer facing. I’d definitely say it’s our least productive work day but we still get the work done, and it’s such a fun work day.
   211. The IT Plebe* October 31, 2019 at 10:05 am

        I work in the education tech department at a private high school. The students can come in costume for $5 (which goes toward school dances, etc.) and faculty/staff can dress up for free. Kids and adults have costume contests (separate from one another) and it’s honestly a really fun atmosphere. Plus, since we installed an electronic PA bell system last summer, we customize the bells for class changes to spooky music/sound effects.
   212. BoozyAccountant* October 31, 2019 at 10:05 am

        I think this comes down to “tone at the top”. The owner/CEO of my mid-size employer is REALLY into dressing up, and strongly encourages everyone else to as well. We have a costume contest and a pumpkin carving contest every year. Now, we are in the booze business, so a less formal industry, but it’s quite career oriented and not that much fun around here most of the time.
   213. Catsaber* October 31, 2019 at 10:05 am

        I dress up a little bit for Halloween. Today I am wearing a cat-ears headband and some Halloween print pants, with a normal shirt/cardigan combo and boots. Last year I wore a skull t-shirt and all black (though that’s not really unusual for me).

        I am definitely in a “career” job, and it’s quite fast-paced! I am part of the database management team at a large university, and I’ve been at this university for 10 years (3 years in my current role). However we’re a little more relaxed about dress code in general, and it’s not unusual for people to add holiday-themed touches to their outfits or cubes throughout the year. The level of dressing up varies widely across campus…some people wear full costumes, some don’t even acknowledge the holiday. And for those that do wear costumes or other items, that varies widely as well…I’ve seen tenured professors go full Halloween, but then part time help desk people wear business professional all year long. There are also several departments that will decorate their offices.

        Location: DFW, Texas
        Employer: large state university
        Job: database management team/IT
   214. call centre bee* October 31, 2019 at 10:06 am

        Everyone was talking about low effort simple costumes for today, so I’ve thrown together a half-hearted cat costume.

        I’m the only person here who bothered, as it turns out. Just sitting in the centre in cat ears. Like a weirdo.
   215. True Story* October 31, 2019 at 10:07 am

        Career-oriented people can dress up too!

        Currently, I work as a copywriter for a marketing agency in Memphis, TN. We have a full on costume contest and desk decorating contest most years. There’s one woman (over 70, been in the marketing business her whole career) who wears a costume every day in the week leading up to Halloween–and I’d say that at least half of my coworkers dress up in full costume on the day we celebrate.

        It might be part and parcel of working in such a creative industry, but we do a lot of event celebrating where we compete creatively, e.g., a cocktail contest where presentation, name, and description of the cocktail factor into the judging.

        FYI: All celebratory events are scheduled during work hours for a set amount of time (usually right around/after lunch if it’s a potluck and from 4pm-5pm for other events). Participation is encouraged but nobody gets dinged if it’s not their thing. Your team (think Hogwarts House) almost always has a few people who are all about the competition and they carry the rest of us who could care less.
   216. roisin54* October 31, 2019 at 10:08 am

        I also work at a public library, and at my library only the childrens’ department employees dress up in anything beyond the usual Halloween-y accessories (i.e. cat ears headband, wacky tie, bat pin, etc…) We’re a massive organization though that also functions as a research library so we have a different culture than the average public library.
   217. SoCal Kate* October 31, 2019 at 10:09 am

        I love wearing Halloween costumes, including to work. I always make sure they’re work appropriate. This year I’m going as a Jedi, last year I went as Hermione from Harry Potter, and previous years I’ve gone as a generic detective or pirate.

        I’m in Southern California, currently working for a very busy nonprofit. A decent number of people dress up, but of course not everyone does. I’ve previously worked for local government, and a lot of people dressed up there too. I think it’s fun because I don’t really have anywhere else to wear a costume, and I love costumes.
   218. Girl Alex PR* October 31, 2019 at 10:09 am

        I work at a government agency in D.C. and have worked at several others in the area as well. Every one of them has had a lot of Halloween participants! Some put out candy, some dress up. My current agency does a Fall Fest with food trucks, games, costume contests and rides like a zipline and mechanical bull on Halloween. It’s a blast and one of the few days we can invite our families to our place of work, since we’re a classified facility. I love it!
   219. Gadget Hackwrench* October 31, 2019 at 10:11 am

        My Husband dressed up as Doc Brown to Teach Physics this year! Apparently the kids are too young to know who that is though. *Sad.* I work in an office-office however so for the most part I’ve just gone with “vampire” for years now. Which is regular office clothes in black red and white, and vampire fangs which I can take out to suddenly just be me who happens to be in black red and white today. Nice Stealth-Halloween.
   220. Anonymousaurus Rex* October 31, 2019 at 10:11 am

        At OldJob everyone was VERY into Halloween and they even had a costume contest at lunch. It was very much a career type job, in military-adjacent government contract work, but it was also a startup and most of the employees had backgrounds in either academia, art, or software development. In other words–lots of nerds, many into cosplay. I think dressing up is fun, but until this job wouldn’t ever have thought it appropriate to wear a full-on costume at work. My first year there I wore a full squirrel suit, which was the same day I did a research interview with the assistant to Donald Rumsfeld. Luckily it was a phone interview, but my colleagues were cracking up watching me ask very straight-laced academic questions while my giant tail flapped about my hooded squirrel head.
   221. Amber T* October 31, 2019 at 10:13 am

        Not a thing for me. I work in financial services, and even though we rarely have “clients” come to our office, it’s just not a thing. You *might* see people purposely wear black/orange/purple, but that’s about it. My first year I worked here, I wore spooky cat earrings (just posts, nothing outrageous), and a worker saw them, laughed, and was like “yeah, we don’t really do that here.”
        1. Sharkie* October 31, 2019 at 10:19 am

           Wow that’s sad.
           1. Diahann Carroll* October 31, 2019 at 1:18 pm

              Agreed. Even if it’s not your bag, why crap on someone else’s fun? People suck sometimes.
   222. werewolf in not-london* October 31, 2019 at 10:14 am

        I’m a millennial and work for a smallish (150) tech company in a mid-sized east coast city in the US. We have an entire costume contest with prizes and a “parade”–it is fully optional and while only a handful join the contest, all employees are invited to see the costumed coworkers show off their work via a hallway “fashion show” walk, and then we vote on a winner (the office manager takes photos and sends them out with the survey). The prizes are pretty intense, and we have a lot of really creative people so it’s fun for those who participate.

        I’m a little torn on it–it’s a fun activity but it can be distracting (time spent getting ready in addition to doing it, also a lot of people bring their children and socialize for a bit after–normal operations kind of don’t resume until after lunch), and if something urgent comes in there aren’t as many people to address it. I usually stay at my desk for the parade but do have fun seeing what people put together throughout the day and it’s a big hit among the majority of employees, so I’m glad they have a chance to blow off some stream and have some fun at work, I just personally like keeping work and play distinct.
        1. Jen* October 31, 2019 at 11:17 am

           Hi, I’m the Halloween OP– what great and interesting feedback! I’ve never been much of a Halloween person as an adult, but after reading all those comments, I admit to feeling slightly robbed that I haven’t worked someplace where this is A Thing! I’ve worked at two law firms, two non-profits, and two gov’t offices (one federal and one state). I currently work as a gov’t atty, and my job is such that there is pretty much zero chance I’d be called to go to court or meet with a client on short notice. I wonder what feedback I’d get if I showed up in costume next year?
           1. Diahann Carroll* October 31, 2019 at 1:21 pm

              If it’s not really A Thing at your workplace, I don’t think showing up in a full costume would be wise. However, to test the waters, maybe try wearing Halloween colors (I’m wearing a burnt orange sweater dress today with black opaque tights) and/or wearing Halloween inspired accessories like skull earrings, cobweb bracelets, etc. Your colleagues’ reactions should tell you whether or not costumes would be appreciated in the future.
   223. ThatGirl* October 31, 2019 at 10:14 am

        I’m super late to this! But I work for a baking and decorating supply company in the Midwest and we definitely have a decent percentage of people dressed up today. We do have a costume contest, so that encourages it – I’ve seen zombie bakers, someone dressed as a cupcake, Phantom of the Opera, the Addams family, ’80s aerobic instructors, all kinds of stuff.
        1. ThatGirl* October 31, 2019 at 10:18 am

           I also want to note that the last company I worked for – a huge office/industrial supply wholesaler – didn’t have costume contests but Halloween was still a pretty big deal most of the years I was there; people did themed cube decorations and costumes, and we would walk around the building and see what everyone had done.
   224. Yellow* October 31, 2019 at 10:14 am

        Yes, we do Halloween at my job, however I work for a “Fun Company” (adult beverages).
   225. i_am_eating_cheetos* October 31, 2019 at 10:16 am

        I work in publishing; when I was in New York City, very few people dressed up, but I currently work at a magazine in Connecticut, and about half the staff (40ish people) dress up. There is a costume contest at lunch hour. I wouldn’t say that we are slow-paced, just a more creative industry in a more suburban area.
   226. OneWorkingMama* October 31, 2019 at 10:18 am

        We dress up with the expectation of “nothing bloody, nothing slutty”. We are a fast-paced place but all public-facing and our members (customers) really seem to like it. But we do silly engagement things periodically throughout the year (i.e., pajamas and hot cocoa day, team apparel days, crazy hair/hat/socks, etc.) so it’s not out of character with our culture. We’re a family-serving organization so engaging with families in goofy ways is actually appreciated. Also, costumes are expected to be not only professional, but something that can still be easily worked in–no full face masks, props that limit movement, etc. We get a lot of football jerseys, army costumes, pirates, t-shirt/cape/leggings “superheroes”, etc. People can easily choose not to participate in this or any of the days, and we also don’t really schedule meetings or interviews these days so that all levels of leadership can play along.
   227. UghNo* October 31, 2019 at 10:18 am

        Dressed as Wednesday Addams as I type this. My work place has Halloween related “events” like pumpkin carving and costume contests. Some people (like me) decorate their cubes/desks as well. Does everyone do it? No but if you want to, you can.

        I work in an office that’s already pretty laid back (jeans are OK, tee shirts too) and I’m an Admin. Obviously if I was someone who had client meetings or something off site on a day like today, I wouldn’t be dressed up.
   228. Kiwiii* October 31, 2019 at 10:20 am

        I’m at a pretty casual social services-related nonprofit and I’ve seen lots of ghost socks and bat earrings and superhero tee shirts, but no full costumes.
   229. No way!* October 31, 2019 at 10:20 am

        LW4 – I used to work for an online company and we would dress up. We’re in the south and would have a competition for who would wear the best costume. Different departments might group up and go as something together as well (think like superheroes or Scooby-Doo characters). We were not customer facing so it was much easier for us, and maybe members of the company were between 22-35 I’d say.
        1. No way!* October 31, 2019 at 10:21 am

           I should also note, that our office was a jeans and tshirt kind of office. Pretty casual.
   230. Freya* October 31, 2019 at 10:22 am

        Both as a Fed (US) at two agencies (DC area, not an outpost) and now in the private sector (biotech) it has been the norm that it is allowed and in some encouraged by a social committee. Not everyone participates, and those that do range in participation from the basic headband with ears or at hat (wore with normal work clothing) to full on pirate outfit that looked like an extra from Pirates of the Caribbean. Some departments would do group costumes or themes.
        There are limits where the outfit needs to be work appropriate (lab you have to still be able to put a labcoat over it, wear your safety glasses, no open shoes, etc) or if you are public facing or in the office — costumes that aren’t club wear or inappropriate in context (cultural appropriation etc)
   231. Antilles* October 31, 2019 at 10:23 am

        In my experience as an engineer, I think company culture really dictates this.
        The companies I’ve worked at that had a Halloween party in the afternoon (or nearby Friday, as applicable) would have plenty of people dress up and decorate their offices. Including my current company where I’m currently working with a Pokemon trainer, Tom Selleck, and a knight. Not everybody dresses up and that’s fine, but it’s widely accepted and people at all levels of the company will wear costumes.
        However, other companies that I’ve worked at basically treat Halloween as a regular day but just with a brief “hey, dress up if you want” email…and in those cases, most people either don’t wear costumes at all or just go very small like just a hat or a pin.
   232. YarnOwl* October 31, 2019 at 10:28 am

        I work for an insurance broker and Halloween is a big deal in my office! We have a costume contest (with single and group categories) and they cater lunch for us and some people bring their kids in their costumes to trick or treat. Hourly folks don’t have to clock out, and it all happens during work hours.
        Halloween does fall during our busiest time of year, so I always get the vibe that the executives want to give everyone a fun day to blow off some steam and get together for something fun. They throw parties for a lot of the big holidays and it’s a lot of fun.
        And some of the most surprising people get VERY into the costumes and games! So I think that’s a fun aspect of it too, is getting to see another side of your coworkers and have fun.
   233. Woman in tech* October 31, 2019 at 10:29 am

        My workplace is having a Halloween costume contest this year. I work for a fortune 500 company as a computer engineer.

        I’m not sure I’ll have time to participate, but it’s nice that they provide that as an option.
   234. Gazebo Slayer* October 31, 2019 at 10:30 am

        I’ve seen people dress up for work on Halloween at a small consulting firm in Massachusetts. In fact, about half the company did!
   235. Crackles* October 31, 2019 at 10:30 am

        We’re in banking and we encourage it with a costume contest. It’s fun for everyone, including our customers.
   236. Sindirella82* October 31, 2019 at 10:30 am

        Accountant for a hospital in the Midwest here. I’m not “supposed” to dress up, but my boss has looked the other way every year as I usually only wear a headband of some type (unicorn, ram horns, cat ears) and sometimes employee morale can cost very little. I just love to dress up!! This year I’m a wolf and my “costume” includes furry gloves. I usually wear gloves at my desk (Reynauds) so I just replaced my every day gloves with my wolf gloves. My coworkers love it and stop back every year to see what I wear. If I have to jump in to a meeting, it’s easy to pull off my “costume” in a flash and move in to serious mode.
   237. starzzy* October 31, 2019 at 10:31 am

        I worked as a temp in a large suburban company that worked with banks and foreclosed real estate. I would say that 50% of the workforce was temporary. They did up Halloween HUGE. There was even a filmed costume contest/parade during lunch.

        I wouldn’t say our job was slow-paced (we definitely had quotas), but wasn’t physically onerous and no one had costumes that couldn’t eventually be broken down to move around in easily.

        (I went as Rosie the Riveter. I had an old jean jumpsuit, wore a bandana, and wrote “We Can DO IT!” on my bicep. Minus the bandana, and with the sleeve rolled down, I didn’t look too different than I did normally.)
   238. TomorrowTheWorld* October 31, 2019 at 10:32 am

        I work on the administrative side in the public sector and some agencies are fine with costumes, so long as they do not interfere with your work. Others restrict costumes to non-public facing personnel. And some forbid them altogether!
   239. Platypus Enthusiast* October 31, 2019 at 10:33 am

        I work in an academic department, and started my job a few months ago- wasn’t sure if people dressed up or not, so I dressed up as a modified Jane from Daria (subbed in black pants instead of shorts). Nobody (so far) has gotten my costume, but I’ve gotten tons of compliments on wearing a red blazer!
   240. Peachkins* October 31, 2019 at 10:34 am

        I’ve worked at a couple places where employees could dress up for Halloween. I live in Maryland between Baltimore and DC. The first was an animal hospital. I worked as a receptionist, but the entire staff dressed up. My current job, in a large office for a well-known insurance company, used to have a Halloween party every year complete with costume contest. The only reason it hasn’t happened the last couple years is that the bulk of our staff works from home now most of the week.
   241. Nicki Name* October 31, 2019 at 10:37 am

        I’d say it’s definitely a white-collar thing, but beyond that, I don’t know either. Every company I’ve worked for, across a variety of industries, maybe 5-10% of people have worn costumes on Halloween, and the company has actively encouraged it with Halloween celebrations of some sort (potluck, costume contest, that part varies).
   242. juliebulie* October 31, 2019 at 10:38 am

        Massachusetts, engineering, definitely career-oriented, and the median age is close to 40.
        Not everyone does it, and no one has to do it, but there’s a contest, and some of the costumes are fun.
   243. Drew* October 31, 2019 at 10:38 am

        4. Every office I have ever worked in has an option to dress up for Halloween. I currently work at a corporate office for one of the big banks. Could it be a city thing? It could be that the Ask a Manager writer has only worked in offices downtown in major cities where this might not be common. I do not think its fair to say people who work in offices that dress up are not career oriented.
        1. Vemasi* October 31, 2019 at 11:13 am

           This is similar to what I said. I think we need to take the slightly more relaxed atmosphere of smaller cities and towns into account.
        2. The Man, Becky Lynch* October 31, 2019 at 11:28 am

           I think it’s more of an office culture in the end than a “career vs job” setup. I’m always in lowkey casual AF offices, we dress up if we want…we don’t need permission even because we don’t see customers so why would it ever matter one way or another?

           I’ve never had anything other than a career track kind of position *shrug*
        3. Diahann Carroll* October 31, 2019 at 1:28 pm

           I’ve mostly only worked in downtown city offices in my career, and dressing up is a thing at a lot of companies in this area. I’ve seen people walking into work in full costumes before.
   244. StressedButOkay* October 31, 2019 at 10:40 am

        For the Halloween costumes at work, I just came from a doctor’s appointment and the nurse taking my blood pressure was dressed up in RenFaire garb. I also saw a guy completely dressed up as Gandalf. And a hospital is very much fast paced, patient facing business! I think it depends entirely on the staff, the general atmosphere, etc., rather than the type of business, though probably some types do it less – like legal – than others.

        At my place of business, we’ve only dressed up if we’ve had a party that day we’ve thrown. If we’re not doing a Halloween party mid-day, no one dresses up outside of some ears or a hat, maybe.
   245. Em* October 31, 2019 at 10:40 am

        I work in higher ed (I’m in college admissions). My current department loves Halloween, and many people get very dressed up. I’ve worked in other departments on the same campus, and have friends in many other departments. Campus-wide, it’s hit-and-miss; some departments dress up and others don’t.
   246. Mitzi* October 31, 2019 at 10:41 am

        I work at a non-profit foundation and we dress up every year. Not everyone does, but we have a lunch that the organization hosts, do a cookie bake-off and have a costume contest. It’s always a fun day. Most departments also decorate.
        1. Anon for this* October 31, 2019 at 10:51 am

           Oh dang, on my list favorite Halloween events at places I have worked, I totally forgot to mention that there was usually a treat contest where you got prizes for design creativity, taste, etc. Even if I wasn’t in the mood to eat any, I always loved seeing the creativity.
   247. Lee* October 31, 2019 at 10:44 am

        My work didn’t do anything for Halloween last year, but this year they did (costume contest and all!). I work at a publishing company and we create books and magazines, so we usually have a lot to do. My job is book layout design.

        My previous job encouraged costumes as well, and I did design for shopping catalogs and such.
   248. MousePrincess* October 31, 2019 at 10:45 am

        A very realistic Pennywise just walked into my office so…yeah…people do.
        On an unrelated note, I’m going to go cry in the bathroom.
        1. Anon for this* October 31, 2019 at 10:58 am

           My work always picks themes so we don’t have that kind of stuff happen. This year we went with “When Microbes Strike Back!” I am airborne Rickettsia rickettsii.
           1. MousePrincess* October 31, 2019 at 12:17 pm

              That is wise. I am seriously doubting the judgement of the person who thinks a scary clown is workplace appropriate!
              1. Diahann Carroll* October 31, 2019 at 1:30 pm

                 Yeah, since clown phobia is really a thing, that was not wise on your coworker’s part.
   249. Lirael* October 31, 2019 at 10:46 am

        I’m an actuary at a life insurance company in a smaller East cost city, and we have a bunch of people dress up – all across all the departments that I interact with at least. There’s a company sponsored event the business day before Halloween (so yesterday, this year) from 3-5 where employees’ kids 12 and under are invited to trick or treat around the building their parent works in (the company doesn’t provide candy, but you’re not required to pass it out, and some rows will go in for a bag together), and there’s face painting and such in one of the building’s lobbies. People also decorate, and there was a contest this year for best decorations.
   250. SaraJean* October 31, 2019 at 10:47 am

        I work at a university a lot like the one in the first comment (honestly – until I read that it was part of the first year curriculum this year, it could’ve been one of my colleagues) and a lot of us are wearing halloween accessories. I’ve got a mini witch hat, the woman down the hall has witch tights, and I left my tote bag in Ursula’s office – sparkly makeup and a tulle skirt over leggings does wonders. Waldo is running Learning Abroad, and there’s a cat and a t-rex in the bookstore. It’s a fun way to bring a smile to our students’ faces in the long dark hellscape that is the time between fall break and Thanksgiving.
   251. Anon for this* October 31, 2019 at 10:48 am

        Everywhere I have worked has celebrated Halloween, unless I was working in a country that doesn’t do Halloween. I’m an epidemiologist who has worked in public, private, and non-profit sectors for companies/organizations that ranged from 60 employees to 1000+ in NM, NYC, VA, CA, and MA. Festivities ranged from a whole week to and afternoon. Some of my favorite events were people bringing their kids to trick or treat at our decorated cubes, dress and your latest outbreak/investigation (I got to be meningitis), a Toy Story theme but with haunted office equipment, one where each office decorated and dressed as data nightmares, and one where the theme was SAS getting possessed.

        None directly interact with the public and our work could be grim, so that might be why we went big on the fun? Or we are all kinda weird?
   252. Chris* October 31, 2019 at 10:48 am

        My company is NOT a Halloween costume dress up type of place, but one of my new coworkers(who was not here last Halloween) came dressed up in full costume regalia today. As far as I can tell, out of the 400 people in building today, she is the only one.
        Awkward?
        1. Diahann Carroll* October 31, 2019 at 1:31 pm

           Awkward, but also badass. I love her confidence.
   253. Shan* October 31, 2019 at 10:49 am

        Canadian here (Alberta, but previously BC), and I dress up. I did when I was a teacher, and I still do now that I work in Oil and Gas (so, pretty corporate). My friend works for a multinational tax and consulting firm, and she also dresses up. I wouldn’t say a huge number of people do (maybe 5%), but most of the companies I’ve worked for are supportive.
   254. Dana* October 31, 2019 at 10:50 am

        I work for a company in Michigan and we have an annual Halloween costume. There is a costume contest for best group and individual costume. There’s actually two contests; one for the folks in my office and one for the company as a whole. In my office, we have a costume parade in the morning so that everybody in the building can see the costumes prior to voting.

        It’s also worth mentioning that some of the costumes are elaborate and, presumably, a fair amount of time goes into planning the group costumes. One year our tech support people dressed as angry birds, complete with a soundtrack and a re-enactment during the parade.

        We are definitely a busy office and we are career professionals. Think developers, software engineers, UX designers, sales people, product managers, etc. Our company culture is such that we are able to take some time to have a bit of fun.
   255. Middle School Teacher* October 31, 2019 at 10:50 am

        We don’t dress up at my school, and our kids wear uniforms (teachers are expected to wear dress clothes everyday). Today is a non-uniform day so we can wear casual clothes that are orange or black. I’m wearing jeans with a black top :)
   256. FamousBlueRaincoat* October 31, 2019 at 10:50 am

        I work in HR and the last two offices I worked in had a mix of people who went all out and did makeup/costumes and some people who just dressed like they always did.

        The first place I worked was the corporate headquarters of a Software as as Solution company; the place I work now is the US corporate headquarters for a medical devices company. In both cases, the C-suite folks were based in these offices, and a few of them would dress up. There were also people in IT, finance, customer support, and marketing who all dressed up. For what it’s worth, customers and corporate contacts would often be in meetings in these offices–that did not seem to impact whether people dressed up or not.

        I like that we give people the option to wear costumes at work, but it’s not a big deal if you don’t. At my current job, we send out a reminder of sort of the common sense rules of the road if you’re going to dress up and everyone seems to be respectful of it. No culturally insensitive stuff/no sexy or gory costumes/etc. It’s a nice chance to see another side of people’s personalities at work, and can be a good conversation starter with people in other departments you may not otherwise interact with.
   257. Vemasi* October 31, 2019 at 10:50 am

        You might also take geography into account. I live in a small city, which is still the second-largest city in the state. Aside from workplaces that had required equipment dress for safety (laborer, food service), a law office, and my brother who is a recruiting rep, everywhere that everyone in my family has worked would have welcomed costumes. None have been very high-level professional, so that probably has just as much to do with it, but my impression is that life is a little more casual in smaller towns. There’s no sense that a super-important client could walk in at any second, when we are not a regional metropolitan center.
   258. rjphillip* October 31, 2019 at 10:52 am

        I’m sitting at my desk today in the corporate office of a major insurance company dressed as the heart-eyes emoji.
        Most people don’t dress up, especially in elaborate costumes, but maybe 5 to 10% do and we’ll have a costume parade this afternoon.
        The company issues very detailed guidelines about what costumes are appropriate, so they do expect some people will want to participate.
   259. Kalalau* October 31, 2019 at 10:52 am

        I’m at a small engineering firm in Colorado and we have a costume content and Halloween potluck lunch. Not everyone dresses up, but many do :)
   260. Amber Rose* October 31, 2019 at 10:55 am

        I’m an angel of death today, my coworker is a pretty amazingly accurate Cersei Lannister, and our accountant is from house Griffindor. We work in a pretty fast paced career type place, although admittedly our dress code is more lax.

        My husband, on the other hand, works for provincial health care in finance, a very career oriented job, and his whole office is wearing unicorn onesies today. :D
   261. HailRobonia* October 31, 2019 at 10:58 am

        Take a day off on halloween and tell everyone you went to work dressed as the Invisible Man or whatever.
   262. wickedtongue* October 31, 2019 at 10:58 am

        Reporting in from an academic press in the Midwest –Halloween is our annual Chili Cook-Off, aka the best day of the year in our office. Costumes are encouraged, although I’d say only 10-20% of our office dresses up. I dress up every year, in varying levels of costume. Last year was my full Arya Stark cosplay, one year it was Death from Sandman, this year it’s Crowley from Good Omens. My boss really gets a kick out of it, and I love costumes and Halloween.

        I suspect even if I worked at a place without Halloween festivities, I’d still be in closet cosplay outfits.
        1. BigRedGum* October 31, 2019 at 12:17 pm

           your costumes sound AMAZING.
   263. anon01* October 31, 2019 at 10:58 am

        I work in a government office not open to the public. We dress in a casual professional style. Today we have a costume contest, and so far I’m the only one dressed up (maybe someone will change into costume later?). Luckily, I only dressed as Louise from Bob’s Burgers, so nothing too out there, but it’s definitely embarrassing. I definitely will never wear a Halloween costume to work again.
   264. A Poster Has No Name* October 31, 2019 at 10:58 am

        My business unit (within a much larger company) has held a costume contest every year I’ve been here, so costumes are ok at my company/business unit. Some wear costumes, most don’t, some dress in the spirit of Halloween but not in a costume per se. I’m in a Halloween-themed tunic & socks, frex.

        One of my coworkers has pretty much retired himself in the contest because he was really good at it. Think fully transforming Optimus Prime.

        One of the fun things about us working more with remote teams as the other offices get in on the costume action, and it’s fun to see what people in offices around the world wear for costumes.
   265. AAMfan* October 31, 2019 at 10:58 am

        I work at a nonprofit in a big East Coast city and many of my coworkers are dressing up! We have been going through organizational changes and our office management team has been planning more activities (I think to provide a morale boost).
   266. WantonSeedStitch* October 31, 2019 at 10:58 am

        I work in the development office of a university. Usual dress is business casual (more towards “business” for front-line fundraisers, more towards “casual” for IT professionals, generally). We have a costume party at lunchtime on Halloween, and while not everyone participates, many do. Most people will change into their costume (or add costume elements) just before the party, but some will wear their costumes to work. I’ve tended to do the former. For example, last time I participated was a couple of years ago. I wore a nice retro-style yellow and black dress that I’d worn before to work, but just before the party, I added Pikachu ears and tail to complete my costume. This year I failed to plan anything, as up until yesterday, I had a meeting scheduled during the party. It’s since been canceled, but too late for me to come up with a costume.
   267. Hillia* October 31, 2019 at 10:59 am

        I worked at a state medical school/research institution that ran a costume contest at Halloween. I also worked for an national insurance company where people dressed up; my location was not customer facing, which probably had a lot to do with it. I personally have never dressed up, but that’s just personal preference. I don’t have a problem with costumes (with the caveat that they are office appropriate and not offensive).
   268. Wells* October 31, 2019 at 11:00 am

        I work in a staff role at a university in Canada, and yup, we dress up. I’d say about 70% of staff participate. We see everything from low key witch hats to full-body T-Rex outfits. Sometimes, different work groups get together for theme costumes (e.x. Harry Potter). Our social committee usually has a couple of games for people who are either really excited or having a slow work day, and there is chocolate. It’s not really my jam, but it’s friendly and fun.
   269. Works in IT* October 31, 2019 at 11:02 am

        I work at a non profit, and I’m pretty sure “look, we get into the spirit of holidays that are important to the community!” is part of the whole non profit, community outreach thing that my employer does. We have Halloween costume contests (both group and individual) and any departments that interact with the public are encouraged to decorate their areas. Some departments do get semi competitive with the costume contest, because there are always people who Really Want To Win, but no one is forced to participate.
   270. Andream* October 31, 2019 at 11:05 am

        I’ve worked at 2 call centers and we dressed up. Both even had decorating contests.for your cubical/row and costume contests.
        I’ve so worked at stores and some would dress up too. I think because the Letter writer works in a different type of office, that’s why she hasn’t seen it.
   271. Jay* October 31, 2019 at 11:05 am

        I’m a doctor. I’ve seen coworkers dressed up in hospitals, including a 6’2″ redheaded doc dressed as Tigger. In our administrative office where no one visits except UPS and FedEx, our GM last year dressed as a dinosaur and his costume included an air pump to keep the tail and legs inflated (this one didn’t last more than an hour because he couldn’t sit down). I’m away this year. Last year I dressed as a tiger – back skirt, tiger-striped shirt and tights, pin-on tiger tail. I would not dress up if I were seeing patients, though.
        1. Jay* October 31, 2019 at 11:05 am

           Oh, and I’m in eastern PA.
   272. Anonymous Commenter #743* October 31, 2019 at 11:11 am

        I work for a nonprofit consulting company with offices around the U.S.—roughly 75% career jobs, 25% job jobs—and lots of people at all of the offices dress up for Halloween. It’s employee-driven, so it’s a bigger deal at some offices than others. I think people have dressed up every place I’ve ever worked, and I’ve worked in a variety of industries.
   273. AEliza* October 31, 2019 at 11:15 am

        I work at a non-profit geared toward girls and leadership growth (the vast majority of staff is women) and we do an all out Halloween party with prizes and group costumes. Our party was yesterday and today we’re all wearing individual costumes. It’s actually really fun!
        1. AEliza* October 31, 2019 at 11:35 am

           I’m in southern CA but I know other charters do this too!
   274. Kelly AF* October 31, 2019 at 11:18 am

        I work for a regional bank in PA (in marketing, at the corporate headquarters) and not only is everyone on my floor in costumes today, but we paraded down the hall! (I’m wearing black pants and a black shirt, with Pac Man dots and ghosts on it – a marketing group costume.) It’s generally a pretty conservative culture, but we do go all out for Halloween for some reason.

        I saw a member of senior leadership (who has 1000+ people below him in the org chart) wearing a pink onesie – a la Ralphie. It was actually a smart choice, because it was just pulled over his suit and tie.
   275. ahhhhbree* October 31, 2019 at 11:19 am

        it’s very typical for folks to dress up at my workplace on halloween (we also have a party every year with a costume contest!) i’m at an education nonprofit in NYC – some people have student-facing roles but most of us (myself included) do not.
   276. Mbarr* October 31, 2019 at 11:20 am

        Where: Ontario, Canada
        Industry: Tech
        Type of employees: Salaries full-time – a mix of young and old

        About 10% of employees dress up in any company I’ve ever been to. At my most recent company, those of us who dressed up are having a costume contest with other tech companies in the same building complex.

        Myself, I made a costume to look like our city’s new LRT system. Our LRT is very controversial, and cars keep hitting the LRT… So my bestie made a car costume and we keep deliberately bumping into each other all day.

        In the past, I’ve also dressed up as a lumberjack and Day of The Dead (before it was deemed culturally insensitive – oops).
   277. Aitch Arr* October 31, 2019 at 11:26 am

        I worked at a software company in the Boston area from 2003-2007.

        Halloween was a big deal. We had a costume contest and a party.

        The three years I was around at Halloween (2006 I was on maternity leave), I was:
        – a 70s/80s punk – think Dead Kennedys tee, ripped jeans, Docs, leather jacket, hair ratted/spiked
        – a Victorian lady – corset (under the clothes), long skirt with a petticoat, blouse, elaborate hat
        – Corpse Bride – vintage wedding gown I got at Goodwill, veil, full ghoulish makeup

        One year my boss (head of HR) went as an M&M.
        1. Aitch Arr* October 31, 2019 at 11:57 am

           I now work for a tech research company, still in the Boston area.

           Last year, we did a bring your kid to trick or treat and Halloween decoration contest. One whole floor of our building was decked out. We had an area with a Wizard of Oz theme, an area with a murder mystery theme, and one area with a Day of the Dead theme. The kids (and parents) loved it.

           This year, no formal anything, but a few people are in creative headbands/headgear. I’m wearing spider earrings and have a spider barrette in my hair.
   278. Regina Phalange* October 31, 2019 at 11:26 am

        I used to work at an arts ed. non-profit. Artists+educators= costumes basically being a requirement. Nowhere else I’ve worked has done it, though.
   279. The Great Pumpkin* October 31, 2019 at 11:26 am

        I’m currently on my way to work and I’m dressed like Spiderman. At my old job (public library) we had someone come dressed up as Jigsaw and the Nun. At another old job (publisher) they go all out with costumes and a theme.
   280. Hollyweird* October 31, 2019 at 11:27 am

        I live in Los Angeles working for a logistics company and usually a lot of people dress up. I find it funny that every year they end up scheduling interviews on Halloween so people end up getting interviewed by unicorns and bats.
   281. Jurassicgoddess* October 31, 2019 at 11:28 am

        I’m an accountant, and I wear Halloween costumes pretty regularly. I am usually doing something for my hobby of Dungeons and Dragons after so it’s a lot easier to have the bulk of my costuming done before I leave for work. That said….I only ever wear family friendly stuff, I work for a small company, and my after -work activity is also a family-friendly environment (I run games for the public at a local shop),. There are 2 of us who dress up at my job, and both of us are in kigarumi style fleece suits today(I’m a dragon), with actual clothing underneath, just in case. I did were-tiger/pirate last year and kept my cleavage covered and it was all good!

        My first year I asked and my boss and the company owner both told me that no one else dresses for the day, but that I was absolutely welcome to, provided I could still work and wasn’t inappropriate in my dress. I don’t mind being visible, and my promotion chances are not damaged by my quirkiness here, but I have worked several places where that was NOT DONE and I arranged to leave work early to prep for my events!
   282. Vex-ing Name* October 31, 2019 at 11:28 am

        Yes, dressing up is definitely a thing at my workplace! We even have a costume competition and costume parade judged by the grand bosses. I will say we are in a call center environment though, so we have no issues regarding customers seeing us. Costumes also have to be work appropriate and respectful. It’s a lot of fun, especially because our roles can be pretty high stress. It’s also completely voluntary and no one gets after anyone who doesn’t want to participate.
   283. NYC Ad Spouse* October 31, 2019 at 11:33 am

        I don’t dress up at work, by my spouse does. He works in advertising, NYC. They seem to have sort of a party vibe in that field — the whole office went to a very exciting-looking (based on Instagram) club party at like 5pm yesterday, so they were all in costume, including some theme costumes that were set up to include a whole team or small department.
   284. Beth* October 31, 2019 at 11:36 am

        I used to work in the same Seattle office building where Cranium had its headquarters. They had two full floors in the building.

        I loved riding in the elevator on Halloween: the Cranium people wore incredibly clever costumes, and I got a huge kick out of seeing them.
   285. theletter* October 31, 2019 at 11:43 am

        I work for large tech firm, very career oriented. We have a costume contest, a free pizza lunch, and a smattering of costumes. We also have a lot of divisions dedicated to creative/media, so that might help. Most of the costumes I’ve seen are pretty simple unicorn/deer headband, or a hoodie with a design on it. I think there’s a group that’s coming as the Spider-verse.

        My mom works for a conservative pharmaceutical company and they have a costume contest, which my mother’s team takes very seriously. Last year they won first prize as the cast of Gilligan’s Island.

        I think it can be a fun optional activity for companies that have a lot internal collaboration, as just a chance to be a little silly on a lunch break.
   286. Rainey* October 31, 2019 at 11:45 am

        I once worked for a major textbook publishing company and Halloween was the biggest holiday of the year. People not only dressed up, they decorated their cubicles, and there was a contest for best costume and best cubicle decorations. People got REALLY into it. And this was a big company – we had an entire 7 floor office building with our own cafeteria.

        For my last three jobs (all finance related), employees are allowed to dress up for Halloween, and participation varies from some to none, but no one has done it with anything approaching the fervor of that publishing company.
   287. Heather* October 31, 2019 at 11:51 am

        I’m in a large city in the South, that many people think is progressive but is really fairly conservative. I’ve worked in the finance field for several years, in large office buildings (and one small one) with multiple other departments spanning everything from payroll to billing to IT, etc.

        Every single company I’ve worked for has allowed costumes for Halloween. Participation is usually pretty high. Each place has generally had costume competitions, a party, and one even had an all-day “photo booth” with various props so you could take pictures of each other against a Halloween backdrop.

        Many people do also opt out, and that’s never been an issue either. To be honest, I’ve never heard of a workplace around here that didn’t allow it, although I know different companies and fields would have different policies and norms around it – this is just my direct experience. Personally, I love it.
   288. sparty07* October 31, 2019 at 12:03 pm

        I work for a finance company with roughly 200 employees and while today will be one of the busiest days of the month, we have a costume contest as well as a team cube decorating contest. People go all out. This year’s cube themes are Addams Family, Ghostbusters, Charlie Brown Halloween, Toy Story, and Dia de Los Muertos. We have a inflatable t-rex in the toy story, cousin it using hula skirts, I am in a Chewbacca costume to be the bear skin rub, one C level team member is in a full gorilla costume. A couple years ago our male CEO dressed as Snow White. There is no pressure to participate if you don’t celebrate halloween, or don’t want to participate. Also, for those in satellite offices or remote workers can send in pictures to participate.

        We are also ordering in pizza for the office.
   289. Donkey Hotey* October 31, 2019 at 12:05 pm

        Seattlite here. All three of the jobs I’ve worked in the last 20 years have all encouraged employee dressing up.
        – First was a credit union (both customer-facing and back-office).
        – Next was a manufacturing office (this one had a full fledged “bring your kids” pizza party but whole departments conspired for group costumes. Favorite was the IT department who all came dressed as Steve Jobs.)
        – Now, I’m in another manufacturing office. Today, I’m one of three people in costume, but previous years have seen 10-20% participation, including assembly floor workers.
   290. Eukomos* October 31, 2019 at 12:07 pm

        I have a staff job at a university and am kind of dressed up. I’m just wearing a witch hat and some purple lipstick, so it’s not exactly a full costume, but acknowledging the holiday. No one else in the office is wearing anything festive but I’m not getting sent home for dress code violations or anything. I did stick to the hat and lipstick approach so that I can take the hat off, blot the lipstick, and put on a conservative cardigan should some client-facing activity come up, but it won’t. Dress code in this whole town is pretty casual, like lawyers will show up in courtrooms in business casual, and most of the other people in my office are dressed in head-to-toe REI gear, so there isn’t exactly a lot of pressure to be formal.
   291. blatherskite* October 31, 2019 at 12:08 pm

        My workplace takes dressing up for Halloween very seriously. I work for a specialty medical distributor in Columbus, OH. Different departments battle it out for the most original group theme and individuals compete as well. This year I did not participate and was practically shunned.

        Earlier in my career I worked as a pharmacy tech and typically wore scrubs to work. For my first Halloween at that job I dressed as a 70’s flight attendant. People thought I just had a date that night!
   292. Your Friendly Neighborhood Enby* October 31, 2019 at 12:08 pm

        I used to work at a tech company that prided itself on its colorful culture, we had a Halloween costume contest every year, decorated everything, etc. It was pretty fun! Other places I’ve worked have mostly stuck to accessories (clown nose, silly hat, etc).
   293. BigRedGum* October 31, 2019 at 12:09 pm

        Yes! I am typing this from my desk in my Harry Potter onesie. Everyone on my team (13 people) is dressed up in some way today. We sit next to the accountants (I’m at a huge university) and most of them are no dressed up. It really just depends on the culture, I guess. When else do you get to where a onesie to work or even in public? I love it. I usually work from home on Thursdays but I trade it for Friday just so I could dress up (and participate in the potluck).
        1. BigRedGum* October 31, 2019 at 12:11 pm

           Edit: We also had a scary door decorating contest, and I decorated mine as the scariest thing I could think of: student loan debt.
   294. HC in HR* October 31, 2019 at 12:12 pm

        For the last 20 years, I’ve mostly worked in companies (finance, food manufacture, tech & biotech) that at least encouraged Halloween decorations, if not costumes too.
        Currently I’m a HR dept. of 1 in a tech company in the SF Area and I’m sitting here in a Renaissance pirate outfit.
        My company encourages work appropriate costumes & we also have a lunch event that parents can bring their kids to and there are goodie bags for all the kids, a costume contest & a kid-friendly games to play.
        There’s usually some decoration in the reception area (giant spiderweb this year). We also bring in pizza for everyone.
   295. haley* October 31, 2019 at 12:16 pm

        I work at a publicly traded enterprise software company in San Francisco that has a reputation for whimsy. we are having a costume contest today and most years also have a kid-friendly happy hour with candy and a movie. I was lazy about costumes this year so I’m just wearing a variation of my Renaissance Faire outfit.

        Every tech company I’ve worked at, startup or public, has had folks dress up on Halloween! It’s also a running joke generally that all San Franciscans have a regular closet and a costume closet. We love any excuse to dress up.
   296. Dani_in_the_PM* October 31, 2019 at 12:20 pm

        I don’t know the best way to present the details of this story! My 2nd job is at a clothing store with a break room/storage space that has these heavy, floor-to-ceiling, metal shelving units that roll on a track and can be locked in place. For at least the 4 years I’ve worked there, the last shelf in the corner has been stuck in a locked position and I never gave that any thought. People have always told stories about weird smells and sounds in the break room. One Black Friday I remember an associate saying, “It’s haunted back there!” and we’d joke that someone got crushed by the rolling shelves and their spirit was causing trouble. Sometimes we’d hear like music or a movie playing, and we thought it was coming through the wall from the adjacent store. Last week we found out that behind the last shelf, the locked one, there’s a pocket of space. With a mattress, and a sleeping bag. And a very shy middle-aged woman. Management won’t give us ANY details, which I think is super unfair because OBVIOUSLY I WANT TO KNOW EVERYTHING.
        1. emmelemm* October 31, 2019 at 1:52 pm

           Have you seen the movie Inside Man? (Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster…)
           1. Dani_in_the_PM* October 31, 2019 at 2:34 pm

              emmelemm no! Does it have a story like this?? I do remember reading about an older woman in Tokyo living in a man’s kitchen cupboard for a while. And Natalie Portman was in a movie where she lived in WalMart for a while, I think?
   297. Close Bracket* October 31, 2019 at 12:22 pm

        I am wearing a subtle costume that looks just like regular business wear (except that I am wearing converse, which is not out of the ordinary for my office). I love Halloween, and I love to dress up.
   298. Campfire Raccoon* October 31, 2019 at 12:22 pm

        I used to work for a home builder, and Halloween was a BIG DEAL. They’d raid the model-home warehouses and do the CRAZIEST themes for each departments. Contests were held, parties thrown, crockpots brought in.

        We had an honest-to-goodness throne from some fancy model that was brought in – so we decorated accounting as a woodland- The controller was Snow White, us the seven dwarves, and then purchasing was the Evil Queen on her throne with her huntsman. It was hardcore.
   299. JustaTech* October 31, 2019 at 12:23 pm

        I’m a scientist in industry and today I’m rocking a light costume (suffragist, so long skirt, collared shirt, sash that says “VOTE” and my hair up in a Gibson girl style). My coworker is wearing a penguin costume (that I loaned her). Tomorrow is our party so more people will dress up for that (I’m a burning 17th century witch, complete with light-up skirt).
        So far most everyone else seems to not be dressed up (probably saving it for tomorrow), but since we’re not outside facing (no one can see your costume on a conference call), our boss just thinks it’s funny.

        Caveat: Halloween has always been a *huge* deal at my site, like, all day party, group costumes and skits big deal, so I wouldn’t take it as a norm. Previous labs I’ve worked in I’ve gone for more street-clothes costumes like Dr Who.
   300. 80's Prom Queen on Halloween.* October 31, 2019 at 12:29 pm

        I work at a software company. About half of the folks dress up and some of the teams choose a theme and all dress up together. I’ll say it’s not the most productive day of the year but it hits at the end of a busy season and seems good for morale. I have no doubt our leadership would ban it if costumes became in any way inappropriate.
   301. Rachel Green* October 31, 2019 at 12:31 pm

        My office allows costumes at work on Halloween. I work for a state government agency (think, department of health), I don’t want to get more specific than that. In general, we’re a pretty casual office. (Our dress code is business casual, and everyone interprets that differently. We’re allowed to wear jeans on Fridays.) I would estimate maybe 30-40% of people dress up for Halloween. Participation and enthusiasm varies depending on if there are any “events” planned for the day. This year, there’s a charity fundraiser going on so there are more people dressed up than usual. I have worked here 8 years and have only dressed up once. Today, I am wearing an orange sweater, and that’s as festive as I like to get.
        (As an aside, I scheduled a meeting with outside “clients” this morning, and wish I had picked a different day. I don’t think a bunch of adults in costume makes a good impression.)
   302. Respectfully, Pumat Sol* October 31, 2019 at 12:32 pm

        My company has a full blown costume contest with great prizes. My whole team dressed up as fast-food icons. I am Wendy, we have a Little Caesar, Bob’s Big Boy, Lard Boy (simpsons), Jack in the Box, Ronald McDonald, Starbucks mermaid and a few others. It’s great.
        1. Respectfully, Pumat Sol* October 31, 2019 at 12:32 pm

           This is an office that is typically business dress year ’round.
   303. Curious Cat* October 31, 2019 at 12:33 pm

        This thread’s already crazy, but to tack on, I work in health care in DC and we often have people dress up! Although today we’ve subbed out costumes for Nationals gear instead ;)
   304. Wonderful Wizard of Oz* October 31, 2019 at 12:33 pm

        I work in a Christian faith-based organization in Minneapolis with 25+ people and we dress up for Halloween and Christmas. This is definitely a career and not just a “job” for most people here. Fourth quarter is the busiest time of year for us so taking a small break to wear costumes and have fun is important for people to blow off steam when their working 60 hour weeks.
   305. Keener* October 31, 2019 at 12:39 pm

        Engineering consulting firm in British Columbia Canada and about half my office will dress up. We’ll have a costume contest as well. This fits with the company’s culture of having some fun while also doing high quality work.
   306. Ali A* October 31, 2019 at 12:39 pm

        Marketing/Ad Agency in Chicago – we go all out, decorations, party, costume contest, etc…But it’s pretty par for the course with our company culture.
   307. Jadelyn* October 31, 2019 at 12:41 pm

        I’m at a credit union in California, and we dress up for Halloween, both front and back office. Not everyone, but a lot of people. We restrict use of masks and weapons (even fake ones) for security reasons, but so far today I’ve seen our EFT processing team as scarecrows with their manager as the farmer, my officemate is Spider-Gwen, and our helpdesk manager is a teddy bear. I do elaborate makeup and face-paint instead of costumes – this year I did my face in a circuit board pattern, complete with a couple of processor chips scavenged from actual old computers. In past years we’ve had coworkers do team/group costumes like Cheech and Chong, Sonny and Cher, a football team (don’t remember which one), a flock of birds, stuff like that. There’s a costume contest this afternoon. We take our Halloween seriously, lol.
   308. DivineMissL* October 31, 2019 at 12:42 pm

        I work in government. There’s a day care center two doors down, and every year, the teachers and kids (ages infant to 4) walk over in their costumes and trick-or-treat through the offices. The employees hand out candy (they pay for it themselves, no government funds) and decorate their doors. Some of the employees (myself included) dress up while the kids are here, either a full costume or maybe a mask or hat. Then after they leave, everybody changes back to regular clothes. It’s a nice treat for the employees to have some fun for an hour!
   309. XtinaLyn* October 31, 2019 at 12:43 pm

        I’m dressed up right now as a blown PG&E transformer (I live in California where my neighborhood has lost power for a total of five days over the last month). We have about 28 people in our office. I think four of us are dressed up. Not many people participate each year, but that means I always win first prize; last year, I was Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

        If we could post pictures, I’d share mine!
   310. NotThatAlexa* October 31, 2019 at 12:44 pm

        TL;DR – it happens but it isn’t unique to an industry/area.

        I have worked in corporate jobs for 2 major casino companies and a timeshare company in Las Vegas. Most of the time I’ve seen (and done) the small accessory route or the ‘stealth costume’ (last year when Halloween was on a Wednesday I was Wednesday Addams by wearing a dress/outfit I already owned and braiding my hair, neither of which was out of the ordinary for me, but that’s the boldest I’d gone – my normal standard is regular clothing with a headband that makes an origami Sims gem float over my head). This year I’m at a new (<6 months) job at my second casino company and they go hard for Halloween – decorating offices, dressing up, contests – but it's not on Halloween. Kids here have the last Friday of October off for Nevada Day, so it was last Friday and people were encouraged to bring their kids to the office (during very specific hours) to trick or treat. We got some work done (hilarious photo of me working dressed as Maleficent) but it was mostly a free day hanging out and checking out what other offices did to decorate. Today I'm in regular work clothes but am also wearing big spiderweb earrings (complete with little spiders that hang on a chain or can be attached to a magnet on the web).
   311. Robin* October 31, 2019 at 12:46 pm

        I’m in SF Bay Area. People dress up at both my current company and my former company. Former company was a global video game company and current company is a small locally owned company in the finance arena.
   312. theothermadeline* October 31, 2019 at 12:46 pm

        My favorite costume that I’ve seen at work today is a senior director at my organization – an Asian man – came dressed as himself but with a “Hello, my name is: Scarlett Johansson” sticker
        1. Diahann Carroll* October 31, 2019 at 1:41 pm

           Haha haha! That is an awesome costume.
        2. Nanobots* October 31, 2019 at 2:39 pm

           That’s incredible.
   313. aurora borealis* October 31, 2019 at 12:48 pm

        I work in an Engineering consulting firm, and we most definitely dress up for Halloween. Joe Dirt just walked by my office in Daisy Duke shorts, tank top and mullet, Dorothy and the Lion have made appearances, and I thought I saw a Kardashian. We have a catered lunch, and contests for the best group costume and also individual costumes. We are in a FAR, FAR north small city and have as much fun as work as we can. If people choose not to dress, there isn’t any judgement and they seem to have just as much fun as the costume wearers.
   314. Lorelei Lee* October 31, 2019 at 12:52 pm

        Am I allowed to name a specific company since it’s pertinent to the story? I used to work at Spencer Gifts’ home office; Spencer also owns Spirit Halloween stores. We had FANTASTIC Halloween celebrations with elaborate costumes, contests, games, food, decorated offices, etc. I LOVED it. But I think that particular company was an exception to the Halloween-at-work question!
   315. 2 Cents* October 31, 2019 at 12:53 pm

        All in the NYC metro area:
        —book publisher (of boring nonfiction and reference titles)
        —boutique ad agency
        —marketing department of hospital
   316. IL JimP* October 31, 2019 at 12:56 pm

        I’ll say we do it every year here. I work in an office for a University in the Chicago area
   317. mindovermoneychick* October 31, 2019 at 1:04 pm

        My old company in Northern Virginia, just outside of Washington DC. Small company that does training consulting for government agencies. The work is somewhat creative and we had a lot of graphic artists. The 2 founders definitely liked the idea of a fun company and planned our once a year all-hands meeting for this day and brought in lunch. People went all-out, and I mean really all out. Some examples:

        1. One year we had an employee come as a Dwight Shrute bobblehead that actually bobbled and that he made himself out of paper mache. (and he later got a gig as one of the Nat’s racing presidents by sending in that picture).
        2. The next year during H1N1 virus season he came as a giant bottle of Purell that actually dispensed Purell. And this guy was one of our writers, not even an artist.
        3. We had a woman come as a paper doll with 3 beautiful dresses she made out of wrapping paper the night before.
        4. I’m a rollerhockey player and not that creative, so I usually went in all my gear and wore a pro jersey and claimed it was a different costume every year (“This year I’m Alex Ovechkin- last year I was clearly Wayne Gretsky – It’s totally different!”) Also we had long hardwood floors and I got to rollerblade up and down them all day long.

        Of course we has all manner of store-bought customs and rented costumes as well. We gave out prizes for the best costumes and yes, if we had meetings scheduled with clients in the office that day we kept the costumes on.

        Also if anyone from my old company is reading this they completely know who I am now ;)
   318. MCMonkeyBean* October 31, 2019 at 1:10 pm

        I’ve been an accountant for two different Fortune 500 companies and I always dress up for Halloween. Usually there aren’t a ton of people dressed up, but enough that’s it not weird for me to do so. People usually bring in lots of treats to share.

        I have seen some people go all out with like wigs and stuff but I have fun trying to make office-appropriate costumes out of mostly stuff I might wear to work anyway.

        This year I am Luna Lovegood, which clothing wise is basically a dress with teal leggings and some striped leg warmers, plus some quirky accessories.

        In the past I have done things like the 11th Doctor (dress pants with a button down, suspenders and a bowtie), Calvin of Calvin & Hobbes (my husband was my Hobbes but I carried a stuffed tiger when I was apart from him like at work and my costume was just black jeans and a red and black striped shirt), Archie of Archie Comics (orange pants, black sweater vest, green bowtie, the Scarlet Witch (a black dress with a red jacket, knee high black socks and some wrist cuffs).
   319. Kheldarson* October 31, 2019 at 1:16 pm

        I work in a government agency. Our HR person had her husband do a peel away face prosthetic (he does special effects, so it’s awesome); we’ve got an angel, a devil, and a few cat ears floating around. I’ve done Renaissance garb before, but it’s too hot this year for me to want to do all that, lol.

        I’ve done Halloween costumes for retail work too.
   320. Urdnot Bakara* October 31, 2019 at 1:16 pm

        I work at a nonprofit association in Washington, DC. An email went out yesterday from our office manager saying people had asked her if they could dress up, and assuring everyone it was fine as long as the costumes were appropriate, no masks, no face paint, etc. A handful of people are dressed up today. This is my 3rd Halloween here and the first one people have dressed up for, that I can remember!

        Earlier today, we also saw a parade of children from a local elementary school all dressed up, trick-or-treating at local businesses. I am from a southern state and we were never allowed to dress in costume for school, so this is very new to me!
   321. BasicWitch* October 31, 2019 at 1:21 pm

        Several coworkers and I dress up, though not everyone does. Nothing crazy, scandalous, PG13+, etc. We’re a small non-profit and nobody minds a little bit of fun – one year a top-level employee came dressed as Albert Einstein. A few people decorated their cubes and are wearing little touches of spooky, like spider earrings and such.

        I am wearing office clothes I normally wear, but all black, with a pointy hat and pointy heels. I am an office witch, and I’d wear this every day if I could. :P
   322. poolgirl* October 31, 2019 at 1:28 pm

        I work at the largest branch of a Federal Agency, and dressing up for Halloween is popular, and participation is growing every year. Only a tiny fraction of us interact with the public on a regular basis, however. Some of the best costumes today were the best skeleton costume I’ve ever seen, an elaborate Pirates of the Caribbean style pirate costume, the nun from The Blues Brothers complete with ruler, and a Nacho Libre style Luchador.
   323. Forgot My Costume This Year* October 31, 2019 at 1:28 pm

        I work for a local transit authority (public sector) and the office staff absolutely dresses up for Halloween. We even have a potluck to show off our costumes.
   324. AKchic* October 31, 2019 at 1:33 pm

        Currently at work, wearing a Ms. Frizzle dress. In previous years I have dressed up as a corporate devil, worn a full 16th century celtic dress (I’m a rennie, so that was easy), been a pirate (again, an easy costume), Minerva McGonagall (both student and teacher), a generic 50’s era housewife, a mad scientist, and little red riding hood.

        Halloween is my favorite holiday, and I love costumes. I always choose something I can easily move around in for the office. At my last job, we used to have little kids coming through to trick or treat, so costumes were encouraged. This job… well, not so much. I’m the only one who’s dressing up. But, I also have a wedding I’m going to be at right after work, and it was requested that Ms. Frizzle be the one to officiate, so… here I am.

        I’ve been in other places where costumes were seriously frowned upon (food service, conservative offices) and I changed up my hair ties and what jewelry I could wear, or my make-up if I could wear any (food service – no nail polish), and always wore fun socks.
        1. emmelemm* October 31, 2019 at 1:47 pm

           I think if you’re just devoted to Halloween but don’t want to “stand out” in your environment, fun socks are always the way to go. You know you’re wearing them!
           1. AKchic* October 31, 2019 at 5:07 pm

              Yep. If you can’t be flashy, by discrete. Nobody needs to know that your underwear has Frankenstein or black kitty cats all over it.
              Nobody needs to know that you’re wearing the cutest little blood splatter socks under your professional black slacks and sensible shoes.
              Oh, how cute, you’ve got a nifty little pumpkin pin on your blazer today. Isn’t that festive! My my! That scarf is seasonally appropriate, what with it being orange with bat print! Oh, I didn’t even notice that your earrings were orange and black (or purple and green, or tiny spider studs, or ghosts, or whatever).

              People really don’t notice the small stuff. And really, make it small stuff. Accents. Nothing major. Don’t go overboard on the accessorizing if your office doesn’t *do* the holiday stuff. Much like expensive perfume – a dab will do.
   325. Hedgehug* October 31, 2019 at 1:38 pm

        Call Centers. Best costume. Best decorated cubicle. Best decorated team row (row of cubicles all themed together).
   326. OwlEditor* October 31, 2019 at 1:40 pm

        I have limited experience with this as I’ve only been in the professional workforce for about five years. At my former job we had an afternoon Trick or Treat time for the employees’ and their families. You were not required to participate, but we had candy for the kids. One manager handed out broccoli and carrots. It was working for the IT branch of a religious organization. It was fun, especially when families had themes. One department always did a haunted alley, which was very popular.
        At my current job (an online university), every Halloween we have the same thing. For two hours employees can bring family and go trick or treating throughout our office building. Which will be great this year as it is only 30 degrees outside today!
        I LOVE it! We can dress up as long as we follow the rules sent out. Decorating cubicles is allowed, but there are set rules sent out every year on what is allowed. There are also signs we put up that say “Trick or Treat Here.” Again, completely voluntary. I love it! It’s a chance to see coworkers and their kids and some very creative costumes. Last year a young man dressed as Weird Al. And the answers you get for the costumes are hilarious. I dress up every time and you can supply candy (I went overboard this year) on your own dime. I love it! It’s one of my favorite times of the year!
   327. Adalind* October 31, 2019 at 1:41 pm

        I work in the Northeast US at a regional bank and people dress up every year. They actually have company-wide contests in the corporate offices and branches for it as well. Some departments go all out (like mine) and some don’t.
   328. Pink Hair Don't Care* October 31, 2019 at 1:43 pm

        We have a small office but we could dress up if we wanted to. Today I chose to wear a set of “Haunted Mansion” Themed Mouse ears purchased at Disney World. Everyone is getting a good laugh out of them but its not over the top or distracting. I have to write someone up today so I plan on taking them off to do that. They’re easy, silly and fun.
   329. Zephy* October 31, 2019 at 1:45 pm

        Higher ed administration – the departments had a costume and pumpkin carving contest today and my team won, so there. ;) The tippy-top of campus leadership doesn’t get in on costumes (as might be expected), but the department heads did. Nobody went all-out for a perfect dead-ringer cosplay or anything* – my department wore Mardi Gras masks and beads, another department all dressed as “dominoes” by wearing all black with white belts and taping white paper circles to their shirts and pants, another department dressed like “nerds” with taped-up glasses and suspenders. (*I did see someone walk by in what I think was a Barb from Stranger Things costume? but she may have been a student, not sure.)

        Previous job was an animal shelter; I was there for three Halloweens, and during my tenure they did an annual costume, inter-office trick-or-treat, and office decoration contest. The IT guy went all out every year and dominated all three.
   330. emmelemm* October 31, 2019 at 1:45 pm

        It’s funny, I’ve always worked in office-y offices for about 3o years now, and I’ve rarely if ever seen Halloween costumes.

        Strangely enough: My partner is a lawyer in a really small firm, and just last night, he was texting the receptionist/office guru (about funny non-office stuff), and the receptionist replied, “We’re dressing up tomorrow, you know!” There’s a *possibility* he was pranking my partner, but it’s also possible they don’t have any client meetings scheduled tomorrow and they’re just dressing up to be silly. My partner’s been there over a year but less than two years, so he was there last Halloween and I definitely don’t remember there being any costumes last year.
        1. CanCan* October 31, 2019 at 2:20 pm

           I’ve worked in a law office that dressed up for Halloween. Costumes would have to be slightly more tame (e.g. no blood and gore), and the more senior lawyers might still wear suits but have a silly mask that they can slide to the top of the head.

           May not be a good idea for law firms that deal with seriously emotional issues, like divorce, personal injury, criminal. But ours was a real estate / business law firm, so clients were cool with some fun.
        2. emmelemm* October 31, 2019 at 2:38 pm

           Update: I’m being told the receptionist is dressed as Luigi.
   331. Umiel* October 31, 2019 at 1:57 pm

        I work in a large state-government organization. I don’t dress up for Halloween, but I was surprised today to discover that several high-level directors and several executives all dressed up. I’ve seen one director-level person dressed as a pumpkin. There are several witches, a lounge singer, a couple of sharks, and others. This is normally a fairly stodgy organization, so I wasn’t expecting so much participation.
   332. Itsfine* October 31, 2019 at 2:02 pm

        Case management for a insurance company. When I worked for a product that assisted a population of children we did elaborate themes. Now I work in the same setting with a different product but we are still encouraged to dress up as a way to boost morale and the company has contests, games, and prizes. People who have customer facing jobs where they have face to face meetings don’t usually participate and if they do, they tend to change clothes but it is part of the culture here, or at least has been historically.
   333. not that kind of Doctor* October 31, 2019 at 2:06 pm

        I’m an accountant, currently Aziraphale. Previously I’ve been Batgirl, Doctor Who, and a Star Trek science officer at work. At my current job, which is a retail & manufacturing company, about 10-20% of people dress up, mostly IT and Assembly. (ERP manager is currently Death.) At my last job about half the company dressed up, not the sales guys who were no fun anyway, but most of sales support & admin.
        1. Nanobots* October 31, 2019 at 2:37 pm

           Tickety boo!
   334. I WORKED on a Hellmouth* October 31, 2019 at 2:12 pm

        When I worked for a local printing and direct mail company, Halloween was HUGE. There was a costume contest with multiple categories and really, really good prizes. HR would throw an hour long party for everyone in the company (which is when the costume winners would be revealed) with yummy food and treat bags and silliness. It was pretty great!

        I’ve also worked in leasing offices where dressing up was encouraged–sometimes as part of a resident event, but more often it was just because Halloween and costumes are fun.
   335. CanCan* October 31, 2019 at 2:13 pm

        I’m with a medium-sized government agency involved in land planning (generally speaking). We don’t often interact with the public face to face. My group (in-house legal, about 10 of us) dresses up as a group costume every year (last 5 years: 80’s look, zombies, law & order, soccer team, rock stars). We also secretly prepare a costume for our boss (technically grandboss for most of us). He only finds out what it is when he puts it on.

        The rest of the workplace – some people dress up, some don’t. This year, the social club had a costume competition, so we had at least 50 dress up (out of about 300 at this location).
   336. SisterSpooky* October 31, 2019 at 2:14 pm

        I work at a financial institution, in the call center so not customer facing, but even our tellers are allowed to dress up, and many people do. Some in back offices go all out. The only rules are that you can’t cover your face (bank rules), nothing too revealing, no fake weapons (again, bank rules) and if you’re in a role that is customer facing nothing too scary as children come into the branch.
   337. Emmykins* October 31, 2019 at 2:16 pm

        I work at a large, well known company headquartered in the Midwest.

        Today I had a meeting with Minnie Mouse! I sit next to Maleficent and someone is walking around as EDM DJ Marshmello. Lol.

        I’m enjoying the costumes but feel under no obligation to dress up myself.
   338. Beach kitty* October 31, 2019 at 2:17 pm

        I work in real estate, live in south florida and am wearing cat ears to work today. My boss is wearing halloween themed accessories and one of our agents work a full-face cat mask to work today.
   339. RB* October 31, 2019 at 2:22 pm

        We dress up at my regional government office in the Pacific Northwest. It’s fun and lots of people participate. There’s no pressure and plenty of people don’t dress up. It’s about 50-50 depending on whether you include the people who just wear a funny wig or hat. Some bring their outfit but don’t put it on until lunchtime when we have a lunch with prizes.

        The first year here, I wasn’t sure of the Halloween culture so I just wore some spider-web tights and normal clothes. But when I saw how many people dress up, I started doing it too.

        The other two places I worked, also in the PNW, people dressed up but probably less than a third of the office participated and there was no formal lunch or prizes.
   340. Kinkajou* October 31, 2019 at 2:26 pm

        Large media group here. We have an office wide Halloween party with treats and various costume contests. With the exception of the on-air talent, the majority of people dress up and really go all out.
   341. Nanobots* October 31, 2019 at 2:36 pm

        I’ve worked for two corporations where people do dress up, and two where people most definitely didn’t dress up. The two places where people wear costumes were definitely the two that had the more enjoyable culture.

        One of the places is very hardcore about it. Departments coordinate group costumes and the decorations are to the max. There would be little “parades” through the day of people in costume. It was great, except that my coworker in costume had to unexpectedly fire someone. She removed as much as she could, but you could still tell that she had been costumed.

        At my current place, we mildly do costumes: we decorate shirts and you can add more costume pieces. There are prizes for different categories (scariest, funniest, most unique). I actually enjoy that style more because there’s less pressure to have an amAaAaAaAzing costume.
        1. Nanobots* October 31, 2019 at 2:42 pm

           Should have listed the industries:
           1. Large medical device co – VERY into costumes
           2. Small medical device co – not into costumes
           3. Large medical device co – VERY MUCH NOT into costumes, ANTI costumes
           4. Large Apparel co – low-key into costumes
   342. Nonny456* October 31, 2019 at 2:51 pm

        I work for a tech company in the Boston area and we normally have a small office party and costume contest/group picture. We’re relatively small (~100 people) and have a very casual dress culture to begin with. Definitely a minority of people dress up, but some always do.
   343. Landshark* October 31, 2019 at 2:58 pm

        I wore a costume to work today. It wasn’t only allowed but actually actively ENCOURAGED!

        However, I work in a community college. Academia is a weird little microcosm with it’s own rules. But the deans’ rationale was that it shows that we are fun and engaging and that improves retention. Not sure how legit that is, but I saw a lot of faculty and staff in costume, and I like dressing up, so I was okay with it.
   344. Libby* October 31, 2019 at 3:05 pm

        I find it funny that people think that workplaces where people have “jobs, not careers” (#Elitism) are where people dress up. The place I worked where the most people dressed up and there was even an office-wide contest? The in house legal office of a Fortune 100 company.
   345. Krabby* October 31, 2019 at 3:13 pm

        I’ve worked in tech companies all across Canada and I’ve literally never been at a workplace where Halloween wasn’t a Big Deal. We always do a full costume competition (with pretty hefty cash prizes for the winners), and a party that starts a few hours before work typically ends, involving booze, pizza and candy.

        It’s honestly weird to me hearing that other people find dressing up at work for Halloween weird.
   346. EngineerMom* October 31, 2019 at 3:20 pm

        Very large company that produces medical devices and materials, based in the Midwest (greater Chicago area).

        I’d say somewhere between 35-50% of our office staff dress up for Halloween. There’s a group picture of everyone who dressed up, and some very light teasing of those who didn’t (but genuinely no bad feelings). Our employees who work in manufacturing or the labs are permitted to dress up if the costume conforms with the dress code requirements of their work spaces (some are various levels of clean rooms), and they are encouraged to come to the group picture if they did choose to wear a costume. For the record, my “costume” was a pumpkin shirt. One coworker dressed up as David Bowie, complete with makeup, and there were some others in onesie-type costumes. It really ran the gamut from folks who love dressing up for Halloween through to those of us who enjoy the holiday, but prefer not to spend the entire day in a full costume.

        It’s been like this everywhere I’ve worked, in the Twin Cities, greater Cincinnati area, and several companies in the greater Chicago area, from small family-owned places with fewer than 100 employees, all the way up to giants like GE. I’ve mostly worked in engineering, so office-based and not customer-facing. I’ve also worked in a nursing home and a coffee shop, and both those definitely had a culture of dressing up for Halloween.
   347. Silicon Valley Girl* October 31, 2019 at 3:32 pm

        20+ years in high tech, from startups to big name companies, & they’ve all allowed / encouraged employees to dress up on Halloween. Usually have some kind of party or costume contest as well. Participation is all over the map from huge elaborate costumes & themed groups to simple ‘wear black + cat ears’ stuff.

        My team was all working remote today, so for our staff meeting all but one us just added funny hats that could be seen on the video call :)
   348. Shelbey* October 31, 2019 at 3:43 pm

        I work in a small county government office in California and about half of us dressed up! We try and go for a group theme; this year we are the weather! I am just wearing gray and have a rain cloud hat. Its pretty common in our local government offices to dress up casually, but some years people will go all out with cubicle contests and what not. .
   349. Something Creative* October 31, 2019 at 3:45 pm

        Tech sales!

        I’ve worked mostly for inside sales centers for large tech companies. The employee base is young and not customer facing and they pride themselves on having a fun/hip work environment. To that end, they encourage dressing up (with even directors and VPs participating), host a fall festival for employees to bring their kids trick or treating to, a costume party, pumpkin painting party, etc. etc., usually with food and drink provided. I love it, but that’s just me. There’s always some people who don’t dress up or participate and they’re not ostracized or punished in any way.
   350. Thundersnow* October 31, 2019 at 3:50 pm

        I’ve worn a Halloween costume to work when I worked for an animal shelter in Missouri, and for a corporate insurance company in both Missouri and Texas! They do require that costumes be work-appropriate, of course, but it’s all been good fun and my department has a costume contest for people who want to participate.

        I will also say it’s really funny to see an energetic hound dog try to tackle a very wearing a Big Bird suit.
   351. Happy Pineapple* October 31, 2019 at 4:11 pm

        I work for an enormous international technology and finance company, and lots of people dress up for Halloween at our non-public-facing offices. It’s quite amusing to see usually serious software engineers as princesses and teddy bears.
   352. RBG* October 31, 2019 at 4:21 pm

        My office hasn’t but did for the first time in a long time this year. I organized the party and a trick or treating scavenger hunt. I work at a health department, but on the regulatory/paperwork side, no patients here. We have a morale issue where people are really siloed in their work, and have been working to break down these barriers and help people connect as humans as part of our anti-racism work.
   353. Ha2* October 31, 2019 at 4:23 pm

        I dressed up today! I do software/tech stuff at a big tech company between San Jose. Looking around in the cafeteria at lunch, about 5 to 10 percent of people dressed up maybe? In a meeting earlier we had three people in costume, one kind of , and eight not.

        Previous company I was at was more into Halloween. There were inter-group contests for decorating and a prize. It was a startup also in the Bay Area.
   354. Halloween Costumes R Us* October 31, 2019 at 4:46 pm

        State agency with two division of another state agency in our building. We do an annual costume contest and put pics on Facebook for people to react to. Most reactions gets a prize. Next year, we are challenging three other state agencies to a costume contest as well. Our immediate office does a group costume usually.
   355. penrock* October 31, 2019 at 5:03 pm

        I work for a creative agency so yes, people dress up (but not as many as you’d think and not all that creative, hmm) – but in themes. Movies, album covers, celebrities, etc. I have never been a “dress up at work” person because for me, work is work. I don’t need it to be super fun via outside influence. But I’m a square like that.
   356. r.d.* October 31, 2019 at 5:11 pm

        I work for a tech company in Colorado and the company has a costume contest over lunch every year. I would say less than 50% of people dress up, there are still plenty who do and they usually wear full on costumes all day.

        People also dressed up at my last two jobs, where I worked for companies that were in big agra and criminal justice, so it’s not limited to tech in my area.

        I haven’t dressed up the past couple of years, but I used to, before all my halloween energy was spent on kid costumes.
   357. Wednesday Addams* October 31, 2019 at 5:13 pm

        It’s definitely been A Thing everywhere I’ve worked. Just today one of the IT guys in our 400+ person office came in dressed as Groot, complete with stilts. The other IT guys also dressed as comic book characters and they came around the different floors and people took pictures with them. But we also had a conference room dedicated to snacks and Halloween movies for people who wanted a fun break during their day so, we are a Halloween Office.
   358. LadyProg* October 31, 2019 at 5:21 pm

        I work in Montreal (Canada) in video games and most companies I know do Halloween costumes, even costume contests! The offices get decorated and all, lots of fun :)
   359. Not That Kind of Lawyer* October 31, 2019 at 5:26 pm

        I am an attorney and we definitely dress up for Halloween in New Orleans, LA (We also wear costumes for Mardi Gras). We do not dress up if we have a trial set or a presentation, but even the judges and court staff often have a costume in chambers or in their office for any potential Halloween lunch or party. The degree of investment varies from no costumes and cat ears to inflatable dinosaurs. It all depends on comfort. It is also completely optional. No one cares if you don’t dree up, but if you do be ready to be in a photo. This year my team was dressed as the silverware from Beauty and the Beast – all homemade.
   360. Not Rebee* October 31, 2019 at 5:38 pm

        My current job is getting less and less Halloween-y as years go by, but my Old JOb (2 years ago) at a mortgage company definitely dressed up. One time, the underwriting department dressed up as Money Launderers!
   361. I don't like dressing up* October 31, 2019 at 5:58 pm

        I am not a fan of Halloween, and I don’t like dressing up 90 percent of the time. Unfortunately, my division hosts a Halloween picnic for employees at my workplace. Costumes are completely optional for attendees…but if you work in my division (and especially in my office), you are VERY STRONGLY encouraged for SEVERAL MONTHS to dress up. They will start asking in August. This year, they even assigned us a theme. If you say no, they will call you a party pooper, and it’s difficult to be the only person in the office who does not participate.
   362. ligirl* October 31, 2019 at 6:08 pm

        I work at a tech company in the Bay Area and currently about 5-10% of my coworkers are in costume
   363. Little Orange Nail* October 31, 2019 at 6:28 pm

        I work in management at an insurance administrator in the desert southwest. Our general dress code is business casual (jeans only on Fridays, etc) and we rarely have clients in the office.

        I would say about 1/3 of the office came in costume today, another 1/3 wore orange shirts, funny ears, etc. Costumes are not over the top: I dressed as Elizabeth Holmes, we had a guy who dressed as the Bounty lumberjack, one department came dressed as the Men In Black, etc. So mostly costumes based on regular clothes. We had a group picture, and a potluck lunch where the company bought the main dish, but no party.

        I have worked at other places with similar costume habits, and places it wasn’t a thing. There didn’t seem to be much correlation to geographic location, job/career, industry, etc.
   364. Eric* October 31, 2019 at 6:40 pm

        I work for a fairly large regional insurance company and people do dress up for Halloween, but the costume does need to be approved (usually a photo beforehand). The company has company-wide voting for best costume and best carved pumpkin, plus they’ll have people do a reverse trick-or-treat, where you can bring in your own and distribute to folks who may want. It’s fun and not at all disruptive.
   365. AnnieGirl* October 31, 2019 at 7:06 pm

        I work in publishing and at least half of my office were in full costumes today.
   366. Raine W.* October 31, 2019 at 7:22 pm

        I work for a small (less than 50 employees) mechanical engineering firm, and have done so for the past five years. We’ve always had a Halloween costume contest, which I won one year, and it’s always involved 90% of the employees, either as a group or individually. I love it!

        That said – I’ve worked elsewhere where dressing up on Halloween was considered… weird/childish/unprofessional. It only works if you have a supportive, fun culture that understands it’s one day out the year & if deadlines happen on Halloween, you still need to get your work done regardless of whether you’re in costume or not. I think it would be inappropriate, even in my current office culture, to do a full-on acting job of being a character vs. being in costume.
   367. Stephanie* October 31, 2019 at 7:41 pm

        I work at a cyber security firm with ~70 employees. It’s located in New York (not City; closer to upstate). Many people go all out for Halloween (including remote employees) and there is a costume contest with several categories and prizes. There’s a variety of themed snacks and a cider donut eating contest for anyone who wants to participate. Our industry can be high stress and sometimes requires long hours and/or travel, so our People & Culture team works hard to make sure that we’re all able to have fun and blow off some steam every once in a while. We’re a respected name in the industry, but our culture is generally pretty relaxed.
   368. Mockingdragon* October 31, 2019 at 7:48 pm

        My former office dressed up and even had an inter-department costume contest. It was fun! No children, we were an office and a lab doing scientific reports. We just skewed younger and enjoyed costumes. I think the office before that did costumes, too. Not mandatory, but no reason not to. That was a call center.
   369. A different name* October 31, 2019 at 8:47 pm

        Publishing wears costumes! At least some of it. I have always dressed festively (goth stuff, spider jewelry, etc.) but a few years ago we got less conservative management who decided to gently encourage costumes, and now it’s a yearly event with party, contest, and everything.

        I know other houses do too- and pretty sure most of the big ones have big parties.
   370. Erin* October 31, 2019 at 10:46 pm

        I work in tech at a giant world wide tech company. Halloweek is sacred. I’m usually in meetings as Wonder Woman or Octomom or Tinkerbell with Goldie Locks, Spider-Man and Elvira, etc. All week. It’s hard to get actual work accomplished during the week with all of the competitions for best haunted org, best candy offerings, costume contests & Hallowine hours. It makes me giggle all week and I love it
   371. ZebraNeighbor* October 31, 2019 at 11:03 pm

        I work around Austin TX, and have worn some kind of costume to work for 19 years. This year I was a Sith lord (I have an awesome light saber). We’re not customer-facing in general, but we do occasionally have customers come in. My husband’s office has trick-or-treating for employees’ kids. Most of our workplaces have been tech-related, often SaaS. Most workplaces around here have a costume contest, maybe a potluck or just snacks. I’ve dressed up at tiny companies, and at the big ones such as Dell.
   372. ENFP in Texas* November 1, 2019 at 12:13 am

        I’m in the Dallas, Texas area, Fortune 50 company, in an office. A handful of folks wear a costume (nothing elaborate – maybe cat ears on a headband and whiskers drawn on their face), a few more will wear themed clothing like pumpkin jewelry, but most won’t dress any differently than any other day.
   373. Lunita* November 1, 2019 at 12:18 am

        I work for a nonprofit in affordable housing development in Los Angeles. We don’t work with kids at all in my office but many of us usually dress up and have a small Halloween party, including a costume contest some years.
   374. Emily Livingston* November 1, 2019 at 7:26 am

        My work explicitly encourages dress-up! The owners are really into it so it’s an opportunity for an afternoon party lunch. It’s our second biggest holiday behind Christmas. We’re a medium-sized contract manufacturer with probably about 200 people in the building most days. My department is in charge of arranging food and decorations. We start the day normal and then around 1:30 people who have costumes are excused to get changed. We take pictures of anyone who wants to enter the costume contest and then have a little parade around the warehouse at 2. 2:15 to 3:30 we have tables set up for lunch (this year it was chick-fil-a, pizza, a bunch of chip dips, and apples with caramel dip. We have potluck desserts as well. We post up pictures of the costumes and everyone has a few days to vote. Then in our weekly meeting winners are announced and get like a $10 wawa gift card.
   375. Rivakonneva* November 1, 2019 at 8:16 am

        I dressed up yesterday! I wore a black robe, lace collar and carried a cheap red lightsaber. I was Ruth Vader Ginsburg, Supreme Court Justice for the Dark Side. :)

        I work in an academic library, so it was an easy costume to assemble and remove quickly should I get called into a meeting with the visiting Dean.
   376. GMD* November 1, 2019 at 10:34 am

        I work at a large corporate engineering firm in one of their big east coast city offices and dressing up is basically mandatory. People jokingly told me I would be shunned if I did not the first year (in reality no on is actually upset if you don’t dress up). People go all out with work related costumes and some even bring their kids in and do family costumes. At the end of the day we have a party with a costume contest and baked good that everyone brought in. It’s honestly so fun and I would miss it if I worked at an office that didn’t like to celebrate.
   377. Margaery Tyrell* November 1, 2019 at 11:28 am

        I work at a tech company and we go all out! Not everybody participates (I’d say we’re at maybe 30% costume participation) but it’s a decent enough number of people that it’s a fun time (and we have a costume contest!).
   378. Duchess Conseula Banana Hammock* November 1, 2019 at 12:13 pm

        “I have spent my working life in legal and policy-oriented workplaces in Massachusetts and New York State”

        This part is extremely funny to me because my friends at the ACLU in New York all dress up.
   379. Struggle bus is real* November 1, 2019 at 12:24 pm

        My job decided to allow costumes and even give a prize of an extra half hour at lunch the next day! About half of us participated and it was a very fun day. What I really liked was they sent out an email with very clear expectations; g rated, work appropriate, not revealing, etc. It was really nice to have clear cut guidelines to check off. I went as Belle, but everyone thought I was Dorthy lol.
   380. Lyn By the River* November 1, 2019 at 1:08 pm

        This is more of a humorous (in hindsight) story about why I now do NOT dress up for Halloween at work, rather than an actual answer to the question:
        In college I worked the swing shift as the front desk clerk for a large chain hotel in my small college town in Oregon. My coworkers (mostly the restaurant staff and the housekeeper at that time of day) dressed up for Halloween and it was just seen as part of the fun of the day. I dressed up as a pirate with a wig, fake beard and chest hair that i’d applied with make up (i’m female).
        Late that evening I heard someone banging on a side entrance door. It was also the only access point for people in wheelchairs, as the front door had steps. Apparently the door had been locked (I think this was a common security measure, but it made the disabled access point inaccessible!). The man at the door was in a wheelchair and he was furious. I was doing my best to acknowledge his concerns and frustration and provide good customer service, etc. I felt horrible! (My aunt was also in a wheelchair so I knew the frustrations that she’d experienced!) I remember standing at the desk with him, realizing that my words were not effective, and feeling certain that my ridiculous outfit was undermining my perceived sincerity and ability to be seen as a competent person that could address his problem. I’m sure I gave him some upgrades and meal vouchers, and I know also decided then and there to never dress up for Halloween at work again!
   381. Enginear* November 1, 2019 at 4:48 pm

        I work a couple hours drive away from HQ. HQ holds about 95% of the employees (couple hundred employees) in my department. This year was the first year I had a meeting during Halloween at HQ and I was surprised at how many people dressed up for Halloween. I’m talking full body costumes, painted faces, etc. I should also note that at HQ on a regular day, everyone dresses super professional. At my home base, people would give you a weird look if you were dressed in a button up shirt with tie and slacks. I actually thought it was super cool that people dressed up.
        1. Enginear* November 1, 2019 at 4:54 pm

           Forgot to mention:

           Field: Engineering, Public Utilities
           Location: California
   382. Glitsy Gus* November 1, 2019 at 9:12 pm

        I work at a biotech company that’s normally “Silicon Valley Business Casual” (read: hoodies and jeans). Folks don’t usually go too nuts with it, no inflatable dinosaurs or Queen Elizabeth I or anything, you will see quite a few costumes in the office on Halloween.

        Granted, I work in San Francisco, where seeing a man in a skin-tight leopard costume riding a unicycle down Market Street at noon is referred to as “Tuesday.”
   383. Mary* November 2, 2019 at 12:35 pm

        I live on the West Coast and work for my state’s health department, where the dress code tends to be business casual at best, and about a quarter of our employees dress up. We were evenly split between regular clothes with fun accessories and full on costumes; personally I went for a black dress, mermaid leggings and some seashell accessories. People who had outside meetings and/or interactions with the public didn’t dress up or had something that easily changed back into normal clothes.
   384. Charlotte Collins* November 4, 2019 at 7:09 pm

        I’m a little late to the party, but I wanted to weigh in. I work in a midwestern city known for it’s Halloween celebration. I’ve worked at an insurance company and a state agency. In both, there’s an actual costume contest on Halloween. (At the state agency, it’s tied to our annual charity drive.) Oddly, more people dressed up at the insurance company, including group costumes. But people do at least wear Halloween-themed clothing.

        The IT and Customer Service departments were the most into dressing up at the insurance company. So, it was split between high and low-paying jobs. Generally, execs didn’t dress up, but they might help emcee the contest.
   385. Trish* November 5, 2019 at 7:20 pm

        I work in a division of a large media corp. I don’t know that any of the other locations celebrate like ours. But fall in our part of the US is about three things: college football, chili & Halloween… did I mention football?

        This year we had the chili contest on the 30th and the Halloween party was catered chili with our costume contest.
        There’s no pressure to dress up, but most of the staff (who aren’t out on sales calls) at least wear a Halloween t-shirt or headband.
2. Princess Consuela Banana Hammock* October 31, 2019 at 12:09 am

   In addition to Alison’s excellent scripts, OP#5, it sounds like it may also be helpful to request accommodation. And it might make sense to suggest that your coworker do the same. It’s not reasonable for their accommodation plan for physical labor to be “OP will always do the physical things I cannot.”
   1. Julia* October 31, 2019 at 12:15 am

      This. Coworker thinks their physical health should excuse them from doing their job, but the same reason doesn’t apply to OP5??

      As for Halloween, many career type people in my office dressed up today, and I was made to wear ears. It’s a fairly casual (though famous and huge) company related to entertainment though.
      1. Liane* October 31, 2019 at 7:57 am

         I don’t think the OP has said straight out, “I can’t help you on ABC, because of old injury.” It reads like she’s been saying things like, “I can in 20 minutes,” or “Monday afternoon or Thursday before lunch I am free for ABC.”
         1. ThisColumnMakesMeGratefulForMyBoss* October 31, 2019 at 8:15 am

            This. Even if she hadn’t aggravated an old injury, she’s not obligated to do the other person’s job for them. There’s being a team player, and then there’s doing somebody’s job for them. Learn to say no OP (as in you can no longer help at all) – it doesn’t make you rude or not willing to pitch in when needed. Your co-worker is being rude by taking advantage of you and making her problem your problem.
         2. Librarian1* October 31, 2019 at 9:56 am

            YES. OP needs to say no (in a polite way that doesn’t burn bridges, of course).
         3. OP #5* October 31, 2019 at 1:35 pm

            You are correct. I have been giving specific times when I can help or if I’ve caught them mentioning that I am unable to assist that day. When I first re-aggravated it (not in the workplace), I told them I could not assist with the job. But I haven’t mentioned again.

            At this point I have to make both clear. I am really terrible at saying no, as many have discerned from my post. It’s also been worse because I am in this new role, and trying to be a “team player” in an employee crisis has now lead to me being taken advantage of. But at this point I can’t be responsible for it any longer and I need to buck up and seek clarification and be clear in my needs in this situation.
            1. Artemesia* October 31, 2019 at 1:59 pm

               The old injury is a crisp clear reason to cut off further discussion. What you don’t want is wheedling — ‘oh maybe later’ type stuff. You have established that you are a pushover so you need something to ‘re-set’ expectations and the ‘aggravated an old injury’ is that reset button. So now you can’t do it — not today, not tomorrow, not afte’r lunch, not ‘just sometimes.’ Not in a box, with a fox, etc etc. ‘Oh I wish I could help with that but doing this has aggravated an old injury and I cannot risk it any longer ‘ Then don’t. Not once, not twice, not with the mice or with a dunce or whatever.

               It is easier to take this kind of total stance than to negotiate a dozen times a week.
   2. Engineer Girl* October 31, 2019 at 12:39 am

      I agree. The accommodation should also protect against retaliation.

      I think the most telling thing about this is the coworker saying “well, what am I supposed to do?”. That statement is a complete abdication of responsibility. It’s dumping on the OP. It isn’t OPs job to manage the coworkers workload. OP should feel no guilt whatsoever on protecting their time and health.
      1. Auntie Social* October 31, 2019 at 1:03 am

         “You should talk to your manager, and do what you would do if I weren’t here.”
         1. Myrin* October 31, 2019 at 4:42 am

            Yeah, people who say that in situations like this one are so aggravating! Like, I don’t know and I don’t need to know because it’s not my problem (except for your making it my problem :| ). Figure something out! Jeez.
   3. AcademiaNut* October 31, 2019 at 1:06 am

      It’s not a particularly terrible assumption that having a coworker help you with a physical task a couple of times a week is a reasonable accommodation for things that you can’t physically do. In most cases this would be exactly how things would be handled – Employee X has a twice weekly task they can’t do due to physical limitations, so it’s assigned to Employee Y instead.

      The problem here is that it doesn’t sound like there has been any official decision that this is part of the OP’s job now. If there had been, the OP could explain that she’s not dressed for the work, that she doesn’t have time to do it in addition to her usual duties, and that she can’t physically do it in the first place. The coworker getting annoyed when the OP doesn’t drop her primary work tasks and come running immediately is also a problem.

      So I think it’s probably a good idea for the OP to loop in her own manager as well – explain that she had been happy to help out occasionally, but it’s causing problems and she can’t keep doing it. Then she’s got backing when she tells her coworker that she can’t help out anymore.
      1. Ama* October 31, 2019 at 10:02 am

         I have seen this play out a number of times (not always with physical tasks, but with a coworker being asked to “help” with something that’s not their job) and it pretty much always boils down to a miscommunication of expectations. Usually it is that the person doing the asking(Employee X to use your example) is given the impression that the person they are asked IS now supposed to help as part of their job, while the person being asked (Employee Y) is given the impression that it’s just an occasional or temporary thing until other arrangements can be made. Then Employee X gets confused and frustrated when Employee Y is like “wait, hold on this wasn’t what I agreed to.”

         In my experience, getting managers involved — not in the “I’m complaining about this” sense but in the “hey, I need some clarification on what I am supposed to do with these requests because it seems like we’re not on the same page here” is really the best way to get things settled.
         1. Vemasi* October 31, 2019 at 11:21 am

            This could definitely be the case. However, it seems to me like Employee X is just taking advantage of OP, by the very fact of OP being the one who is helping. I don’t know what this company’s structure is like, but it is very strange to me that an employee doing physical work asked an employee in business casual dress (and therefore presumably outside their department) to regularly help with physical tasks. Employee X should know better than others that comfortable clothing is necessary for physical work.

            It sounds to me like Employee X is trying to hide their temporary inability to do their own work from their peers (if they have any) and/or manager, and took the new employee’s offer to help if it was ever needed too far, and is treating their own work as more important than OP’s. Managers should be involved to clarify this situation and get Employee X any accommodations they might need.
   4. Phoenix Programmer* October 31, 2019 at 12:13 pm

      OP 5 has fallen into the classic nice trap at work.

      You ever so kindly helped a team and went above and beyond.

      Said team internalized that it’s your job to help them.

      Result was lots of lip when you can’t go above and beyond and no thanks when you do.

      No you are having to put your foot down about these extra tasks and tge other team I going to be irritated about it. Your boss is going to be irritated about the fact that he has to help smooth this over.

      The reward for being helpful is everyone is mad at you now.

      So take this as a lesson – only help out when doing so is:
      – helpful to your career.
      – helpful to someone you care about
      – helpful (and known) to your boss.

      Otherwise nope it up and down to those other duties as assigned.
      1. OP #5* October 31, 2019 at 1:21 pm

         This was a really helpful breakdown for me of how to deal with this going forward.

         I did and often do fall into the nice trap and struggle to get out of it. I want to be helpful and seen as someone who can be relied on, so when I have an ability with something I want to pitch in. But then it ends up with me taking on too much or being taken advantage of. Thanks!
         1. RecoveringSWO* October 31, 2019 at 3:15 pm

            Phoenix and Ama*’s both make great points here. One thing I would add is that new employees are prime targets for coworkers looking to take advantage of the newbies and understaffed teams looking for an unreasonable amount of extra help. I’m also a fan of being a team player and had to be taught early on to be more protective of my time when I’m new to a workplace. If you feel uncomfortable saying no, try to think about saying no as setting good expectations for your long term workload and productivity. And definitely loop in your boss, there’s likely organizational politics in play.
   5. OP #5* October 31, 2019 at 1:31 pm

      This is a good point. I should have clarified that coworker does have accommodations, and their supervisor is aware of them being unable to perform this duty. It would usually not be too bad because other staff would also be able to pitch in. But right now those other staff are chronically understaffed and I am already stepping in to help them with coverage (which IS part of my job, and which I don’t mind doing).

      But I agree, the accommodation needs to be clear to all of us involved. I think based on what I am reading the best way forward is to make all of it known and I now have some good scripts to get that conversation started.
3. voyager1* October 31, 2019 at 12:13 am

   LW2: I am going to suggest a 3rd choice. Can the woman wear headphones while listening to music? I feel really uncomfortable with policing someone’s healthcare choices… which this is. I get that her music/talking is annoying but I personally don’t think it is right to say as a society not going to police your healthcare choices unless it is annoying me. Really that is what this is, an annoyance. It isn’t like second hand smoke or something that puts you in harms way.

   I am probably a minority view on this though.
   1. Julia* October 31, 2019 at 12:16 am

      Very loud music can actually harm your hearing.
      1. MusicWithRocksInIt* October 31, 2019 at 5:10 am

         I came here to point this out. It can harm your hearing and make for a very unpleasant and stressful work place. I hate being anywhere the music is super loud, especially in a small enclosed space. I would say something stronger like “The music is loud enough to make it very uncomfortable for the people who work here.” And maybe even something about their hearing being affected.
      2. Hannah Banana* October 31, 2019 at 11:41 am

         You’d be surprised how loud you can listen to music for a certain number of hours with no hearing damage. My husband is a sound designer and has decibel readers and I asked him if my music on my ear buds was too loud. We did a test and it was between 70 and 75 decibels, which seems like a very good volume to me, and you can listen to it for more than 8 hours with no hearing loss. Over 85 decibels becomes more worrisome where you should limit it to less than 8 hours and that is actually pretty effing loud.
   2. Xavier89* October 31, 2019 at 12:16 am

      I agree with you, I’d be uncomfortable asking someone to consider hearing aids as well especially knowing already that they don’t like them (which I’m assuming she doesn’t otherwise she would be using them since she already has them)

      I might go with something more like “this is causing a problem, can you think of anything we can do it fix it?”
      1. Ask a Manager* Post authorOctober 31, 2019 at 12:21 am

         Yes! That is better. I’m going to tweak the answer in the post. (For people who didn’t see it, my original suggestion had this as the last sentence: “Would you consider trying them, since it’s affecting the office?”)
         1. Athena* October 31, 2019 at 12:26 am

            Thank you. As someone who wears hearing aids and identifies as culturally Deaf, I consider it breathtakingly taboo to ask a deaf person to wear hearing aids or an implant if they are choosing not to do so. I would focus on the actual problem here, which is the music and speaking volume. Let the boss be the one to decide how to resolve that, which may or may not include the hearing aids.
            1. Maria Lopez* October 31, 2019 at 1:25 am

               A speech therapist can help one to modulate the voice, but the boss would first have to acknowledge that she talks too loudly.
               Since she already has hearing aids I am going to assume that whoever tested her and prescribed the hearing aids thought she would be helped by them. This is NOT the case with deaf and severe to profoundly hard of hearing people.
               1. Marlene* October 31, 2019 at 4:08 am

                  I wear hearing aids. I have profoundly deaf friends who use hearing aids in order to hear ambient noise, such as a car coming or their dog barking. They can’t pick up speech though.
               2. Elemeno P.* October 31, 2019 at 8:54 am

                  Some d/Deaf and HoH people can also use hearing aids. Some can’t, and some may choose not to do so, but some can and do.
               3. DJ* October 31, 2019 at 9:04 am

                  I am hard of hearing and don’t wear hearing aids. There’ve been a few times where I’ve been speaking too loud, and it’s not hard to change that if someone just tells me I’m being too loud. I don’t know that a speech therapist would actually be necessary, especially if no one has just told the boss that she’s being loud.
               4. Inside Leg* October 31, 2019 at 10:27 am

                  I have a severe hearing loss and wear hearing aids. My dad has a profound loss and wears them, too.
            2. Anon for this* October 31, 2019 at 2:21 am

               +1. Thank you for weighing in here.
            3. #1 The Larch* October 31, 2019 at 10:08 am

               +1
            4. Snark* October 31, 2019 at 10:11 am

               How is it going to be possible to resolve that without the hearing aids? I talk like a megaphone without mine. That’s what happens when you don’t have accurate feedback. What other option is there, realistically?
               1. Observer* October 31, 2019 at 10:28 am

                  I think that the idea would be to put the problem on the table and then let the boss figure this out – either wear your hearing aids, of do all of your conversing over email / chat, and go to a private room when you need to talk on the phone. Or whatever might work. And cut the music.

                  I’d be willing to bet that this is not practical, but it might be the only way to really force the issue.
                  1. Snark* October 31, 2019 at 11:16 am

                     I mean, fundamentally I agree, this is the boss’ problem to solve – but I personally don’t think requiring all your direct reports to communicate electronically with you is workable as a reasonable accomodation for a disability. Going to private rooms when you need to chat, okay, that falls entirely on Boss. But hearing is one of those unfortunate disabilities that requires the disabled person to accomodate others, not just others accomodate them; “wear hearing aids” is specifically listed as part of my work accomodations.
               2. Vemasi* October 31, 2019 at 11:37 am

                  Especially if a person is never wearing their hearing aids, they could go to a speech therapist or do their own training to modulate their voice using feedback other than sound (physical sensation feedback in the throat, and knowledge of how much force to put into speaking, or even just acknowledgement that she shouldn’t be able to hear herself as well as she used to). I have worked with Deaf people before who were only loud speakers when they got excited and forgot to keep their voice quiet (which hearing people do as well, especially me!).

                  There isn’t much point in putting in this effort if a person often does wear their hearing aids, as switching between the kinds of feedback will make it even harder. But just as many Deaf people are able to learn to speak aloud, they can learn to speak at a good volume if they have the right tools to learn and the desire to do so. If OP’s boss is resolved not to use hearing aids, she will probably need to come up with several other coping methods as well, as her hearing continues to degenerate and she takes that as the new normal for her. But she needs to hear that it’s a problem first so she can decide what to do.

                  But the bigger issue (unless she is talking nonstop throughout the day and having the same effect as constant loud music) is that she needs to hear about the music being a problem before she gives anyone a performance review and cites them for decreased productivity.
                  1. Maria Lopez* October 31, 2019 at 1:16 pm

                     The bigger issue really is that the boss is in denial about her hearing loss and thinks everything is ok. Adults who develop hearing loss over time can be quite stubborn about there being nothing wrong and that everyone else is mumbling.
                     1. Snarkastic* November 1, 2019 at 1:13 pm

                        Try being a family member who constantly tries to point out how much of life the person with hearing loss is missing. The rest of us deal with shouting, blasting TV’s, etc. It makes them seem befuddled and (I think) is contributing to memory issues. Pride is a hell of a drug.
               3. Name Required* October 31, 2019 at 3:38 pm

                  She would be the most motivated and positive about wearing her hearing aids if it’s her to decision to use them. Even if it’s a forced conclusion based on limited options, it’s still her conclusion.
            5. MtnLaurel* October 31, 2019 at 11:06 am

               Thank you, Athena, for that perspective. as a non-deaf person it woudlnt’ have occurred to me that the suggestion may be taboo. I’m glad to add that to my list of ways I can be sensitive to all around me. :-)
            6. JSPA* October 31, 2019 at 4:00 pm

               This. Besides, depending on the sort of hearing loss, the aids may not do much, or may make background noise more disruptive. It’s very easy to assume that the fix “must work,” and that “working” means, “approximating the experience of having normal hearing,” but that’s like assuming dialysis is “just like” having functional kidneys or that an insulin pump is “just like” not having Type 1 diabetes or that any medical fix is “just like” not having had a problem or difference in the first place.

               Don’t get me wrong: I’m not maligning the tech. We should all be glad that it exists. It can be lifesaving. It can make a huge difference in somebody’s quality of life. But it’s an impolite fiction or a downright lie–not a polite fiction–that using a particular bit of tech = “all good.”

               P.S. neither does this mean treating everyone using various tech as needing solicitousness and help, on the assumption that it’s a bad fix. People get to choose their tech (or not) and they get to ask for accommodation (or not) or for feedback and help in passing (or not).
         2. Marlene* October 31, 2019 at 4:11 am

            Thank you for changing your advice. I posted below about the potential drawbacks and benefits of hearing aids. I have so many deaf or HOH friends and they have very personal reasons for using or not using hearing aids or cochlear implants.
            1. Snark* October 31, 2019 at 10:08 am

               I am hearing impaired and wear hearing aids, and personal or not, if your choice not to wear hearing aids you actually own is resulting in impacts to your coworkers and everyone else around you, then I think that choice is up for questioning.
               1. Works in IT* October 31, 2019 at 11:29 am

                  I am also hearing impaired and wear hearing aids, and agree that when your choices start to impact other people, your choices start to become questionable. It’s one thing to take my hearing aids out at the end of the day and relax in my own home where no one else is affected by me talking louder than I do when wearing the hearing aids or bothered by my music. It’s another thing entirely to expect the coworker who shares my office to endure me being that loud when I’m on the phone. And I question the manager’s judgement in choosing not to wear her hearing aids when she is in an office layout that causes her decision to negatively affect her employees. There are many things she could do. She could try to get them moved into an area that would allow her to have her own office. She could wear headphones (though that wouldn’t stop the loud talking), she could carry out more conversations over email, or Skype. She is choosing to do none of those things.
                  1. Snark* October 31, 2019 at 11:39 am

                     Exactly! I have enormous sympathy for folks who’ve done all they can on their end, or for whom assistive technology is incompatible with their particular circumstances, and of course if there are still accomodations that the person needs, they’re entitled to them. But if you have them and refuse to use them? You’re not doing all you can in good faith, and expecting people to accomodate not only your organic limitations but your personal fear of looking old (or whatever) is not reasonable.
                     1. Works in IT* October 31, 2019 at 4:22 pm

                        That tilts a little bit towards “you can’t force someone to use an assistive device if they don’t want to.” The issue isn’t, so much, that she has the hearing aids and isn’t wearing them. The issue is that she’s refusing to do anything about the fact that, without hearing aids, she is disrupting her coworkers and/or causing them pain. Occasionally I forget my hearing aids. I’m careful to pitch my voice VERY low, and to look at peoples’ lips to try to get a sense of what they’re saying. Same scenario, person who is hearing impaired, not wearing hearing aids, but she refuses to stop being disruptive to her coworkers, and I (and other people) are much more aware of the impact we have on others. The problem here is the lack of empathy for other human beings, not the hearing impairment.
               2. Arya Snark* October 31, 2019 at 12:45 pm

                  I worked with someone (middle mgr) who was losing hearing and it affected her and her whole team. She wasn’t a loud talker though – quite the opposite, actually. The issue was that she wasn’t hearing what people were saying, getting things wrong, and asking about things that were discussed because she didn’t hear it the first time. She was a manager and upper management had to ask her to do something as it was affecting so many other people above and below her. She ended up with hearing aids and it was so much better for everyone after that.
               3. JSPA* October 31, 2019 at 4:40 pm

                  It’s not the lack of aids that directly causes the impact, though. It’s the turning the volume up and the speaking loudly. Those are choices that can be addressed separately.

                  Anyone who’s ever had a stuffy head from a cold has had a moment of realizing, “hunh, guess I’m yelling, I either have to speak so softly that I can’t hear it, or put my hand over my mouth to muffle myself.” We don’t get hearing aids for 5 or 10 days.

                  Someone can choose to not listen to radio / TV, can use the “accessibility” setting on the phone (louder than normal high, but lower than speakerphone), can request or order additional soundproofing for their office, close the office door, get headphones, improve their lip reading and take all calls on skype (with headphones) etc etc etc. I’m pretty sure that if “loud” happens for 5 or 10 minutes twice a day, people can be cool about it; it’s the endless barrage of noise that’s overwhelming.
         3. To Lurk, perchance to Post* October 31, 2019 at 8:59 am

            I’m bilaterally deaf. I have had a hearing aid, a Baha, and have graduated to a cochlear implant. And I work in a call center. Irony alert!

            You cannot force her to wear hearing aids. (Goodness no!) But I be appropriate accommodations can be found to reduce the distractions she’s causing to others.

            I have a hard time modulating the volume of my voice. I have told people to give me a “keep it down” gesture when I talk to loud. Most importantly, I have an accommodation for a private office. I can talk loud, listen to loud music (if I wanted), and cause little to no disruption to anyone else.

            Facing hearing loss is scary and exhausting. I’ve always had some kind of hearing loss on the left, but lost my hearing on the right in my early 30s. It’s so hard to face. A little kindness goes a long way. I know you’re frustrated, but she didn’t choose to have this happen to her.

            Offer solutions. Please don’t demand she wear hearing aids!
            1. To Lurk, perchance to Post* October 31, 2019 at 9:00 am

               *bet appropriate accommodations can be found. Oy vey!
            2. Snark* October 31, 2019 at 10:10 am

               I mean, the best solution is that she wear the hearing aids. It’s not actually on everyone else to accomodate our hearing loss if we don’t make the good-faith effort to take advantage of all the accomodations and assistive devices available to us.
               1. JSPA* October 31, 2019 at 4:44 pm

                  Hearing loss is such a catch-all term for so many structurally and perceptually different problems. If you have the, uh….”luck” doesn’t seem like the right word, but within the context of hearing loss, let’s call it luck…to have a form of loss that’s really improved by hearing aids, it may seem that everyone should do that thing, that works for you. But it’s really so variable. And it doesn’t sound like just about any of the many possible accommodations have been tried, yet.
            3. HQetc* October 31, 2019 at 4:02 pm

               Just wanted to say that I love your user name!
      2. Princess Consuela Banana Hammock* October 31, 2019 at 12:24 am

         I like this approach, too, because it handles the tricky issues voyager1 has flagged. I would feel uncomfortable recommending someone choose a specific medical treatment / intervention / device based on my perception of their health issue (which could be totally off).
      3. Maria Lopez* October 31, 2019 at 1:14 am

         You know, as a retired otolaryngologist and also someone who grew up with a hard of hearing father in denial, it is much more likely that the boss thinks the hearing aids make her look or feel old.
         I had a big poster in the audiologist’s office and exam room that said, “Your hearing loss is more obvious than your hearing aids.” Perhaps one of the senior managers who knows her well could say this, gently of course.
         1. Zombeyonce* October 31, 2019 at 1:18 am

            I’d like to introduce you to my grandmother who really needs to read your poster. She claims she can hear just fine even though every third word she says is a loud “What?”
         2. Engineer Girl* October 31, 2019 at 1:28 am

            This is like my sister in childhood. She refused to wear her glasses because she said they made her look dorky. I told her that tripping over things and slamming into walls made her look even more stupid.
            No one is fooling anybody.
         3. Temp anon* October 31, 2019 at 3:05 am

            I have severe hearing loss and have worn hearing aids for 45 years.

            There is a stigma against visible disabilities, and when adults start to need hearing aids or glasses etc it also gets combined with vanity and fears about aging, hence more denial.

            There is also a very real possibility that the boss has the wrong hearing aids, they may fit poorly, blast feedback, etc or may just not boost the right frequencies. I have been asked to help several people in this situation, mostly kids, and when I dig and ask questions the reasons they don’t wear them is split between stigma (“they all mock me at recess”) and discomfort—the mold doesn’t fit, or “it never stops whistling!”

            Hearing is complex, People with hearing problems should meet with an audiologist (not a hearing aid salesperson) to get the right solution for them. Even the right solution is going to take some adjustment but it should not be painful.
            1. londonedit* October 31, 2019 at 5:19 am

               Temp anon – you’re so right. My dad has pretty severe hearing loss in one ear, and uses a hearing aid in the other ear, but he still can’t hear well. We keep trying to get him to go back to the audiologist, because surely there are better solutions for him, but his response is always ‘No, I’ve already spent a fortune on this hearing aid, I’m not wasting more money’. He was told about a receiver thing that he could wear on his deaf side to transmit sound from that side into his hearing aid, but refuses to go back and ask about that because it was another few hundred pounds. It’s very frustrating, but at the end of the day it’s his choice and we can only keep gently telling him that his hearing is very important and worth spending money on. Maybe one day the message will get through!
               1. A Hard of Hearing Anon* October 31, 2019 at 6:12 am

                  You might be able to point out that going back to the audiologist to see if she can adjust the settings is possible – that shouldn’t cost him anything more than a visit cost. Hearing aids can be set at different base volumes – different than just the regular volume controls. Also if he keeps track of what situations he has the most trouble hearing in he might be able to test out different settings – for example mine has a “nosy room” setting where it cuts out most background noise by reducing the input distance.

                  One thing people don’t often realize is that they will often need to go back to the audiologist to have their hearing aids adjusted. Because being in a quite room just talking to the audiologist is vastly different than regular life situations. It’s also a good idea to check your own assumptions – hearing aids don’t actually replicate “normal” hearing – they come close but their not perfect. Your dad is still going to have trouble hearing from a distance or in a crowded space with a lot of background noise. Also turning up the volume doesn’t always work because it means you hear everything louder. Not just someone talking but all the background noise that people without hearing loss can tune out. We actually can’t do that – our brains never learned that trick.
                  1. Jamie* October 31, 2019 at 10:42 am

                     One of my sons has severe CAPD (Central Auditory Processing Disorder) and even though his hearing is fine, mechanically, he also can’t screen for background noise. When he was small I explained to all of his teachers that his audiologist said he was “deaf for content” in acoustically bad/chaotic situations.

                     Definitely one of those brain tricks that people with typical hearing take for granted.
                     1. blackcat* October 31, 2019 at 11:01 am

                        I struggle with this–no real diagnosis, but the audiologist I saw to have my hearing tested did say that some of my struggles are related to the fact that my hearing is actually really exceptional. I can hear tons of stuff other people can’t! I can hear dog whistles! But this means there’s even more for me to filter out than the average person, so it’s a struggle.
                     2. Amelia Pond* October 31, 2019 at 12:36 pm

                        The thread ran out, so this is @blackcat: I’ve never met another person that can also hear dog whistles before! They’re so painful. When I was 1, my adult brother thought I was lying about being able to hear it, up until his random “tests” convinced him. (Yes, he was abusive, but my mom and I cut him completely out of our lives when I was 15.) He’s not the only one to think I was lying, so I stopped mentioning it.

                        The sensitive hearing is a pain in the ass for so many reasons, but especially bad because I’m a really light sleeper, I can’t easily get back to sleep… and have only been able to live in apartments… and can only sleep during the day.
                     3. nonegiven* October 31, 2019 at 10:57 pm

                        @Amelia Pond*

                        DH met a guy that heard dog whistles. The city meter readers had those to try to keep dogs away on their route. The guys were messing around with them after work, once, when an EMT came by. Someone blew on a whistle and the EMT went to his knees.
                  2. Dancing Otter* October 31, 2019 at 7:04 pm

                     Is the “nosy room” setting to help you eavesdrop?
                     Sorry, I know it was probably a typo, but my mother would have been all over that setting!
            2. cncx* October 31, 2019 at 5:27 am

               +1 on the hearing aids not being properly tweaked to the boss’ situation. i have a friend with light hearing loss, and her first few tries at hearing aids involved the wrong frequencies, feedback, bad fit…she stopped for over a decade. Once her hearing loss got too bad she went back and found an audiologist willing to work with her and she has a perfect pair now after months of tweaks.

               THat doesn’t mean that even with the perfect pair the boss should be required to wear them but it’s something to think about as context
            3. Harper the Other One* October 31, 2019 at 6:20 am

               My mom resisted hearing aids for years, not so much because of stigma but because she had so many stories from friends/relatives about fit problems And extraneous noise. When she finally saw a proper audiologist, she got a pair that she LOVES. They’re directional so they don’t just magnify all sounds, and they have different settings for conversation, watching TV, etc. Plus they have a remote for volume so she jokes that when she’s tired of listening to people she can just “turn her ears down.”
            4. Washi* October 31, 2019 at 8:42 am

               Right, hearing aids are not a magical solution. I used to work with elderly people and we had a program to give them free hearing aids. It was awesome, but some of the difficulties we ran into were:

               1. According to the audiologist, it takes your brain at least a few weeks to adjust to the new level of sounds you’ll hear through the hearing aid.
               2. Your brain adjusts best if you wear the hearing aids all the time, even when not around other people. However, many people have a hard time getting used to them, and don’t do that, prolonging the adjustment process.
               3. A lot of people have unrealistic expectations of hearing aids, that they will restore your hearing to its prior state. This is unfortunately not the case, and many people will still need to be facing the person talking to them, not surrounded by a lot of ambient noise, and will often find big groups of people talking all at once a struggle.
               4. Most clients needed to come back for at least 1 readjustment, and sometimes 2-3 to get the volume and various settings right. Not everyone takes the time to do that or realizes it may be necessary.
               5. Hearing aids with an ear mold need to be fitted very snugly in the ear. A lot of our clients had trouble putting this kind of hearing aid in correctly because you can’t really see what you’re doing.

               Just wanted to point all this out, since I get the frustration of ugggh why won’t she just wear her hearing aids? But it’s more complex than that, and it is certainly possible that the pair she has aren’t helping her very much or in the way she was hoping.
               1. Librarian1* October 31, 2019 at 9:11 am

                  Yesss. I got a hearing aid a few years ago and almost all of these (except 5 because I didn’t get custom molds) were issues. It was so difficult to get used to hearing all the quiet ambient noises I hadn’t heard for years again. Also, they can be uncomfortable at first. I recently switched to a different style of aid and it actually hurt my ear for a few days until I got used to them.
               2. DJ* October 31, 2019 at 9:14 am

                  I think a lot of people think hearing aids are like glasses or contacts where you put them in and now you have 20/20 vision, but the reality is that hearing is so much more complicated and the hearing aids do need to be adjusted. And they will not make it sound like it did when you have perfect hearing because all the sound is coming through a microphone. Plus the cost means a lot of people (especially those with age-related hearing loss) have cheaper hearing aids that are not nearly as good as the more expensive ones. And insurance does not cover any of the cost, pretty much ever. Not to mention that it can be hard sometimes to get an audiologist who is actually willing to listen to you and not just assume that you’re not trying to make the hearing aid work (I know from experience).
                  1. Librarian1* October 31, 2019 at 9:19 am

                     @DJ- Yeah, that was the most frustrating thing about getting a hearing aid. It doesn’t fix my hearing the way glasses fix my eyesight.
                  2. Res Admin* October 31, 2019 at 9:34 am

                     Agreed! After many years of not hearing well, my husband was prescribed hearing aids. With the help of an excellent audiologist, he found a pair that fits well. He hates them. The sound is NOT the same as real hearing–every sound is magnified–and he was used to hearing very little. Now that he also needs reading glasses, the glasses interfere with them as well. Supposedly he wears them to meetings at work…I haven’t seen him wear them in years. And those puppies wear Very Expensive.

                     On the other hand, he makes it very clear to the people around him that he is hearing impaired and that they need to make sure that he knows that they are present and talking to him and he doesn’t make a lot of noise at work (he has had the hearing loss so long that he naturally modulates his voice into a “normal” range). The last thing he would want to do is negatively impact those he works with.
                     1. Snark* October 31, 2019 at 11:48 am

                        I wear glasses with hearing aids. And yeah, the hearing experience is artificial and you can tell stuff is being modulated and selectively amplified! That’s on purpose, so you can actually hear those things.
               3. Observer* October 31, 2019 at 10:35 am

                  All of this is true. But not really relevant. As long as Boss is in denial, nothing is going to change. Boss needs to understand and acknowledge that she does NOT “hear just fine” and it’s causing a real issue.

                  I don’t think anyone really cares WHAT her solutions is, as long as it’s not “I’ll keep on pretending and making so much noise that everyone else is having problems.”
               4. Librarianne* October 31, 2019 at 1:05 pm

                  Yes, I’ve seen all of this with my grandmother, who got permanent measles-induced hearing loss when she was a child. She doesn’t go to movie theaters, concerts, etc. because her hearing aids make the ambient noises sound muddled. Whenever she gets an updated hearing aid model, she has to go to the audiologist a few times before the settings are quite right. When she bought her most recent set, she was convinced that her refrigerator was broken–but this was the first time she could actually hear it running!
            5. TooTiredToThink* October 31, 2019 at 9:45 am

               Kind of a random, but on topic question – I *hate* wearing headphones and avoid it as much as possible because I get ear infections on a regular basis if I have to wear them a lot. I’m actually concerned that if I lose my hearing (and it actually was a bit of a concern for awhile there because I found myself saying “what?” a lot but then later realized it really was the person talking and not my ears) that I would end up dealing with constant ear infections. Is that a possibility with some people who don’t like wearing them, as well?
               1. voyager1* October 31, 2019 at 9:50 am

                  Aftershocks might work.
               2. Observer* October 31, 2019 at 10:54 am

                  There are different kinds of hearing aids, and not all of them are in ear. Also, the materials are different, so that might also make a difference.
                  1. voyager1* October 31, 2019 at 12:35 pm

                     I was suggesting Aftershocks since they are a headphone alternative, not a hearing aid alternative. Runners and cyclists use them so they can listen to music while working out but still hear traffic. They don’t go in your ears. Sorry I should have clarified that.
            6. Booksnbooks* October 31, 2019 at 1:12 pm

               I came here to say this about the feedback — it’s possible her hear aids are impacting her ability to talk on the phone because of the feedback, so her choice is to just not wear them. Getting a system that integrates with the phone so that the audio is straight in her ear via the hearing aids might help if that is indeed the case.
               1. Observer* October 31, 2019 at 2:02 pm

                  There is a lot of excuse making for the boss – based on what the OP writes this is unlikely to be the issue.

                  But, if it is, the solution is either something like you suggest or a hearing aid compatible hand set. That is something that even an employer who is not legally bound by the ADA should provide without blinking.
            7. JSPA* October 31, 2019 at 4:47 pm

               I keep waiting for one of the billionaire tech people to need a) bifocals and b) hearing aids.

               Firstly, because the technology will suddenly be EXCELLENT. Secondly, because they’ll be styled like a Tesla, and even people with no hearing or vision problems will be wanting one.
         4. MusicWithRocksInIt* October 31, 2019 at 5:14 am

            Oooooooooooooooo – anime hearts just appeared in my eyes. I am going to use that! My mom is driving us all nuts because she won’t see anyone about her hearing loss, but it is getting so much harder to talk to her. Also more reluctant to leave her with the baby because I am worried she won’t hear him cry.
            1. Wing-N-Wing* October 31, 2019 at 7:16 am

               Oh, the newer ones have so many magic features – they can Bluetooth from a TV or music player or phone directly into your ears (no headphones, no disturbing others). And they are TINY, almost invisible, so that addresses the vanity component as well. Lots of choices and options out there!
               1. LizB* October 31, 2019 at 10:23 am

                  I worked with a woman who mentioned to me after a few months of working closely together – like, weekly one-on-one meetings closely – that she was HOH and wore hearing aids. I had never noticed, because they were seriously tiny, matched her skin tone, the way she wore her hair often partially covered them… and also I just, don’t spend my time looking closely at people’s ears when I’m working with them? I would never have known if she hadn’t said something. Modern hearing aids have a very different look than the ones I saw people wearing 20-some years ago.
                  1. Temp anon* October 31, 2019 at 12:26 pm

                     Digital hearing aids have lots of great features such as algorithms to screen out ambient noise and focus on speech, and they are getting better. The Bluetooth connection to a cell phone or TV is AWESOME. I can listen to the TV at my own volume and not have it blaring through the house, my partner can listen via the TV at his own volume. Sometimes he asks ME “what did he say?” AHAHAHA! OMG a glorious question for a hearing-impaired person to be asked.

                     I recommend using closed captions with TV also, they may seem intrusive at first but quickly become second nature, try them for a week and then turn them off and see what happens to your comprehension.
                     1. Amethyst* October 31, 2019 at 4:02 pm

                        Captions are AWESOME. I have bilateral severe hearing loss, wear hearing aids, & have Deaf family members who all sign. I consider myself HOH, not d/Deaf. I grew up on CC at home. (Why school movies don’t automatically provide CC is beyond me, & that’s a topic for another time.) I’ve actually gotten several of my closest friends (all hearing) to use them on their own, & they love it, especially when the captions are slightly faster than the frame & the punchline comes in .1 second faster, LOL. It’s also helped with their children’s reading/spelling skills. One child was just slightly behind their grade level in the subject & now they’re ahead. :)
                  2. Temp anon* October 31, 2019 at 12:29 pm

                     Oh, and yes the devices are smaller and more powerful than years ago, and available in lots of colors. Interestingly, many kids are not going the camouflage route and are choosing neon colors. Very different mindset than when I was a kid, which sounds like a good thing.
               2. So long and thanks for all the fish* October 31, 2019 at 12:17 pm

                  Yes- the ones my grandfather had you’d only notice if you were looking for them. They can be great!
            2. Working with professionals* October 31, 2019 at 6:20 pm

               I bought a baby monitor that would light up and vibrate as well as have sound for my friends when they had their baby. I worked great.
         5. Asenath* October 31, 2019 at 7:01 am

            My late grandfather switched between “I don’t need a hearing aid because I don’t have trouble hearing. People mumble so much these days” (which become more and more and more obviously untrue as time went on) to “Hearing aids are expensive and don’t work” (He had tried some cheap ones that, surprise, didn’t work). I suspect his resistance was partly not wanting to admit the problems of aging and partly not wanting to be financially dependent – although his adult children were more than happy and able to contribute towards the cost. But every time the topic was brought up, it was “people mumble” and “Aids are a waste of money because they don’t work”. So I have no solution.
            1. Librarian1* October 31, 2019 at 9:13 am

               lol, my dad is like this. Although in his case, I think it’s a combo of him having undiagnosed hearing loss and also some people mumbling.

               I think the aging thing is part of it with him too, but he also feels like he can’t take time off of work to see a doctor, so it’s more than just that.
         6. stitchinthyme* October 31, 2019 at 9:09 am

            I was coming here to say essentially this. I do agree with those who’ve said that you can’t force her to wear hearing aids and a better approach is to address the actual problem (her talking and music are too loud) rather than her own hearing issues. However, as someone who experienced her first hearing loss at age 30 (at 48, I now have a cochlear implant in one ear and just ordered a new hearing aid for the other), I always get really annoyed about the old-age stigma hearing loss has. It can truly happen to anyone at any age, and most adults wouldn’t hesitate to get glasses (or at least contacts) if their vision was bad, so why all the reluctance over hearing aids? (Note: I’m not talking about culturally Deaf people; I’m talking about late-deafened adults who have never been part of Deaf culture and need to interact with the hearing world.)

            Besides, even if you are self-conscious about them, nowadays they make hearing aids so small that unless you’re bald, they will probably not be very noticeable at all — my mother only consented to get hers when she realized that no one could see them.
            1. Snark* October 31, 2019 at 10:19 am

               It’s a measure of how ableist and ageist our culture is, that’s for sure.
         7. Librarian1* October 31, 2019 at 9:17 am

            I got diagnosed with moderate hearing loss when I was 29 and I didn’t want to get a hearing aid right away because it made me feel like I was getting older and my body was falling apart. Although after spending a year having to ask people to repeat what they were saying, I warmed up to the idea and ended up getting one. It’s been so helpful. But the psychological barriers are real.
         8. Snark* October 31, 2019 at 10:16 am

            As someone who has worn hearing aids since age 8, I cannot express how hard this hang-up makes me roll my eyes. Some have the luxury of wearing hearing aids only when we get old, when our peers expect it instead of viciously bullying us.

            My hearing aids are visible mostly as a translucent wire less than a millimeter thick that runs around the front curve of my ear. At least they’re not the giant, finger-sized behind-the-ear aids I had to wear in elementary school.
            1. schnauzerfan* October 31, 2019 at 12:05 pm

               True. I’ve been wearing aids since I started school at 4. Some have been miserably uncomfortable. Some made the wind so loud I couldn’t hear a thing outside. Some were so sensitive I could hear a whispered conversation (at the right pitch) in the next room, but I couldn’t understand the person across the table. The ones I have now connect to my cel and I can actually use the phone, not that I enjoy it, but I can do it. I wear them because they do help most of the time, but l understand why others don’t . Unlike others who hide their aids, I went with the HOT pink for my new aids… They make me smile when I see them, and if I’m spending $5000 on something I want it to be pretty!

               Assuming I had a relationship that allowed it, I’d tell the boss that hearing aid technology has come a long ways and encourage her to check with her audiologist to see what was new. Lots of better aids and other technologies that aren’t traditional “old people” aids. I might suggest some of the wearable speakers / headsets to allow her to enjoy her music at a volume that’s workable for her, without blasting everyone else out of the office. And I mention that her voice gets really loud sometimes. “Can we work out a signal for when you come across as shouting?”
         9. emmelemm* October 31, 2019 at 2:56 pm

            My mom was like that for a long time. Eventually it got so bad she had to get over it.
      4. Amelia Pond* October 31, 2019 at 11:58 am

         I just want to add, that it may also not be a general dislike or annoyance of the hearing aids, either, but could be physically painful. I don’t use hearing aids but I can’t use things like earplugs or earbud headphones because of how much they hurt.

         And I must rant about this, which I don’t often get a chance to do I tried to find earsbuds for a solid decade before giving up, after finding some super small and ones made for kids. I’m still really unhappy that earbuds basically pushed the type I prefer off the market. They type I prefer don’t really isolate sound very well- I have ridiculously sensitive hearing, too- and the sound bleeds out more than I’m comfortable with. I`d love an over the ears set but they cannot rest on my ears. I don’t know if I have freakishly large ears or what (all parts of my ears are sensitive, though not quite as much on the inside), but I’ve tried on dozens and only found one pair that fit… and it was a Bose set that was around $300, which I refuse to pay. Unless I suddenly win the lottery or inherit money from a distant relative I’ve never heard of. /rant over, and thanks for reading if you made it this far!)
   3. Roverandom* October 31, 2019 at 12:24 am

      Well it’s a work distraction, and at work we want to minimize those so people can do their jobs right? She’s the boss and presumably would want people to work effectively and not actively hinder people from doing their jobs well.

      It’s not “society policing someone’s healthcare choices” to say “you’re getting in the way of us working, can you figure out a way to stop that?” It’s like if someone refuses to wear glasses so they just sit in front of the screen so no one else can see. Nobody is saying she has to use them at home or on her commute, just asking her to help everyone work harmoniously.

      And I don’t see why we need to compare this to smoking. Someone smelling like smoke is just a distraction in most cases. But I’ve seen that many readers here think this is the Worst Thing someone could do that puts them unequivocally in the wrong, so it’s derailing and unhelpful here to say “this isn’t as bad as something clearly awful like smoking.”
      1. Roverandom* October 31, 2019 at 12:55 am

         Revising my comment based on what Deaf/hard of hearing people have said, I think it’s a good point to avoid suggesting hearing aids if that is a triggering thing for people experiencing hearing loss.

         But I still think it’s OK to bring up “can you figure something out?” in the sense of finding an accommodation so she can hear everyone and you can all hear yourselves think. We have a deaf/hard of hearing person in my office and we take written notes for him, let him sit closest to the speaker, don’t expect him to answer the phone, etc.
         1. Helena* October 31, 2019 at 4:19 am

            As a person with hearing loss, I wouldn’t quite say it is triggering. More annoyingly unhelpful along the lines of “have you tried turning it off and on again?” Or suggesting a fat person should “move more and eat less”, like that might not have occurred to them before.

            If there was a magic fix that improved my hearing, I’d be doing it already. Either the hearing aids aren’t working, or there’s some other problem preventing her from using them.

            Nobody enjoys not being able to hear things properly, and people with no medical background or knowledge of my specific hearing problems popping up to say “have you considered this very obvious solution?” is pretty patronising.
            1. Snark* October 31, 2019 at 10:24 am

               “Either the hearing aids aren’t working, or there’s some other problem preventing her from using them.”

               Or she refuses to use them because of fairly ridiculous assumptions rooted in internalized ageism and ableism. If she has hearing aids, and just doesn’t wear them, it’s my guess that she’s not wearing them because of personal hang-ups or because they weren’t properly adjusted, and those are both hurdles that need to be moved past.
               1. J.* October 31, 2019 at 1:37 pm

                  Or she refuses to use them because of fairly ridiculous assumptions rooted in internalized ageism and ableism.

                  Right. You might even say it’s some other type of problem preventing her from using them, then.
                  1. Observer* October 31, 2019 at 2:04 pm

                     True. But no one has any sort of obligation to accommodate people’s ridiculous and *ist ideas.

                     * ageist, ableist, etc.
            2. Observer* October 31, 2019 at 10:59 am

               In this case, we know that this is not the case though – the boss simply refuses to acknowledge that she has a problem.

               Sure, no one enjoys not hearing. But when you look at the number of people who won’t even TRY hearing aids, won’t even talk to an audiologist, it’s quite clear that plenty of people are NOT taking appropriate steps to mitigate the problem for one reason or another.
            3. nonegiven* October 31, 2019 at 11:13 pm

               >“have you tried turning it off and on again?”

               Unhelpful? I’ve found turning things off and on again helps 80% of my technical problems.
   4. Anon for this* October 31, 2019 at 12:25 am

      I work with Deaf and hard of hearing people and I agree. I think it’s fine to say “This is a problem, what can we do to work together to fix it?” But hearing aids can evoke a lot of mixed emotions for people with hearing loss/deafness and I’d be hesitant to tell anyone that they need to use them.

      Hell, she might just need an adjustment period of you/someone in the office actually telling her when she’s too loud so that she can learn what “too loud” actually is. Maybe she hasn’t noticed her hearing is getting worse and having this conversation could get her to her doctor to find a solution (and possibly investigate whether there’s something more serious behind her hearing loss).
      1. Temp anon* October 31, 2019 at 3:16 am

         A portion of the deaf community views deafness as a culture or community and is quite militant about not wanting deafness to be “cured” , which does not exist for say, the blind.

         But someone in denial about their hearing loss, as this boss is, is not part of that community.

         I find it odd that mention of hearing aids is considered taboo because it’s “triggering”. Yes, I suppose—triggering to get hearing aids?

         IMO it’s not out of bounds to say “you should get your hearing checked” or “you need hearing aids, I’m shouting at you and the TV volume is ungodly loud and you’re still asking m to repeat the dialogue constantly “ to a family member or friend. Granted, it’s much trickier with a boss.
         1. Marlene* October 31, 2019 at 4:17 am

            It’s not that it’s triggering. It’s that using them is a personal medical choice that can be adversely affected by poorly fitted aids. (Fitted as in adjusted by an audiologist.)

            Imagine that you’re a first-time user of eyeglasses. You get a new pair with a 90-day return policy. You’re new to those glasses so you don’t recognize that they’re not the perfect fit for you. You don’t realize you can and should exchange them.

            The 90 days pass, and you can no longer return your glasses. Wearing them is worse than not wearing them. A new pair will cost you 5 THOUSAND dollars.

            What will you do?
            1. Helena* October 31, 2019 at 4:30 am

               They also don’t work for many kinds of hearing loss, but I’ve had people suggest them to me like it might never have occurred to me.

               I’ve had my hearing loss since a childhood accident, had multiple surgeries and ongoing ENT care. I am not deaf through sheer intransigence, neither am I being deaf “at” people.

               The Deaf community is slightly different – if you speak sign language and live in a community of other ASL/BSL speakers, you pretty much aren’t “disabled”, in the same way that an immigrant living in an expat community isn’t “disabled” if they don’t speak the majority language. Impeded when they leave that community, yes. Not physically disabled.

               Forcing somebody to have serious neurological surgery (implants) to overcome what is essentially a language barrier, especially when the results are not remotely akin to normal hearing, is something deaf, Deaf and HOH people should push back on.
               1. Marlene* October 31, 2019 at 4:35 am

                  Absolutely agree with all of this.

                  I am hard of hearing and fluent in ASL, and with my amazing hearing aids, I still function better in an ASL environment than an English environment.
               2. Snark* October 31, 2019 at 10:42 am

                  This applies to the significantly hearing impaired and d/Deaf. In the context of the question, where the person is obviously not Deaf, deaf, or profoundly hearing impaired, I don’t think these kinds of considerations pertain.

                  For people who are moderately to severely hearing impaired but refuse to wear hearing aids, I think it’s feasible for their family, friends, and employers to expect them to take advantage of whatever opportunties for assistive technology exist.
            2. DJ* October 31, 2019 at 9:25 am

               Ugh, don’t even get me started on the cost of hearing aids and the fact that there’s basically no insurance (in the US at least). My employers have always had vision/dental insurance to go along with standard health insurance, but of course there’s never anything for hearing. I get so annoyed about it because they are SO EXPENSIVE. Plus every time I go to the ENT they bring it up, and as much as I’d like to try a hearing aid again, I can’t see myself having the money for it any time soon.
               1. Temp anon* October 31, 2019 at 12:38 pm

                  This is a scandal, I have had jobs with very good insurance (and some with mediocre and bad) and they almost all specifically excluded hearing aids from coverage. The best policies offered something like $400 towards ONE every 4 years but only for initial onset, I.e. If I just lost my hearing for the first time.

                  They are hella expensive but consider what they do—they are not just microphones and amps but also complex frequency equalizers, all operating in miniature on or in your ear, with all the jostling and moisture that entails. Pretty amazing.
               2. Amethyst* October 31, 2019 at 4:12 pm

                  OMG, SAME. It drives me effin’ batty. They’re correctional devices just like glasses are, just more expensive. Insurance will cover glasses (& some can get pretty pricey), but not cover the same for hearing aids? It makes no damn sense.

                  I’m lucky that my job has covered them for the last couple years now, & they waive our deductible when we need to have ours replaced. The first year I worked for this company, we didn’t have this benefit. I approached our representative asking if they’d consider it for following years, & I’ve been just tickled pink since. Lol.

                  Anyway… If you’re in the US, have you considered reaching out to your local BRS/VRS* branch? They usually have funds set aside for people who need hearing aids but can’t afford them. They’ll either cover the entire cost or most of it, & you pay what you can pay. It’s worth looking into.

                  *Bureau of Rehab Services or Vocational Rehab Services, depending on your state.
            3. Snark* October 31, 2019 at 10:27 am

               I’ll advocate for my own health needs and get them adjusted within the 90 days.
            4. Grapey* October 31, 2019 at 11:01 am

               Not lie to my family/coworkers that “I can see you just fine” and expect them to accommodate me, that’s for sure.

               I’d pay the 5k and be sure not to go over my 90 day limit again.
               1. Snark* October 31, 2019 at 11:42 am

                  And even if you’re over the (not universal!) 90 day limit, no audiologist I’ve ever had is unwilling to retest and recalibrate. People’s hearing changes more frequently than they buy new aids. If it’s not working for you, go to the damn audiologist and explain what’s wrong. Fixing it is literally their job.
                  1. Maria Lopez* October 31, 2019 at 1:47 pm

                     My BIL has hearing loss and said the hearing aids didn’t work and was driving my sister crazy because he is retired and always home, and she works from home. TV turned way up, etc.
                     He went on a trip for a fiftieth college reunion and came home ready to go to the audiologist for real this time. Turns out his friends were not polite OR accommodating about his self-imposed problems.
                     1. nutella fitzgerald* October 31, 2019 at 2:05 pm

                        This is a really good point. If my boss, my mom, and a friend all have the same annoying habit, I’m going to respond to it three different ways. I might mention it to the friend once or twice and start tapering off the relationship if it doesn’t improve. I’m going to nag my mother endlessly and buy her dumb gadgets that allege to fix the problem. And I will just find a way to deal with it when it’s my boss.
            5. Lynn Whitehat* October 31, 2019 at 12:39 pm

               At one point in my life, I actually was in a position where I needed glasses and couldn’t afford them. Not because I diddled around for 3 months like in your hypothetical. Just flat broke. I was honest with myself and other people that I had a problem and it was my problem. The fact that the solution was out of my price range didn’t make it not a problem. I didn’t sink deep into denial and insist that I’m fine, the WORLD is fuzzy. I also didn’t drive or make people read things for me or otherwise make it everyone else’s problem. And that is with the solution actually being out of reach, I wasn’t just too vain or something to use it.
            6. Temp anon* October 31, 2019 at 12:41 pm

               Not to pick nits on language, but I was responding to Roverandom above who used the word “triggering”.
               1. Roverandom* October 31, 2019 at 10:16 pm

                  Sorry, I wasn’t sure what word was best to use. “Annoying because this one word reminds you of a frequent problem you have and makes you think ‘here we go again'”?
         2. Dust Bunny* October 31, 2019 at 9:18 am

            The thing is, even if she still chooses not to address her hearing loss, she needs to turn down the music and modulate her voice, and she can learn to do that regardless of her personal medical decisions. She just won’t be able to hear the music, but then most choices come with a cost somewhere else, don’t they? I don’t get to hear my music as well as I’d like to because I share an office with two other people and don’t want to distract them.

            But it stopped being solely her decision when she started blasting music and sorta-yelling at people.
   5. Name of Requirement* October 31, 2019 at 2:07 am

      Good point. Being yelled at and having to yell makes for an awful environment though, so I wouldn’t minimize that aspect presenting the issue.
   6. anon* October 31, 2019 at 8:00 am

      I’ve commented before on these types of threads because I’m moderate-severe hard of hearing.

      No. Please don’t directly ask her to wear hearing aids! This is incredibly rude and could make her feel awful. People don’t wear them for an array of reasons, some seem valid (e.g. they amplify all other noises and make things worse, or I get repeated infections wearing them) some which don’t seem valid but are nevertheless a choice someone gets to make about their body (e.g. they make me feel old and disabled).

      I would address how she adapts to her hearing loss and how it affects you. “This music is too loud, it’s distracting” is absolutely fine to say and you have every right to say it. Or, “May I ask you to lower your voice a little, it’s uncomfortably loud right now” is fine too.

      Or, if this is an ‘open problem’ that she has hearing loss, try and think of ways of modifying your communication with her: Using instant messaging, emails. Make sure you are facing her so she can see your lips (she may be supplementing lip reading more than you’d think), try and enunciate.

      Hearing loss is a complicated problem and although frustrating for you, for her it’s likely to be a frightening thing if she’s not really functioning well.
      1. Annie* October 31, 2019 at 11:14 am

         Hearing aids have been a life changer for me. My sister, who has worse hearing than I do, has no interest in them. Thinks they’ll make her look old. My audiologist said to tell her that the constant “huh?” and “what?” and generally missing out on conversations is what makes her look old…I say this with a chuckle because I do believe it’s ultimately her choice not to get them.
         1. Maria Lopez* October 31, 2019 at 1:54 pm

            I have an audiologist friend who flies down to small villages in Mexico with a medical team, and a family brought in abuelilta because she didn’t talk or communicate for some time. Nobody knew what was wrong with her, but dementia or previous stroke were the suspected culprits.
            She had the wax cleaned out of her ears, got fitted for hearing aids AND glasses and was back to her normal self again.
            I saw people whose family suspected early dementia and it was hearing loss. They either didn’t answer when called or responded incorrectly to questions asked in conversations, but they thought they were fine.
            “I just got new hearing aids.”
            “What kind?”
            “12:30.”
            1. Annie* October 31, 2019 at 4:32 pm

               My kids’ favorite grandma anecdote—

               Riding in the car…

               “When will we get there?”
               “Yes I have my shorts on!”
   7. Observer* October 31, 2019 at 10:24 am

      This is not policing someone’s health care choices. It’s asking someone to be considerate of the people around them.

      It’s not just the music, either. It’s the fact that conversations are being shouted as well – and that’s even worse than the music. Headphones won’t help there.

      I have no doubt that it the boss were finding another way to mitigate the problem, the OP would not be insisting on her wearing hearing aids.
   8. Llellayena* October 31, 2019 at 10:43 am

      I’m starting to have issues like this with my parents. They’ll set the tv at a volume they can understand the speech and I need to ask them to turn it down slightly because the volume is loud enough to hurt my ears (and oh how I wish TV stations/shows would balance the volume from speech to music or commercials better!). I have a bit more leeway to tell them “You should get your hearing checked” though. It’s more complicated with a coworker or boss, but focusing on “please turn the volume down, my ears are hurting” or “can you speak quieter, I can’t hear the person on the phone” should get at least temporary results and might eventually get the point across.
   9. Hannah Banana* October 31, 2019 at 12:44 pm

      I agree with you. I don’t think it’s anyone’s business if she uses the hearing aids. The issue is she speaks too loud and listens to music too loud. Focus on that instead of the hearing aids.
   10. Koala dreams* October 31, 2019 at 1:28 pm

       Yes, I’m not fond of the idea of telling the boss to wear hearing aids. Better to focus on the result you want, that is, a calm environment where people can do their work. If the boss choose to wear hearing aids, get earphones that contains the sound or get a light that measures volume and lights up yellow when volume is too loud is up to the boss. Focus on the negative effect on work productivity, not your boss’ disability.
   11. BelleMorte* October 31, 2019 at 1:49 pm

       As someone who is deaf, so much of this advice is so wildly inappropriate and would be borderline (if not completely) in violation of the ADA.

       This is someone’s disability you are talking about. People think they can police whether people use their hearing aids or not, whereas they would never dream of telling someone semi-mobile in a wheelchair to just use crutches because it’s less inconvenient for us.

       Yes, you can point out that the music is playing extremely loudly, yes you can say you are speaking very loudly (if you want to be a jerk), but asking/telling/guilting her to wear a disability aid or otherwise stop inconveniencing you because she has a disability? No, No, Nopeity Nope.

       Her health choices are none of your business, full stop. Say ‘Hey, the music is really loud, I can hear it from XYZ clearly, can we turn it down as it’s distracting” but everything else. No. Just No.

       I’ve had so many well-meaning people tell me to go to speech therapy, get hearing aids, speak quieter, stop embarrassing them with my weirdly accented voice, stop making (normal human) noise. All of this is NOT ok and made me think of them a lot less.
4. Heidi* October 31, 2019 at 12:33 am

   I was recently invited to do a Strengths assessment. The five words are kind of like the Myers Briggs personality categories. Each one is supposed to give you insight into your best work style and knowing other people’s strengths is supposed to help you know how to work with them. You’re supposed to meet with a trained coach who helps you understand how to capitalize on your innate strengths identified by the survey questions. It’s not free, so perhaps the company put this email signature suggestion out there to drum up business.
   1. Amber T* October 31, 2019 at 10:17 am

      That was my thought. I did StrengthFinders years ago and I actually found it helpful and useful for myself – both on how I work and how others work. But yeah, putting it your email is free advertising for them basically.
      1. LW#1* October 31, 2019 at 2:32 pm

         The only reason I can think of for them to suggest putting your results in your signature is advertising.
   2. Sara without an H* October 31, 2019 at 10:56 am

      My campus did StrengthsFinder a couple of years ago, and a few people have added their strengths to their signatures. There’s been no pressure to do this and, since I’m skeptical to the point of cynicism about “personality assessments,” I haven’t bothered.

      OP#1, if your campus uses Outlook for email, it’s possible to create and save multiple signatures. I discovered this one year when I was asked to chair a small professional organization, so I created one signature for my role as chair, and another for regular work correspondence. It should be no problem to create and save one signature with Strengths for use on internal email, and another professional signature for use in mail that’s going off campus.

      Or you could just ignore the whole thing. You would, however, be doing your students a service by warning them that their future employers may not know — or care — about StrengthsFinders, MBTI, or any other personality “assessment.”
   3. Rainy* October 31, 2019 at 12:28 pm

      I work with CliftonStrengths regularly. I myself like it, it works really well for what I use it for with my clients, but it’s not the be-all and end-all of self-exploration. It’s just another tool, albeit one that often works really well if you understand what it’s for.

      I will say that as is often the case with assessments, it really requires the interpretation to be useful on more than a superficial level. If you just take MBTI and don’t have it interpreted, you are probably not using the information correctly, and the same is true of CliftonStrengths or any other assessment.
5. Seal* October 31, 2019 at 12:40 am

   #1 – I work at a mid-size public university that has students, faculty, and staff do the StrengthsFinder exercise. Fortunately, no one has ever mandated that we put our strengths in our signature lines, but a few people in the department that runs that particular test do. Even though I know what it is, I find it off putting to see a random grouping of words, especially “woo”, at the bottom of an administrator’s signature line. Without context, it just looks weird.
   1. Loose Seal* October 31, 2019 at 1:09 am

      So what strength is woo? Um, the only one I can think of is only useful if you have an office duck club.
      1. Cherry* October 31, 2019 at 1:39 am

         You can usually spot someone with woo – they are able to bring people on board easily and usually have energy oozing out of them (the ones I know anyways). I agree StrengthsFinder is cool but definitely needs context and shouldn’t be mandatory
         1. SageMercurius* October 31, 2019 at 5:54 am

            So like… wooing someone to your cause?
            1. Filosofickle* October 31, 2019 at 11:48 am

               Yep!

               “Woo – People who are especially talented in the Woo theme love the challenge of meeting new people and winning them over. They derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection with another person.” (from their theme descriptions)
            2. lemon* October 31, 2019 at 12:22 pm

               It’s an acronym: Wining Others Over.
         2. Will* October 31, 2019 at 11:47 am

            See, I associate “woo” with the use among the Science Based Medicine community, where it describes the compelling or persuasive nonsense that a charlatan says in order to sell people stuff they made up. And it kind of sounds like that’s how StrengthsFinder is using it too!
            1. WellRed* October 31, 2019 at 12:09 pm

               +1
            2. emmelemm* October 31, 2019 at 3:13 pm

               That’s exactly what I thought of.
            3. SpaceySteph* October 31, 2019 at 4:28 pm

               I hear “woo” and immediately think of people using essential oils instead of actual medicine. I would not consider it a good thing if someone had that in their email signature.

               StrengthsFinder itself sounds like woo.
            4. Arts Akimbo* October 31, 2019 at 6:04 pm

               Yay, other SBM folks! :)
      2. Bilateralrope* October 31, 2019 at 1:47 am

         Isnt it a euphemism in The Sims games ?

         Not a good impression to make with potential employers.
         1. Beth* October 31, 2019 at 2:24 am

            You’re thinking of ‘woohoo’, but it’s so close that my mind went there too. I’m not familiar with StrengthsFinder, so that’s about the closest reference for me.
            1. Akcipitrokulo* October 31, 2019 at 4:17 am

               I always hear “woo-hoo” in Lennier’s questioning tone ;)
         2. A.N. O'Nyme* October 31, 2019 at 3:44 am

            That’s WooHoo.
         3. Bree* October 31, 2019 at 7:21 am

            Haha I thought of this too!
      3. Emilia Bedelia* October 31, 2019 at 8:59 am

         It stands for “winning others over”. It’s basically extroversion and people skills- the kind of person who can walk into a room of strangers and make friends immediately.
         1. Arctic* October 31, 2019 at 9:12 am

            It isn’t always related to extroversion. Lots of introverts have that skill. They just need to psyche themselves up first and need a break after.
            1. Third or Nothing!* October 31, 2019 at 10:04 am

               I am an introvert and I can easily strike up a conversation with anyone. I once talked to someone in a grocery store for like 10 minutes about how hard it is to find cute and comfy skirts. This conversation happened after I complimented her on her floral print skirt.
               1. Filosofickle* October 31, 2019 at 11:51 am

                  I call myself a gregarious introvert! Spontaneous conversations in the grocery store line or bus stop are truly where I shine. I love those drive-by connections, they bring a lot of lightness and laughs to my day without a huge investment.
         2. That Girl from Quinn's House* October 31, 2019 at 11:55 am

            So, a sociopath would be woo?
            1. Rainy* October 31, 2019 at 12:33 pm

               Maybe, but usually not. (Sociopaths are not actually that common, armchair diagnoses aside.)

               Every strength can be used in a variety of ways depending on the person and their other strengths and interests. For example, Input goes with collecting, but the form that takes is highly dependent on so many other factors. I have a friend with an expertly curated, beautifully displayed collection of NIB Matchbox cars. Dude has Input. I collect information/books–I also have Input, but when you put that together with my other top 5, you get ‘satiable curiosity rather than a drive to collect and display objects. Input that’s over-calibrated is often, imo, a contributor to people with hoarding disorder: they have a drive to collect, but no discernment or moderation.
      4. Rainy* October 31, 2019 at 12:29 pm

         Woo stands for “Winning Others Over”.

         I have Woo. I call it my Spiderman strength, because with great power comes great responsibility.
   2. t* October 31, 2019 at 1:24 am

      If you have to put your strengths on your email signature, I would put it in context: Strengthfinder strengths: woo maximizer, etc
   3. Bilateralrope* October 31, 2019 at 1:39 am

      I’d like to hear the context in which “woo” looks good as I’ve never heard of StrengthsFinder before.

      Also, I misread ‘relator’ as ‘realtor’. Which is going to raise a lot of questions if I’m looking at a students job application.
      1. Helena* October 31, 2019 at 6:14 am

         I read it as realtor too. And thought really, that’s a personality type?
         1. Quill* October 31, 2019 at 9:36 am

            If you think that’s a selling point in an email signature I have a very lovely bridge you may be interested in
   4. Grand Mouse* October 31, 2019 at 4:02 am

      I don’t have positive associations with “woo”. The best case scenario is that it’s an expression of excitement, which would be weird in a signature. You gonna sign off with “yeehaw”?

      But honestly these days I associate it with pseudoscience. If I were considering you for a position, you don’t want me wondering if you think crystals cure cancer or essential oils are better than vaccines.

      I wouldn’t want to see anything in your signature other than your name and possibly degrees. I don’t want to see your astrology sign, personal motto, Myers Briggs type, or even more confusing strengths assessment

      OK but maybe let’s bring back early 2000s signatures. How about an email to finance with ~*beautifully broken*~ xXxJane SegmourxXx
      1. Traffic_Spiral* October 31, 2019 at 5:28 am

         Yup. “Woo” means “any sort of new-age, can’t-be-proved nonsense” where I’m from. And I agree that putting it in an email signature will come across as ridiculously unprofessional. For a lot of people it’s just a silly test like every other online quiz out there, so it’s like if you put your Harry Potter house or What Is Your Spirit Animal online test results in your signature.
         1. Feline* October 31, 2019 at 6:14 am

            The “can’t-be-proved nonsense” is the meaning of the word that came to mind when I saw woo. OP1, I would take your email a lot less credibly if you touted your woo in your email signature. I work in a company that likes to dictate things into our email signatures periodically, usually marketing fluff. I think critically about it before complying. If the marketing slogan of the week sounds like innuendo, it doesn’t go on my email signature. I want people to take my emails seriously, not to snort coffee out of their nose when they get to the email signature.
         2. Falling Diphthong* October 31, 2019 at 7:32 am

            I start there, and add in the Sex and the City episode in which Charlotte spent some time as a woo girl (who go around in groups yelling “Woo!” to show they are having a super good time). It was… not a flattering portrayal.
            1. Detective Amy Santiago* October 31, 2019 at 7:54 am

               I immediately thought of the Woo Girl episode of How I Met Your Mother, so yeah… right there with you.
               1. Antilles* October 31, 2019 at 9:02 am

                  I thought of that episode as well, so yeah, don’t put ‘woo’ in your signature.
               2. LW#1* October 31, 2019 at 2:01 pm

                  This was my first thought, too!
         3. juliebulie* October 31, 2019 at 10:45 am

            That’s what I thought of too. Hopefully this positive meaning of “woo” is better-known to the employers who are looking for woo-y people, but I still suspect that using real words would be smarter. (And in a resume, not a sig.)
      2. Bagpuss* October 31, 2019 at 7:14 am

         Yes, that’s definitely the first thing that would come to mind if I saw ‘woo’ – It would be really off-putting .
      3. ceiswyn* October 31, 2019 at 7:46 am

         Yup, I see ‘woo’ and I think pseudoscience. I definitely wouldn’t hire someone with ‘woo’ in their signature, I’d see it as… weird, at best.
   5. Loubelou* October 31, 2019 at 4:04 am

      I’ve done Strengthsfinder and one of mine is WOO. It stands for Winning Others Over – someone who is good at first impressions and bringing people on board with things.
      But of course without that info it looks bizarre and I wouldn’t put it in my email signature!
      1. Kendra* October 31, 2019 at 4:49 am

         If you did have to for whatever reason, I’d definitely spell that one out – “Winning Others Over” sounds MUCH better (and gives others a lot more information) than “woo.”
      2. Bilateralrope* October 31, 2019 at 5:26 am

         Are you saying that anyone who has earned the ‘woo’ label is someone who should know not to use it ?

         Because it sure would cause a bad first impression with me.
         1. Falling Diphthong* October 31, 2019 at 7:33 am

            This! Surely your ability to win people over is assisted by not opening with “So John, they sent me to talk to you about the Carpenter approvals because I am Strengthfinders-certified at Winning Others Over.”
   6. Lena Carabina* October 31, 2019 at 4:55 am

      I’ve never heard of it! Yes, I agree it would look v. weird, akin to signing of as Philomena Cobblesworth, Libra w/Leo rising or something.

      Anyway, I just got lost down a rabbit hole with the links to creative things that people ask students to do, and was horrified at the:

      my university requires students to create terrible personal websites for job-searching

      bit >.<
      1. Silence Will Fall* October 31, 2019 at 9:08 am

         About 15 years ago, the college I attended forced all students to create these horrible online portfolios. It was an expensive yearly subscription that you had to maintain for at least three years (longer if you actually wanted to use it during your job search). The interface was complicated and non-intuitive, and it took hours to upload artifacts. Plus, there was no public access, so we couldn’t just include a link in a cover letter or resume. We had to export it to a CD or flashdrive.

         All this to say, higher ed is ridiculous when it comes to chasing down the *newest* *shiniest* thing without evaluating whether it is actually useful in the broader world.
         1. Rachel Greep* October 31, 2019 at 9:53 am

            Off topic: Did we go to the same school fifteen years ago? Our ePortfolios were a huge pain. The TA in charge of our class section had to approve our artifacts, and certain artifacts were required to pass the (required) course. Only the TA has access. There was a situation where one TA left about ten students’ work unapproved, graduated, and moved back to China! The professor could not access it to give approval, so those ten had to repeat the course!
   7. ThisColumnMakesMeGratefulForMyBoss* October 31, 2019 at 8:26 am

      I would bet that if it’s in your email signature, most people aren’t even going to notice it (the amount of time I spend reiterating things that were in an initial email is mind boggling, so if people aren’t reading the context of the email, they’re not looking at my email signature either), and those who do notice will think it’s really weird. The only things that belong in your signature are you name, title, and contact information. It’s not a dating profile.
      1. Antilles* October 31, 2019 at 9:00 am

         And frankly, even people who do read emails thoroughly usually ignore the signature unless/until they need something specific like your title or phone number.
      2. juliebulie* October 31, 2019 at 10:51 am

         Well, editors’ eyes tend to be drawn towards things that they’re not going to like. It’s like a bodily function. Normally I pay no attention to sigs, but the word “woo” would certainly catch my eye.

         If I didn’t know about Strengthfinders and the cover letter/resume checked out okay otherwise, I might assume that “woo” was some pop culture reference I wasn’t familiar with, a sort of fnord, and let it go. (Or google it.) I wouldn’t hold it against them. But under no circumstances would it or any other random word in a sig (except maybe fnord) impress me in a positive way.
      3. LW#1* October 31, 2019 at 2:35 pm

         Since I noticed, I guess I figure other people will, too.
   8. kittymommy* October 31, 2019 at 9:02 am

      I’ve never heard of StrengthsFinder so seeing those traits listed in an email signature would really confuse me (if I even noticed it). My organization does the one with the birds (DISC??) and while internally their big on “what bird are you??” it’s not something that we put out on our nameplates/desk and no way would anyone EVER put it in an email signature. Why would external contacts even know what that is???

      Is it just me on is this type of stuff coming out the word work lately?? I’ve been working in various environments since my teens (I’m mid 40’s now) and I do not remember these type of tests being “a thing” in work spaces. When I was in grad school we did the Myers-Briggs (and some other one but I can’t remember what it was), but no one ever thought it would translate into work life.
      1. Antilles* October 31, 2019 at 9:14 am

         Myers-Briggs has been (mis)used in a hiring context for a while*, but that was more or less it as far as I can tell. There’s certainly far more variety of these sorts of things coming out in recent years than there was and also much more open discussion of them…though many people/companies tend to put way more importance on them than is justified.
         *Most notably, it was often used to try to screen for ENTJ high energy, competitive, assertive people under the theory it was the ‘best’ personality type for leadership, ignoring that teams actually need a variety of personalities to balance each other out.
         1. AndersonDarling* October 31, 2019 at 9:28 am

            Ugh. When I did my StrengthFinders “Counseling” session, we had a new divisional president in the group. The first question he asked was, “So how do we use this to make hiring decisions?”
            I cringed. But, if so much money is being spent on it, and they were requiring every employee spend time on it, and there was a full time “coach” on staff, then you would kind of conclude that there would be some solid practical applications for it.
            1. Antilles* October 31, 2019 at 9:55 am

               There certainly are potential practical applications for these sorts of tests.
               The problem is that getting to those practical applications correctly requires nuance, recognizing the importance of a balanced team, understanding your current employees, caring about not just the strengths but also the weaknesses of each type, and an honest recognition of the flaws of these sorts of exercises, etc. However, in reality, how it *actually* works is much closer to “a senior person cherry-picks 1-2 traits that they find desirable, then ignore literally everything else”.
               1. Belle of the Midwest* October 31, 2019 at 10:46 am

                  +1,000,000 I work in higher education and led my coworkers through discussions and processing of this assessment. Ironically, 13 years later, I don’t feel that the top 5 I got on the assessment were true for all time. I have changed since then. As I tell my students, any assessment is only a snapshot of where you are at this moment–it’s not a video or story.
                  1. juliebulie* October 31, 2019 at 10:55 am

                     This is so true. First time I took Myers Briggs I came out INFP. In reality I’m about 80% T, not F, but I was in the process of breaking up with a very cold and emotionally unavailable man. Compared to him, I was 120% F.

                     Someone who’s preparing to graduate, applying for a job, or in any other sort of transitional period will probably test a little weird on these things.

                     And I’d guess that it’s not hard to steer these tests towards a desired outcome if you already sense that the manager(s) are looking for something in particular.
                  2. lemon* October 31, 2019 at 12:28 pm

                     Your strengths definitely can change over time, but most people usually find that 2-3 core strengths tend to stay in their top 5. I’ve taken the test a couple of times over several years and found that to be true for myself, at least.
         2. Lynn Whitehat* October 31, 2019 at 1:25 pm

            I did the StrengthsFinder thing 20 years ago, so it’s not *that* new. I found it helpful for personal growth, especially as a young geek girl whose strengths were… not always appreciated by society at large. It was such a relief to have someone say “let’s just put aside the stuff you’re not good at (like making new friends at large parties.) Let’s talk about what you *are* good at for freaking once.” I would recommend it to anyone who’s casting about, “what should I do with my life?” But like all the rest of these things, it should NEVER be forced on people or used to make hiring or promotion decisions!
   9. Witchy Human* October 31, 2019 at 9:02 am

      My experience included meeting in little groups with coworkers in the organization who had the same strength as you, sharing and discussing your strengths with your team, and displaying our placard. It was like a week of Strength’s Finer.

      And…while I do find Strengths Finder very silly, one thing it does do is give people some commonalities to talk or joke about in a lighthearted, positive context. (I can’t really consider being assigned five abstract words intrusive.) It makes sense to me as something college students can opt in to.

      There aren’t that many situations where you can create in-groups for everyone without actually forming out-groups for anyone.
   10. AnotherAlison* October 31, 2019 at 9:11 am

       We do SF at my company (selectively). Some people did put the results in their email signature, but the current mandated format does not allow it. However, you can go to the employee profile on our intranet and and find people’s results, or people have placards at their desks. Someone I work with (a person a level below in another department) told me he looked up my SF results and asked me some questions about it. That was weird.

       With the placards, I either see someone who has a few common strengths with me and think something positive about them, or I see people who have no common strengths with me and weird strengths for their job (like all “Influencing” and “Relationship Building” domains, and they are a design engineer) and wonder why they chose their career path. I think it’s more of a liability to freely share this information than it is a benefit.
       1. AnotherAlison* October 31, 2019 at 9:14 am

          (Not that I don’t think diversity of types of people is good, but let’s just say I had a particular manager who would throw you under the bus to appease clients or superiors, and it was no surprise to see Harmony and Woo in his stack.)
       2. AndersonDarling* October 31, 2019 at 9:32 am

          That was why I cringed at it. There were Strengths that made sense if you had read the full descriptions and saw examples. But if you were just walking by and saw “Harmony” on display at someone’s desk, you’d just think “Hippy-Dippy. I don’t want to deal with that on my project team.”
       3. MassMatt* October 31, 2019 at 1:04 pm

          “I see people who have no common strengths with me and weird strengths for their job (like all “Influencing” and “Relationship Building” domains, and they are a design engineer) and wonder why they chose their career path.”

          In other words, you are seeing evidence that the “system” (or however they market it) is nonsense!
   11. Jack Be Nimble* October 31, 2019 at 9:49 am

       My university had an entire Strengths Finder curriculum and I remain deeply skeptical. There’s not any available research or data about its reliability or applicability, and so much of it looks so strange out of context. You can have Woo, but you might also have Ideation or Intellection — they’re silly words, and some of them have really unfortunate connotations!
       1. College Career Counselor* October 31, 2019 at 10:09 am

          We have that in my university, and I see it in students occasionally, but more often in my student life colleagues. I think they use it as a point of commonality, as noted above, and to encourage students to ask about what it means. Despite my work in Career Services, I do NOT use this in my signature. I’m boring that way–just my name, title, department and contact information.
   12. bluephone* October 31, 2019 at 10:45 am

       My reaction after 30 seconds of googling StrengthsFinder and then reading through some of the definitions here about “woo” and such: Christ almighty [insert eyeroll]
   13. Platypus Enthusiast* October 31, 2019 at 11:29 am

       I had to take one before an interview (the company I was interviewing with paid for it). I thought it was an interesting exercise, but it didn’t tell me anything new about myself- if I had just flipped through the different traits, those 5 are the ones I would identify for myself anyway. Even though I took the test, if I saw something like this in someone’s e-mail signature, I’m not sure I would identify it as StrengthsFinder themes, as opposed to a random collection of words.
       1. anonymoushippopotamous* October 31, 2019 at 11:52 am

          Stryker? I had to do that also. Quite odd lmao
          1. Platypus Enthusiast* October 31, 2019 at 2:35 pm

             Nope, but I do remember they referenced Stryker during the interview process! So odd.
   14. knead me seymour* October 31, 2019 at 12:53 pm

       I don’t know anything about StrengthsFinder but these terms are seriously reminding me of Divergent. These are the first steps to the Divergentrification of society.
       1. Artemesia* October 31, 2019 at 8:22 pm

          LOL Yeah me too. Next we will be hurling ourselves into cargo nets.
   15. LW#1* October 31, 2019 at 2:08 pm

       Most of the email signatures I’ve seen look something like this
       CliftonStrengths [often with a link]: Maximizer, Strategic, etc.
       So there’s a little context, but I don’t feel like it’s enough to really be useful to anyone.
   16. Artemesia* October 31, 2019 at 8:21 pm

       I am stunned anyone would do this. This and Myer Briggs while useful if not taken too seriously are seriously unsupported empirically and putting this kind of thing in a signature immediately shouts ‘woo’ to lots of people. Pop psychology can be useful in helping people reflect on things like styles and strengths — but it is still pop psychology and weird to go around announcing on one’s sig or resume.
6. Roverandom* October 31, 2019 at 1:02 am

   #1 I think a great thing to push back with is not everyone knows what Strengths Finder is and therefore is going to be confused when your door says “John Tolkien, woo” or “Agatha Christie, maximizer” on it. I’d think some kind of image didn’t load properly in your email signature and this was the description tag.
   1. Massmatt* October 31, 2019 at 3:31 am

      I’ve never heard of it and frankly it sounds like nonsense. I place very little stock in the more established “personality profile” tools either but at least Myers-Briggs doesn’t use terms like “woo” which not only don’t communicate what the profile sellers think they do, but are unprofessional.

      It doesn’t sound like these are “strengths” in any conventional sense but rather odd categories of people. Tell me what you are good at not what categories you can were assigned after taking a quiz.

      Signature lines should contain your contact information and professional degrees, etc and even some of those could use condensing (CPA, yes, I do not care if you are a Six Sigma green belt), encouraging students to get into a habit of putting things like “woo” in their signature lines does them a huge disservice.
      1. Mystery Bookworm* October 31, 2019 at 5:44 am

         I’m not familiar with Strengths Finder, but to me the word “woo” has some negative connotations.
         1. Violet Fox* October 31, 2019 at 8:27 am

            It makes me think more of essential oil MLMs than it does anything to do with a university.
      2. Willis* October 31, 2019 at 6:46 am

         I couldn’t agree more. I don’t need your strengths, personality type, Disney character you most resemble or anything else from some quiz you took. Whatever you may think you would be telling me about your strengths, you would be showing that knowing what goes in a professional email isn’t one of them. It’s just weird and I hope OP has an opportunity to push back on it if students are being encouraged to do that.
         1. EPLawyer* October 31, 2019 at 8:58 am

            “Whatever you may think you would be telling me about your strengths, you would be showing that knowing what goes in a professional email isn’t one of them. ”

            This. This. This.

            You want to convey your strengths to the potential employer by showing your accomplishments. If you start off by showing you don’t even know how to do a professional email, that’s one strike already. An employer has to sort through a ton of resumes, why start yourself off headed to the no pile?
   2. Bagpuss* October 31, 2019 at 7:44 am

      Yes – when I saw the headline I thought it was about putting actual srengths, like “Agatha Christie – Strong Communication Skills”, which would be weird enough , but at least something where the reader / recipient could understand what you were saying.

      but if it is actually about jargon from a specifc programme it is going to be incomprehensible to the majority of e-mail recipients – so it’s justs clutter that detracts from whatever you are saying.

      OP, if you have any standing at all to do so, I would push beack very strongly against enouraging students to include this in anything that is going to go off-campus,.

      If you get nowhere, perhaps suggst to studnets that if they do add it, they put it in context (“StegthFinder Strengths Woo / Libra / Betazoid” (or whatever !) so at last there is some context, even if it is context which a lot of potential employers are likely to be ufamiliar with.
7. Confused* October 31, 2019 at 1:20 am

   OP5
   If you aggravate an old injury on the job it falls under work comp (of current job). Your boss may not want you to be doing it and take on the liability. It’s nice to help out but you should be clear if you’re not able to.
   1. OP #5* October 31, 2019 at 1:37 pm

      I should have clarified in my post. I aggravated the old injury outside of work, but doing this job (in this case it is heavy lifting) continues to aggravate it and cause problems.
8. Budgie Buddy* October 31, 2019 at 1:22 am

   Sympathy for LW #2. My grandmother’s hearing declined toward the end of her life, and she also strongly resisted hearing aids, even though her listening comprehension was way down and people had to literally yell into her ear for her to catch anything. Ultimately she was so self conscious at the idea of having something in her ear (something “old people” wear!) she couldn’t see either how much other people were affected or how her functionality was improved by the aid.

   I hope the suggestions from other people can help navigate this work situation. It seems like this issue is fraught with a lot of complicated emotions. I’m not sure bringing up the problems the staff is facing (such as trouble communicating or being distracted by loud music) will help because a person who is in denial about hearing loss may not be at a place where they can accept that what other people hear is materially different from what they hear. For example, if the boss perceives her music as being barely loud enough to hear, she may not believe employees who say it’s eardrum-shattering.
   1. Lynn Whitehat* October 31, 2019 at 8:21 am

      There’s an app for that. Seriously, using
      a decibel meter (even one on a phone) might be helpful because it’s objective. “This music is 85dB” might be harder to argue with than “it seems loud”.
      1. Ama* October 31, 2019 at 10:10 am

         That’s a good idea. Many years ago I worked in an office with terrible HVAC design so all the vents were at one end of a floor (that was a full city block long). The people at the end away from the vents would crank the a/c way up and freeze those of us on the vent end. We finally started keeping a thermometer at our desks and any time the temp dropped below 60 we’d complain, because that seemed to be the number at which even the crankiest maintenance staff agreed it was way too cold.

         Objective metrics can be really helpful in situations like this.
         1. Gumby* October 31, 2019 at 11:40 am

            I once had a maintenance person who was responding to complaints about it being too cold point a thingy towards the ceiling (I assume it measured temperature) and say, “It’s [68] in here, you’re fine.” What I wanted to say but didn’t, but might now, is, “I didn’t make a claim about what temperature it was, I said I was too cold. That is true regardless of whatever temperature you are measuring.” I was in an office that had a door and just wanted the vent closed. I wasn’t asking to change the temp for the whole building or anything.
            1. That Girl from Quinn's House* October 31, 2019 at 11:58 am

               Ugh I once got into a disagreement with our HVAC repair guy at work. The air in my area was too hot, and too humid. We had computerized console and he logged in and said, “No it says it’s perfect,” and I really pressed him to check.

               Turned out all of the sensors were broken, as were several of the motors, and all of the air filters were clogged. It took three followup visits over six weeks to get it working normally again.
         2. Shoes On My Cat* October 31, 2019 at 5:30 pm

            I used to work in an area of our building that was mostly unoccupied over the weekend so in a cost saving effort, engineering turned off the heat to that area AND space heaters were banned. This was workable until December. Then I’m typing away (I touch type-this is relevant), and have to keep going back and fixing mistakes, much more often than usual, like every other sentence. That’s when I realized I had gotten so cold my fingers were going numb! So I call Engineering and the dude tells me I should just jump up and down a few times and I’d be fine. WTF!!! So I told him that my high heals were equivalent to men’s size 7 and if he would come to my area, put on my shoes & do some jumping jacks, I’d let it go. ….The heat was turned on in less than five minutes. —The funniest part was that our Director of Engineering was horrified that I’d been working in those conditions, appalled at his staff person, congratulatory about my handling of the discussion…& then he confirmed that he at least could do jumping jacks in heels. (I heart that man, though not as much as his husband ;-)!)
9. phc jr.* October 31, 2019 at 2:25 am

   OP5: I would also let your boss know about your injury ASAP and explain that it means you can’t do physical labor on more than the very occasional basis you mentioned being OK with. Looping the boss in will cover your ass if your co-worker starts complaining to somebody else higher up about how you’re refusing to step up to help the company.
   1. OP #5* October 31, 2019 at 1:39 pm

      Yes, I think it’s time to loop them in and mention that I physically can’t do it, but also ask for clarification of responsibilities. What I don’t want to happen is for this work to fall to someone else who’s job it also isn’t with no clear plan moving forward.
      1. valentine* October 31, 2019 at 5:56 pm

         What I don’t want to happen is for this work to fall to someone else who’s job it also isn’t with no clear plan moving forward.
         If you’re not the director of this person’s department, why assign yourself this oversight?

         Also concerning is that you denied yourself breaks to do the work and the person is in a different building. Is this a “We need a strong man” thing? Is there literally no one in that building who can help? If there is, you can pitch in by delegating.
      2. Natalie* October 31, 2019 at 6:00 pm

         You mentioned elsewhere that your division or maybe the whole org is pretty understaffed. I’m definitely projecting from a recent experience, but it’s important that you not concern yourself with how management is going to resolve this. Their staffing issue is not your problem to solve, nor is other coworkers’ potential inability to draw their own boundaries. Be clear about what you physically can and cannot do and leave it there.
   2. It's a No From Me* November 1, 2019 at 2:36 pm

      I think it’s gotten to the point where OP can’t offer to help “on a very occasional basis”. Chances are, with people like the other worker who’s trying to make his problem OP’s problem to solve, “very occasional” will lead to being asked to help more. OP has to say “no” to any and all physical labor.
10. Beth* October 31, 2019 at 2:35 am

    Hearing loss runs in my family, with a fair number of us developing some degree of it at some point in middle- to old-age. Probably over half of my relatives over about 60 use hearing aids (and a few younger than that, depending on degree of hearing loss and personal choice). But even in that context, where they’re in wide use and not remarkable at all, the choice of whether and when to wear them is really personal! Even as family, I’d be hesitant to pressure someone who’d said they didn’t want to. There’s too much tied up in it.

    It’s one thing to say “Right now your music/talking is loud enough to cause XYZ problems, how do you want to handle this?” That’s fine and good. But it’s an entirely different thing to basically say “I know more about how you should manage your body/health/identity than you do,” and telling someone to use their hearing aid when you know they’ve decided not to has a high risk of coming off that way.
    1. WS* October 31, 2019 at 4:38 am

       Yes, the problem for the office is not the boss’s hearing loss, it’s the shouting and loud music. Plenty of people shout and play loud music without hearing loss being the issue, and it makes sense to treat it like any other time that this happens. If the boss wants to deal with the problem by using hearing aids, that’s fine. If they want to deal with it by turning down the music and letting people gesture to indicate when she’s too loud, also fine.
11. Ruth (UK)* October 31, 2019 at 4:00 am

    2. My previous job involved booking hearing aid appointments for people and I was surprised by how common it was for people to deny their hearing loss. Often, patients were bullies into attending their appointments by their spouses who were sick of having to shout all the time and have the TV on top volume. It was then another mission to get people to wear them. Once used to not having them, a lot of people found them annoying as they weren’t used to having to filter out all the extra sounds they didn’t want to hear – my grandpa (who was suuuuper deaf) was like this and almost never wore his for this reason.

    I realise this isn’t specific advice on your boss but it may interest or help you to realise that it appears to be weirdly common for people to both deny their hearing loss and resist their hearing aids, so it isn’t necessarily your boss being an especially stubborn person over this (compared to how many others behave over this issue)
    1. DaisyGrrl* October 31, 2019 at 8:36 am

       I started wearing hearing aids a few years ago and I found that it took me a good month of constantly wearing the hearing aids to get used to them. The office was suddenly sooo loud with the sounds of fluorescent lights and air vents, paper rustling, etc. It was exhausting (not hearing everything was also tiring, but in a different way). It took a while, but my brain slowly learned to filter out the new sounds and file them as “background noise.” My hearing aids were also itchy as heck at first!

       I think that the advice elsewhere to focus on the impact of the loud noises coming from the boss is the way to go. If the boss finds that everything is too loud while wearing her hearing aids, she may have some sympathy for everyone who hears her voice and music at top volume all the time.
    2. SarahKay* October 31, 2019 at 9:20 am

       Agreed. All my parents now wear hearing aids, but it took a while. Fortunately, Dad spotted he was always using subtitles when watching TV, so got tested and discovered there was a whole block of sound he was missing.
       Equally luckily, we’re in the UK, so his hearing aids came free (to him) on the NHS. About a week after he got them he rang me up and said “I can hear my clothes rustling! It’s amazing.”
       He then converted my stepdad, who got tested, got hearing aids, and discovered the wonder of full hearing. But it took quite a while for my stepdad to strongly persuade my Mum (who I’d known for a while was the worst of the lot, to the extent that when watching TV with her I’d put in earplugs loosely to reduce the volume) to go and get tested.
       For all three, their hearing aids came free on the NHS, so the cost barrier was removed, but it still took well over two years between me originally suggesting to Mum that her hearing wasn’t amazing, and her actually getting hearing aids. There’s definitely an age-related stigma to it – and of course it happens so slowly you don’t realise how much sound is gone until you get it back.
       1. Quill* October 31, 2019 at 9:41 am

          My mom has been resisting wearing reading glasses for years, but at least I don’t have to hear her squint. :)
          1. JustaTech* October 31, 2019 at 1:58 pm

             My MIL won’t wear her hearing aids (to the point that my husband and I wonder if she can’t hear us or she’s developing dementia), and for many, many years she wouldn’t wear her reading glasses in public.

             So she would ask me to read her the entire menu every time we went out to eat.
             1. Quill* October 31, 2019 at 5:00 pm

                My mother “why do they print the instructions so small?”

                Me “both your father and your mother were wearing glasses full time by your age, just go find your reading glasses.”
                1. Gazebo Slayer* October 31, 2019 at 10:42 pm

                   As someone who’s worn glasses full time since age 5 – and yes, the other kids gave me lots of crap about that – I find the “but glasses mean I’m oooold” mindset baffling and ridiculous!
    3. EventPlannerGal* October 31, 2019 at 9:45 am

       This is exactly the experience I had with my dad. My mum spent years trying to persuade him into going to an appointment; he’d been significantly hard of hearing since the age of, like, 12 probably (a lot of shooting with no earmuffs back in the 60s)? He went eventually, had a hearing aid fitted and has never worn it since because, I quote, he “doesn’t like hearing people talk all the time”. He spent fifty years hearing the world one way and it must have been a huge shock to suddenly start hearing it differently, so it’s pretty understandable. Perhaps the OPs boss had experienced something similar.
    4. Donkey Hotey* October 31, 2019 at 12:12 pm

       re: family members not using their aids.

       See, I take it as a sign when at family dinner parties, I can watch my father in law reach up and actively turn his hearing aids off. That’s him saying “I’m done with this BS.” We usually start getting ready to go shortly after.
12. Marlene* October 31, 2019 at 4:04 am

    #2 I have worn hearing aids since I was a small child, so I’ll weigh in with my personal opinion. Your boss may think differently.

    I have a moderate-severe/profound loss, so I have to wear mine pretty much all of my waking time. The current technology is incredible, BUT if you have a pair of hearing aids that don’t work for your own loss and needs, you can walk around unable to understand speech. Improper hearing aids can be worse than no hearing aids, especially for people who can reasonably function without them. I’m an experienced user and know when I need to adjust or exchange a new pair of hearing aids for a different model, but your boss may not. If she’s past the return time (90 days, generally) then she’s stuck. Hearing aids cost $5k a pair.

    Bottom line, wearing them is a personal choice that is often influenced by the quality of the hearing aids.

    On the other hand, she may appreciate hearing that her voice and music are loudly distracting other people. I would want to know because I can’t tell the volume of my own voice.

    Finally, hopefully her audiologist has informed her that Bluetooth compatibility is now standard in all new hearing aids. I listen to music from my phone at my office but stream it directly into my hearing aids. Pretty nifty, but I keep in mind that it will be harder to hear other people and I choose my listening time wisely. Also, I’m limited to listening through Bluetooth-compatible devices such as my phone.
    1. Betty* October 31, 2019 at 4:34 am

       I just wanted to say how cool it is that hearing aids can be Bluetooth compatible! Now that you’ve mentioned it, it seems pretty sensible (presumably you can take phone calls that way too?) but it never would have occurred to me.
       1. Marlene* October 31, 2019 at 4:39 am

          Yes, I can stream any sound on my phone directly to them. Phone calls, videos, you name it. I can also do it with iPads.
          1. curly sue* October 31, 2019 at 6:42 am

             These have been great in an academic context – I’ve used bluetooth mics before that students paired with their hearing aids during lecture.
             1. Ofotherworlds* October 31, 2019 at 4:39 pm

                The same tech is also great for churches too. My current parish is too small to afford it and has to rely on old fashioned speakers, but my mom’s church in Texas uses it with great success.
          2. College Career Counselor* October 31, 2019 at 10:14 am

             My father got hearing aids over the summer (FINALLY) and loves this function. He will also use his cell phone now, because those calls stream directly to his hearing aid. Also uses it for concerts, movies, etc. when he and my mother go out. It only took 15+ years to get him to do it, and he reported hearing his own footsteps for the first time in years. (I gather he thought he was particularly light on his feet. Reader, he is not.)
    2. Shenandoah* October 31, 2019 at 7:48 am

       To add in to your comments about cost – in the US, hearing aids are rarely covered by insurance for adults. It is BANANAS how expensive they are. (Shout out to Costco, where my husband got hearing aids for way less than the audiologist.)

       The technology really is incredible – my husband loves the Bluetooth stuff, but really really loves not having to ask people to repeat themselves and actually be able to hear what’s going on.
       1. DaisyGrrl* October 31, 2019 at 8:41 am

          Seconding Costco! I paid half what they would have cost elsewhere and would not have been able to afford them otherwise (am in Canada, my insurance covers a fraction of the normal cost of hearing aids). Also, the money I save on batteries covers the cost of my annual membership.
       2. I Will Steal Your Pen* October 31, 2019 at 9:34 am

          THey were considered cosmetic when I had them as a kid in 1985. I know now my parents had to borrow the money from my grandparents to pay for them, which makes me feel bad now for not always wearing them.

          IT saddens me to know they still aren’t covered well.
       3. Belle of the Midwest* October 31, 2019 at 10:50 am

          I have worn hearing aids for half my life. I’m 62. Costco’s are the best and ironically, far less expensive than the ones I got from anywhere else. I love them.
       4. JustaTech* October 31, 2019 at 2:01 pm

          Adam Savage (of Mythbusters) has done several podcasts about his hearing aids and how awesome the Bluetooth is and how he uses them.
    3. That Girl from Quinn's House* October 31, 2019 at 12:02 pm

       A plug in the US, most Costcos have a hearing aid center, and they are significantly cheaper there than elsewhere. Depending on your state’s law, you may not need to be a member to utilize this: some states ban member-only medical services, so you can use the pharmacy, optometry, and hearing aid centers without being a member. Call and see!
13. Betty* October 31, 2019 at 4:26 am

    #2: My mother became hard of hearing after a childhood illness, and I think it carried on getting marginally worse throughout her life. A year ago she FINALLY got hearing aids, and while it has been a big improvement in MY life, it hasn’t been plain sailing for her. One the one hand, conversations with her are much less frustrating for all parties and I can speak at a normal volume with her – but she still needs me to face her and enunciate more than I would for most people, and still misses stuff in loud environments.

    On the other hand, the last year has been one of difficult adaptation for her ears and brain, and it will never be like she has perfect hearing – it just augments what is available to her. Her brain had to learn from scratch to tune out a huge array of background noises that before she simply couldn’t hear – clocks ticking, cars driving past, the fabric of her jeans rustling! Her speech comprehension didn’t improve for several months after getting the hearing aids because it was being drowned out by a new cacophony of possibly-relevant-better-listen-equally-to-everything-and-see noises. She also has different loss in different places on the spectrum, so some voices are harder for her to understand than others if they’re particularly deep or high (I can’t remember which). It’s a bit like when you suddenly jump glasses prescription and your eyes kind of hurt for a bit before you adjust and can really see crisply again. Except it’s taken about a year for her ears and brain to adjust and she still doesn’t have (and will never have) perfect hearing.

    She also has added admin around them, which isn’t life-ruining but she does have to remember to put them in and change the batteries and carry spare batteries around and clean them and whatever else. Plus an initial series of checkups to make adjustments and now annual (?) checkups to keep them functioning optimally.

    She’s also taken to wearing her hair differently so people can’t see she has them in. *Shrug* If it were me I’d WANT people to see them so they knew I might have trouble hearing but each to their own. I think it is an “old people” thing whereas I’m 29 so don’t have that worry!

    Now that she’s over the (big!) adjustment hump I think she wishes she’d got them years ago, but it was a hard time and to be quite honest I think the benefits are bigger for other people (e.g. me not being told off for muttering all the time) than for her personally. Anyway, all that is to say that your boss might actually think that she can hear better without them, she might not realise (or care?) what trouble she is causing to others as it probably is more annoying for you than for her personally as she will have developed coping mechanisms for her current situation, and it’s not like she can just pop the hearing aids in and magically hear perfectly immediately. Not that this really helps you move forward, but I hope it might give a bit of perspective on why “just put your new hearing aids in!” isn’t actually going to fix things overnight.
    1. Marlene* October 31, 2019 at 4:32 am

       I love your comment. You hit the nail on the head, IMO, about the adjustment period for new hearing aid users.

       However, “Anyway, all that is to say that your boss might actually think that she can hear better without them.” If the hearing aids are poorly fitted or the wrong model for her needs, she MIGHT hear better without them. It’s well and good to take a year for the adjustment process, but you have to return hearing aids within 90 days or you’re stuck with them.
       1. Betty* October 31, 2019 at 4:37 am

          Yeah, I meant that she might think she can hear better without hearing aids in general. Which, if she doesn’t have the right hearing aids, might be actually true in this instance, and if she doesn’t have appropriate expectations about what changes in hearing to expect when and she won’t know what can be fixed and what she just has to live with. But again, only fixed to a certain extent.
          1. Marlene* October 31, 2019 at 4:44 am

             Thank you for saying only to a certain extent. YES!! I will always struggle. My audiologist told me that.
    2. BeenThere* October 31, 2019 at 10:49 am

       Your mother’s experience sounds just like mine. It’s taken me quite a while to get used to my hearing aids, and for other people to believe that I don’t have perfect hearing when wearing them.
       I don’t like wearing them because the world is just too noisy. I like my nice quiet world, so on weekends and holidays, I don’t wear them unless I’m doing something where I must interact with other people. I know this makes life more difficult for other people, so I try to make it easier on them by using close-captioning instead of turning the sound up on the TV, using headphones for music, and making sure I’m looking directly at anyone trying to talk to me.
       If the boss is denying her hearing loss, then it won’t occur to her to do any of these things.
       What finally got me to get hearing aids in the first place was when a co-worker had to chase me down the hall to get my attention. I hadn’t heard her talking to me as I walked away from her position. I was embarrassed, and that embarrassment finally got me into the audiologists office and hearing aids.
       I feel sorry for the boss. She probably knows there’s an issue and just can’t deal with it.
       1. Betty* October 31, 2019 at 5:44 pm

          I’ve got to admit, it’s improved my relationship with my mother since she got them. It has improved actual conversation somewhat as she can hear more of what I say, but it’s mainly her admitting that she has a problem and me making an effort to be less irritated with her because I tell myself she has made all the effort she can and it’s not her fault if she still can’t catch some things. We’ve basically stopped blaming each other all the time after literally decades of thinking the other wasn’t trying hard enough . I have VOWED to my husband most solemnly that ANY TIME he wants me to take a hearing test I will, to avoid the low-level accusations of mumbling and borderline lying about what sounds are occurring. Old age deafness runs in my family do I’m sure I’ll start losing my hearing at some point and hey, if I don’t think I’m going deaf then ha ha the test will prove it!
    3. Donkey Hotey* October 31, 2019 at 12:15 pm

       re: the vanity aspect.
       My mother would wear her (prescription) sunglasses into a movie theater and then swap out for non-tinted lenses once the movie started so no one would see her wearing glasses. That was 30 years ago. Now, we’re beginning the struggle over hearing aides. I can hardly wait.
14. Pickles* October 31, 2019 at 6:47 am

    StrengthsFinder 2.0 was the most accurate of any of these tests I’ve ever seen. You take a 177 question Gallup poll on yourself. Quite detailed, and very hard to “force” the right answers.

    I’d actually really love to know people’s strengths, but only because I started seeing correlations when my organization offered it. Right as I was saying, “hey, looks like the people who are most successful in this job have one of these categories” and was about to ask to collect more data for an actual study, we apparently found a good deal and switched to DISC instead.

    Uh, “woo” is a rare one here. Building full of introverts. Context, learning, input, analytical, and a few others were much more common. Still can’t think of how this would come up in any email, resume, or interview conversation without seeming really weird.

    For those interested, here’s an overview of the themes.
    https://www.strengthsquest.com/193541/themes-full-description.aspx
15. Lupin Lady* October 31, 2019 at 6:55 am

    On the hearing aid topic, I’ve been diagnosed with hearing loss following a concussion, but ultimately returned my aids.

    My dad only wears his hearing aids at family functions when he doesn’t want to be left out of the conversation. I don’t know if the boss in this situation requires people to talk louder, but maybe staying with a regular volume yourself will cue them that there is an issue.
16. Arctic* October 31, 2019 at 7:18 am

    Under no circumstances should you tell your boss to wear her hearing aides. 1) They just plain don’t always work for some people suffering hearing loss. 2) They have to he carefully fitted and calibrated and that can cost a fortune and isn’t always covered by insurance. Even if she is a high earner you don’t know her financial situation. 3) Even if they work and are perfectly fitted and calibrated it is a huge adjustment period and can be a disaster in a loud open environment (like… an office.)

    They are amazing when they work for a person. But even then they aren’t magic cures for deafness. They aren’t glasses for the ears.

    I think you can go to your boss and say “this is the problem and let’s think of solutions.” Not dictate treatment for her medical problem.
    1. I Will Steal Your Pen* October 31, 2019 at 9:31 am

       I shared my personal experience with hearing aids as a 10 year old below. But you basically put it way better than I did! I (maybe wrongfully) assume you’re not in them yourself but this is spot on! Even with hearing aids my hearing wasn’t corrected even close to 100% unlike my glasses which make me 20/20. The glasses analogy is awesome…and one I wish I could’ve articulated as a child.

       And you brought up another great point. My parents had to pay out of pocket for my hearing aids as insurance considered them cosmetic. Of course this was 1985, so hopefully that is t the case. But knowing the insurance industry I’m betting they aren’t covered 109%
       , and between the fitting and the devices they are not cheap.
    2. Helena* October 31, 2019 at 9:31 am

       “They aren’t glasses for the ears”

       This. A telescope for the ears would be a closer analogy in terms of the intrusiveness and the fact they amplify ambient noise too, and you can imagine how annoying it would be to have to hold up a telescope every time you want to see something.
    3. Emelle* October 31, 2019 at 7:26 pm

       Yup, I have idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (a fancy was of saying all the sudden I lost my hearing and no one knows why) and I am completely deaf in one ear. Hearing aids are not going to do anything for me. I have tried several. I am going to try a different doc soon, but I don’t foresee anything new.
       I do have bone conductor headphones which are amazing for anything that I can Bluetooth connect to! They work well with my type of hearing loss.
17. Falling Diphthong* October 31, 2019 at 7:26 am

    There are very few fields where signing yourself as a “woo maximlizer” is going to strike people as a plus.

    LW, I would not put the traits in the signature, lose the sign, and explain toward the end of the 1 credit course that the test is useful for learning some things about yourself, but will strike most people as odd in an email signature or resume. “Things that are normal in one context can stick out negatively in another context” is a perfectly fine life skill to impart to your young people before their first internships.
    1. LW#1* October 31, 2019 at 2:10 pm

       I think that’s a good way to frame it for the students!
18. Wordnerd* October 31, 2019 at 7:48 am

    The thing about strengths funder that makes my editor heart sad is the non-parallelism of the strengths. Some are nouns, and some are adjectives. Please. Make. Up. Your. Mind.
    1. Wordnerd* October 31, 2019 at 7:51 am

       Yikes, typo in an “editor” comment!
       1. Scarlet* October 31, 2019 at 9:01 am

          Where? I missed it.
          1. Wordnerd* October 31, 2019 at 10:09 am

             “funder” instead of “finder”!
       2. ChimericalOne* October 31, 2019 at 9:23 am

          Happens to the best of us. :)
    2. ChimericalOne* October 31, 2019 at 9:23 am

       Ugh, I hate things like that!
    3. KayDeeAye (formerly Kathleen_A)* October 31, 2019 at 11:12 am

       Nah, don’t worry about it. All you’ve done is demonstrate how important editors are! :-)
    4. Fabulous* October 31, 2019 at 11:32 am

       OMG! I hadn’t noticed this but wholeheartedly agree!

       On a similar vein, my company’s list of “values” does the same thing – switches between verbs and adjectives. IT WOULD LITERALLY BE SO EASY TO FIX IT.
19. TotesMaGoats* October 31, 2019 at 8:31 am

    #1-I actually teach a course on personal and professional business skills at my university. I’ve used many of the letters here as fodder for conversation. It’s great and I love it. Before I started teaching the course, the other faculty had students do Strengths Quest. I stopped because outside of higher ed career services and student affairs type roles, this is completely useless information. If you want to do an assessment. Do a DISC assessment. Or Strong Interest Inventory. Or MBTI for that matter. That said, none of those results should appear on email signatures either.

    My advice to my students is that these assessments are interesting and can provide insight on your personality but it’s a point in time assessment. You will change as you mature and experience more. I was as much introverted as the scale could be going into college, now? About as far the other way as you can get.
    1. Pippa K* October 31, 2019 at 9:31 am

       My university started using Strengths Finder for first-year students and in some advising contexts. They did it over the objections of the faculty; professors in the education department in particular pointed out the various ways in which this tool is either nonsense or actually problematic. But my university makes a lot of these decisions without faculty input, and objecting after the fact doesn’t change anything. It’ll probably die out soon and be replaced by some other useless thing – they’re such suckers for academic “tool” marketing, but there’s never more money for actual core academic functions. Sigh. Is ‘exhausted cynicism’ a Strength?
    2. BigTenProfessor* October 31, 2019 at 9:58 am

       I wonder if OP is from my university, because it’s happening here. I have advised many students that this stuff does not belong on your resume, let alone email signature.
20. dedicated1776* October 31, 2019 at 8:37 am

    For #2, I’m not sure how high up your boss is but I worked at a place where someone got fired because she flatly refused to wear her hearing aids, which made it impossible for anyone (including her grandboss, the CFO) to communicate with her. As far as I know, she never asked for any other accommodation–she was just happy to not hear anyone or anything. At work, you can’t do that.
    1. Scarlet* October 31, 2019 at 9:00 am

       That’s sad. I am trying to get my BF to wear hearing aids and he refuses as well. I hope it’s not affecting him at work like your coworker.
    2. I Will Steal Your Pen* October 31, 2019 at 9:25 am

       If she didn’t ask for an accommodation and the the company knew she had a disability they Have a duty under theADA to have an interactive conversation with her. And then if she didn’t comply after that, then there are measures to take IM hoping for both the employee and the company that is what played out.
21. Thankful for AAM* October 31, 2019 at 8:51 am

    Re the hearing issue
    I saw advice to say, “May I ask you to lower your voice a little, it’s uncomfortably loud right now.”
    Can I use that with patrons in the public library? Anyone with experience have advice?
    Libraries are not the shhhh, quiet! Places of the past but we still have limits. There are 3 or 4 older male patrons who come in regularly and who appear not to hear well. They shout very loudly when they come to the desk. I have struggled with what to say and I love that line.
    Thanks for any advice.
    1. Koala dreams* October 31, 2019 at 6:30 pm

       I don’t have experience, but I think it’s fine. Sure, libraries are not that quiet nowadays, but people still know there are limits. So it’s fine to tell the visitors to speak in lower voice.
22. BubbleButt* October 31, 2019 at 8:55 am

    OP1 – You’re on the right track. Putting your strengths in your email signature is about as cringe-y as putting your pronouns or a quote in it! Name, address, email, and possibly a legal line (i.e “this email contains sensitive and privileged info…”) are all that is necessary.

    All that being said, I would opt on the side of quietly not doing it.
    1. EPLawyer* October 31, 2019 at 9:04 am

       Pronouns should be there. So people know the correct form of address. That is not the same as putting in junk sciencey things like your Meyers-Briggs personality type or this Strength Finder thing that is solely designed to make Strength Finder money.
       1. Pommette!* October 31, 2019 at 11:20 am

          Yup! Knowing how to correctly address and refer to coworkers is useful and enables me to treat them with politeness and respect. Knowing that they are woo-masters is not.

          I work with a large network of coworkers and project partners, most of whom I have never met, and most of whom live in countries whose naming traditions I am unfamiliar with. Pronouns are always a challenge: the English language requires their use, they are gendered, and I often have no idea what my remote coworkers’ gender is. Having that information makes it easier to treat people politely. It’s useful for people who don’t “read” as their gender or who often get mis-gendered during in-person interactions, which is important. But it’s useful for everyone else to!
    2. Witchy Human* October 31, 2019 at 9:25 am

       I know of a few nonprofits and schools that ask their employees to put their pronouns as part of their official email signature, and hopefully it will become more common.

       It’s a good thing. Not only for the employee who is addressed with the right pronouns (obvs super important) but also for clients/volunteers/students who will get the message that they’re in an environment where they can feel welcome and supported in asserting their gender identity, because God knows they encounter enough environments where they’re not.
       1. BubbleButt Supporter* October 31, 2019 at 10:02 am

          Removed. You can’t do that here. Please move on. – Alison
    3. Bagpuss* October 31, 2019 at 10:01 am

       I agree that quotes and strengths are inappropriat, but pronouns are very diferent.

       They are more comparable to having your title – whether it is “Ms Jane Doe” or “Jane Doe, Head of LLama Wrangling Services”
       They provide relevant information.
    4. Marny* October 31, 2019 at 10:45 am

       To me, putting in the strengths is even worse than an inspirational quote in a signature line.
       1. It's a No From Me* November 1, 2019 at 2:43 pm

          Agree, because a quote is more likely to be comprehensible to people who speak the same language.
    5. cmcinnyc* October 31, 2019 at 1:54 pm

       Huge side-benefit to pronouns in signatures for me: 1) learning the usual gender assignment of certain Totally Foreign To Me first names that I used to have to Google, as in, is LMNOP a girls name or a boys name? 2) confirmation from all you Jamies and Jordans and Bretts out there if you’re a Ms. or a Mr., and 3) getting to use Mx. on the They people and buying myself and my boss some goodwill in case we mess up later or need to ask a question that would be awkward if we didn’t have any heads up. I love it! All good. No cringing.
    6. LW#1* October 31, 2019 at 2:13 pm

       Pronouns in signatures are getting more common on our campus. I’m on board with that for a bunch of reasons mentioned above, as long as it’s not mandatory.
23. Rob aka Mediancat* October 31, 2019 at 8:55 am

    If I saw “relator” attached to someone’s business email signature I’d wonder why they were promoting their real estate business, and misspelling words to boot.
    1. Observer* October 31, 2019 at 11:49 am

       LOL

       But 100 true.
24. CupcakeCounter* October 31, 2019 at 9:04 am

    #1 – you are right and they are weird

    #3 – My MIL is very hard of hearing and refused hearing aids. It made for some frustrating, embarrassing, and at time really funny moments. She was once nodding and smiling when someone is telling her about their cancer diagnosis and recent death of a family member and responded with “that’s nice”. Several of us were there and helped fix the situation and when we were mad at her she simply proclaimed “well I can’t hear” and walked away feeling sorry for herself. There were several car accidents because she couldn’t hear people honking or the train bell across rural tracks. When my husband and I got pregnant with our son, I told her a few days after our announcement that if she didn’t get hearing aids she would not ever be allowed to be alone with our child. No babysitting, overnights, etc… She thought I was the worst person on the planet and was incredibly hurt. Hubs backed me up 100% and so did my FIL. By the time my baby shower rolled around she was still hurt and a little sulky but one of her cousins (who had grandkids and was crowing about how much fun she had with them so my MIL was complaining a bit about our ultimatum) supported me and told her to stop being selfish, stubborn, and vain. Went in for the kill and said “how would you feel if the baby monitor went off indicating that Grandson had stopped breathing and you didn’t hear it? It would be your fault if he died of SIDS…could you live with that? You can’t hear the oven timer, laundry buzzer, or the freaking doorbell – how are you supposed to care for a child that is completely dependent on your for its survival if you can’t hear him crying?” She made the appointment the following Monday and had her hearing aids before he was born.
    Your boss is going to miss extremely important information that could seriously impact the company or make a serious gaff and alienate an employee or customer/vendor. she needs to be informed that she can’t hear well and it is impacting others negatively. Say all of this is a normal voice. If she does hear you, you will know because the response will not be “I see your point and will wear my hearing aids”. There will either be a lot of WHAT??? I didn’t hear that or some kind of neutral answer that doesn’t commit to anything because she didn’t hear it. Maybe a request to email the specifics so she doesn’t forget to look into it. But stop speaking loudly to accommodate her. Close her office door and say that the music is too loud and disrupting the rest of the employees. You have to make it her problem to deal with.
    1. Dahlia* October 31, 2019 at 10:39 am

       People who can’t hear can take care of babies just fine. Video baby moniters are very affordable. Not to mention you could, like… touch the baby.
       1. Pommette!* October 31, 2019 at 11:28 am

          Definitely!
          At the same time, there is a difference between people who can’t hear or are hard of hearing and set up their safety and communication systems accordingly (light alarms on the phone and baby monitor; use of speech-to-text software to communicate with coworkers; etc.), and people who are hard of hearing but pretend not to be!
          1. CupcakeCounter* October 31, 2019 at 12:06 pm

             This. She was not using any of the technological options to aid her. She was going about her business acting as if nothing was an issue and there had been numerous safety issues (including not hearing a fire alarm at work) so it was our Hill to Die On.
          2. That Girl from Quinn's House* October 31, 2019 at 12:08 pm

             Imagine you’re doing overnight babysitting and are sleeping. The smoke alarm goes off and you don’t hear it. Do you wake up from the heat/smell of smoke in time to get the baby out? Or do you both just quietly asphyxiate in your sleep from smoke inhalation?

             Someone who knows they are hard of hearing would have a light-and-vibration based smoke alarm and this wouldn’t be an issue. Someone who is hard of hearing but insists they are not, it very much would be.
             1. Pommette!* October 31, 2019 at 1:21 pm

                Exactly!
                I understand being in denial about a change in your abilities. But the denial is a danger and a problem.
       2. blackcat* October 31, 2019 at 11:36 am

          Yeah, and I’m not a doctor, but it’s actually my understanding that in true cases of SIDS, CPR or other resuscitation efforts will not be successful. It’s different from suffocation, and it may not originate with the cardiovascular or respiratory systems.
          BUT what makes someone a dangerous caregiver is if they don’t know their limitations. My mom got a permanent babysitting ban because she lied to me about her doctor’s lifting restrictions. She dropped the baby, but he was fine since she only dropped him onto the couch. Babies get dropped. They’re sturdy. Accidents happen. But she *knew* she couldn’t lift my large baby safely. Or, really, her doctor knew and she was in denial.
          So someone with hearing loss who accepted it wouldn’t worry me. But someone with hearing loss who is in denial to the point of getting in car accidents isn’t a safe caregiver for a child.

          The analogy here is that PLENTY of people with hearing loss of all varieties cope in the workplace. But what those folks have in common is that they make a conscious effort to cope.
       3. Observer* October 31, 2019 at 11:52 am

          That’s not the issue – the issue is that MIL was acting as though she could hear when she couldn’t. And THAT is dangerous. REALLY dangerous.
       4. Amethyst* October 31, 2019 at 4:35 pm

          Exactly.

          Major caveat here for people mentioning vibrating alarms & whatnot: They’re still much more expensive than the average person can afford to pay–at least they were about a decade ago (not sure about now). My Deaf sister is looking for an alarm clock that comes with an outlet on the back of it so she can plug in a lamp that’ll turn on when her alarm goes off. You can’t find that anymore & now it’s extremely expensive to buy one. They used to be everywhere back in the 80s, & for a much more reasonable price. She can’t rely on her phone as the vibration isn’t strong enough against her mattress, or she loses it to the side of her bed sometime during the night.

          My parents are Deaf, as are a number of my relatives, & all of them managed to raise their children without issue, without any of the tech we have available today. The borderline hysterical “What if you can’t hear the fire alarm!?” is a waste of time, IMHO, & only is brought up by people who have had no experience interacting with d/Deaf people. That’s YOUR fear as a person with normal hearing function. Deaf people have adapted for centuries, & everyone’s fully capable of figuring out what works best for them in whatever emergency/crisis situation happens. People will ALWAYS figure out a way to do X.
          1. Observer* October 31, 2019 at 5:35 pm

             Nope. Whether or not people use all of this tech is not the issue. The issue is that people who are deaf generally know what their limitations are and find a way to work around them. If someone insists that they are FINE when they aren’t that poses a real risk.

             “What if you don’t hear the alarm” is not “borderline hysterical” – it actually DOES happens.
          2. SimplyTheBest* October 31, 2019 at 5:45 pm

             Your parents and sister presumably know they are deaf, though, and have work arounds, coping methods, and accommodations. Someone who refuses to acknowledge they have limitations or a disability is different.
          3. JKP* October 31, 2019 at 7:48 pm

             Has your Deaf sister looked for a sunrise alarm clock? They’re not specifically marketed for the Deaf, but they use light to wake up. I have one that works great for me. There are a bunch of different ones on Amazon.
          4. nonegiven* October 31, 2019 at 11:55 pm

             Can one of those new fangled Google Home or Alexa things be programmed to turn a light on at a certain time?
             1. Observer* November 1, 2019 at 1:21 pm

                Very, very easily. And it’s not terribly expensive if you do it right. Not pocket change, but you don’t have to spend a gazillion dollars. And, in most cases, you wind up with a lot of additional useful functionality.
25. Thankful for AAM* October 31, 2019 at 9:08 am

    Re the strengths finder: tldr, boss assigned me projects based on the wrong strengths so here is how it can go wrong

    My bosses boss did something like the strenths finder and loved it so much she brought it to our workplace. But for the whole year between her taking the assessment and when I took it, she had been assigning me projects based on her sense of my personality and strengths.

    They were not projects that suited my personality and strengths. She was so surprised when she saw my category that she blurted out that she was sure I was another category and had been directing my boss to assign me projects accordingly.

    It was fine, I’ll do all the tasks, but what if she had really impacted my career with her misguided assessment of me? I also felt like she put me in a box, “here is what Thankful does,” and did not leave room for other options.
    1. Retail Therapist* October 31, 2019 at 9:17 am

       Wow. I’ve taken the StrengthsFinder, but thought that it was one of those ‘do nothing’ sort of exercises, where everyone takes it, they all compare their similarities and then forget about it.

       I wonder if anyone else here has had work assigned to them based on their results.

       (FWITW – I hated my results, which basically said I am a robot and my skills are not people based. Of course I’m in a people based job.)
       1. LW#1* October 31, 2019 at 2:15 pm

          I think my results make me sound unbelievably boring and cautious. That might be true, but I don’t want to post a sign on my door saying it!
26. TooTiredToThink* October 31, 2019 at 9:12 am

    #2 – This may not be the best of ideas; and I don’t think this should be the 1st or 2nd choice for how to approach this – but what about using a tool to monitor the decibels coming out of the radio (not her voice tho!) and show exactly how much louder it is than say a radio that a coworker is playing and then show what the research shows about what is considered a “normal” volume (or even look at OSHA guidelines).

    I say all of this because I used to sit near someone that when ever they were on the phone they were so very loud that I couldn’t concentrate. It would stress me out so badly too, because I couldn’t work. One day I downloaded an app on my phone because I was curious (I have no idea if the decibel readers that can be downloaded work all that well or not). And it was registering pretty loudly. I eventually just started taking my breaks whenever they were on the phone since it wasn’t really that often, and that worked well until the moved to another part of the building (whoot!)
    1. I Will Steal Your Pen* October 31, 2019 at 9:21 am

       But if she doesn’t have the reference to know just how loud she is, this may not resonate with her. As a kid I was constantly being told to turn the tv down when I could barely hear it. It wasn’t until I had my hearing corrected that I realized just how loud it was for everyone else.

       While this is in not way the OPs responsibility, someone trusted needs to help guide her in the right direction. I fear that the Op telling her would be humiliating. I know it was for me and it was my loved ones telling me.
       1. TooTiredToThink* October 31, 2019 at 9:51 am

          That’s why I was suggesting comparing the output of her radio to other sources. Like I just googled this (I would include the link but it would go into moderation) and it was a chart that said this:

          Office noise, inside car at 60 mph 70

          Vacuum cleaner, average radio 75

          Heavy traffic, window air conditioner, noisy restaurant, power lawn mower 80–89 (sounds above 85 dB are harmful)

          Subway, shouted conversation 90–95

          So now… if they run a decibel meter and they show her radio is at say 85, they can show her proof that her radio is too loud.

          Like I said as well, I don’t think this should be the 1st or 2nd choice for trying to convince her to lower the radio, but if everything else had failed, I might just have to show her the data.
       2. That Girl from Quinn's House* October 31, 2019 at 12:12 pm

          We have the reverse of this in my house! My mom grew up with a partially hearing impaired parent. Her hearing is fine, but her idea of the TV being on “normal” is WAY louder than most other people’s normal.

          To add to this, my dad and I have super sensitive spy hearing. We think Volume 10 out of 100 is fine and everything else is too loud.
          1. Koala dreams* October 31, 2019 at 6:35 pm

             We have this problem in my family too. Luckily, my dad finally convinced my mum to wear cordless earphones when watching tv. She can have high volume, and the rest of us can have low volume.
27. I Will Steal Your Pen* October 31, 2019 at 9:15 am

    For OP 2

    While I can’t speak for your boss, I had to wear hearing aids as a child (from 10 to 20 when I had my hearing corrected surgically) and had a lot of issues with them. Now this was the 80s so hopefully technology has improved a bit. With hearing aids, you don’t hear “normally”. It’s hard to explain but being able to have the ability to compare, the hearing you get with a hearing aid just sounds different. You know when their in because having hearing loss, you can still tell the difference between real hearing and elevated volume hearing. It’s SOO hard to explain. And even with hearing aids you don’t hear everything like you do with “normal” hearing. For example, when they removed the packing from my ear, I heard a buzzing sound. It turned out to be the buzzing of the lights.

    So it’s possible that she doesn’t like or can’t get used to the way sounds sound with them In.

    They’re also uncomfortable. The feeling of having something in your ear was something I could never get used to. I’ve had both in and out of the ear hearing aids. I was always uncomfortable. It also didn’t help that I had big ol glasses too. But I was never able to get used to it. And in my case teachers were constantly telling me to wear them, and even worse called my parents often to tell them I wasn’t.

    I don’t know her medical condition to know if this is a gradual hearing loss or something she’s had for a while. But I had my hearing corrected starting in 1997, and to this day my doctor says I still read lips. So I winder if she is as well.

    I’m not even bringing up the difficulties it is being a child with them since it doesn’t apply here but maybe it does? There’s a chance she is self conscious but I can’t speak for wearing them as an adult. I’m hoping for kids that wear them now that they’re treated better than I was. But luckily they have the in the ears ones now. I didn’t get those until I was 16.

    So this MAY be some of it for her. But just keep that in mind. Hopefully she’ll cone to realize that they’re more beneficial than without them. I wish my pride and self consciousness didn’t keep me from wearing them – I would have had a way better learning experience. It’s really tough to not be able to hear everything. And I can only imagine it’s worse when you can hear some stuff and not others. I can’t speak for someone who has complete hearing loss, but it’s frustrating when you can’t make out everything’s going on. And constantly telling someone you couldn’t hear something is embarrassing. To this day I have trouble admitting I can’t hear – but twice in my adult life I’ve had to have revision surgery so I’m always worried about that. Ear surgery is hella painful and takes months to fully recover from.

    Anyway, that’s just my experience which may be hers as well. But maybe not…
28. AndersonDarling* October 31, 2019 at 9:15 am

    I had a short stint at a company that required StrengthFinder strengths be put in your email signature and displayed on your cube. As a woman in a male dominated industry, I did not want female related strengths like Restorative, Harmony, Empathy, Connectedness, or Arranger listed on every stinking email I sent. So I cheated. I picked out the strong sounding strengths, read their descriptions, and answered the questions so those attributes dominated.
    I would have been curious as to my actual results, but there was way to much risk. I was not going to have “Harmony” and “Empathy” printed in big letters on my cube wall. My life is hard enough without my company labeling me.
    1. Sal* October 31, 2019 at 11:55 am

       Totally agree. I haven’t taken the test but I just went and looked through the strengths. I would most likely score strong on harmony, empathy, connectedness etc. because those are somewhat aligned with my core beliefs about the world. But I’m and engineer with mostly male coworkers and I’m also very analytical! It’s just not the most important thing in my LIFE and I will, in a personal setting, try to find common ground with people over just being “right.”

       I actually think these strengths help me at work, I’ve been praised on being able to connect with people more so than a “typical” engineer, and in a work context it has helped to be able to understand where other people are coming from, rather than the more type-A personalities who just see the world as black and white and see other people as messing up. However, I don’t think it would be a good idea to display that on my cube.
    2. Observer* October 31, 2019 at 11:56 am

       So much for all the people who say that you “can’t” game the test.
       1. AndersonDarling* October 31, 2019 at 1:48 pm

          I know! And it was much easier to game than I thought based on all the hype about no one being able to cheat or influence the results. Futurist was the easiest because the questions all used the word “future.”
          If I wasn’t sure what to do with a question, I just let it time out. Once I figured out the flow of the questions and the rating system, I easily pushed the results where I needed them.
    3. LW#1* October 31, 2019 at 3:03 pm

       The labeling is another thing that bothers me about this. I’m a woman in a male-dominated subject. To be honest, I didn’t think about the university actually using my results for anything, so the placard was an unpleasant surprise. It’s currently in my filing cabinet.
29. Batgirl* October 31, 2019 at 9:16 am

    OP5 “Well what am I supposed to do?” is a trick designed to tease out problem solvers who will leap right in to halp. Some of us can’t leave that itch unscratched.
    Here are some ironic solutions!
    – “I have no idea! Bye!”
    – “Yeah that’s a pickle. Good luck with that”.
    – “Hmm. Let me know if you figure it out”
    – “I don’t know, what are you planning to do about it?”
    – “Oh I would never presume to tell you what to do”
    Etc…
    1. OP #5* October 31, 2019 at 1:42 pm

       Yes, I am definitely a “problem solver” who wants to be helpful, but it also leaves me in places where I often get taken advantage of. These are great suggestions, thanks! I am partial to the last one myself.
30. Aquawoman* October 31, 2019 at 9:19 am

    I have taken strengths finder and found it useful. It actually made up my mind for me to apply for my current job, which I love. That said, I wouldn’t put them in my signature line, because it would be confusing and I frankly dislike anything “extra” in a sig line. But I also think people are caught up a little on the term “woo” which just means you can entice people/basically charisma. The problem is mainly that they all tend to require some explanation (e.g., mine included relator, individualization, and input, none of which are obvious in meaning). That seems to be mainly marketing for the company.
    1. Aquawoman* October 31, 2019 at 9:24 am

       Wanted to amend: I appreciate people putting their pronouns in their sig lines, but not quotes, mottoes, exhortations, etc.
    2. Observer* October 31, 2019 at 11:58 am

       It doesn’t matter what the descriptor means. It matters that the term as it stands has extremely negative connotations, so putting where people who don’t know about this particular meaning are going to see and – and judge you accordingly – is a TERRIBLE idea for someone who needs to find a job in a competitive market.
       1. SimplyTheBest* October 31, 2019 at 5:39 pm

          It really doesn’t. Woo is just a regular word (to woo: to seek the favor, affection, or love of). Some people also use it in slang terms (woo girls, new age-y woo woo, etc) but even those aren’t the “extremely negative” terms you seem to think they are.
          1. Alenyaka* October 31, 2019 at 6:03 pm

             woo stands for “Winning Others Over”
          2. Arts Akimbo* October 31, 2019 at 8:12 pm

             But the fact that they *are* extremely negative for some people is reason to eschew putting them on your emails when job-searching.
          3. Peter* November 1, 2019 at 6:57 am

             Look up the definition of woo on rational wiki and you’ll realise why it’s such a negative term.
          4. Observer* November 1, 2019 at 1:23 pm

             In a work context “woo” *IS* most definitely negative. Especially for a new graduation (never mind a woman!) the connotations are just not good.
31. Dust Bunny* October 31, 2019 at 9:25 am

    Physical labor: Your employer needs to get somebody else to *officially* help this guy with this work. We have a specific guy here who does a lot of the lifting stuff, and couple more people who are his official back-up/assistants as needed, in addition to their other duties. When I applied for my job, the top two requirements were that I have a BA and that I could lift and carry 50 pounds up and down the stairs. But we all went into our jobs knowing that lifting stuff was part of the deal. I assume you didn’t, and you definitely can’t risk further re-injury.
    1. VictorianCowgirl* October 31, 2019 at 12:22 pm

       Yes. Not only that, but if you’re working at a task that falls outside of your workman’s comp code, which would be different for an office worker vs a warehouse worker, that can cause the company huge headaches if you do get injured at work, which OP did.
       1. OP #5* October 31, 2019 at 1:51 pm

          My coworkers job is not a warehouse job, but it requires a good bit of physical labor, carrying, heavy lifting, moving items, on your feet work etc. The workman’s comp code is an interesting thought. I will have to look more into it.
    2. OP #5* October 31, 2019 at 1:47 pm

       Yes. I expected a few basic lifting things that I mentioned in my comment and am fully willing to assist with and am capable of. But not this much. I need to ask for an official call on this for sure.

       I do think part of the problem is that it’s a non-profit, and so there’s this sense of “we all need to pitch in” but when it’s consistently someone else’s job then you are right there has to be an official line drawn and job duties appropriately assigned so I’m not scrambling and everyone isn’t frustrated.
32. Bunny Girl* October 31, 2019 at 9:33 am

    Solidarity to #5 honestly. I have a spinal injury and a crappy upper back/neck/shoulder situation from a car accident a couple years ago. I don’t need any accommodations for my day to day activities, but our department head keeps asking myself and the other administration team (all women and all quite small) to do pretty physical labor like moving heavy pieces of furniture because he “doesn’t want faculty to hurt their backs.” I remind him every time that I can’t do that. Plus we have a whole team of the company that’s dedicated to doing just that so I’m not sure why he keeps asking us to do it.
    1. I Will Steal Your Pen* October 31, 2019 at 9:41 am

       Wait, what? That is quite literally facilities’ jobs! They’re supposed to do the heavy lifting! Plus from a workers comp perspective alone you shouldn’t be ng see tasks when you have someone whose job descriptions have it expressly mentioned. And even if lifting is mentioned in your JD, it typically refers to lifting files or reams of paper.

       Grrrrrr. *facepalm*
       1. SimplyTheBest* October 31, 2019 at 1:52 pm

          I think you misread – Bunny Girl wrote “so FACULTY won’t hurt their backs.” Not facilities.
    2. Bagpuss* October 31, 2019 at 10:07 am

       Could you and the other staff being asked start by responding “Sure, I’ll call the facilities team for you”
       Which doubles up as reminding him that there are people who are responsible for this stuff while t the same time being helpful.
       If he actually makes a comment about not wanting faculty to hurt their backs I personally would be inclined to respond with something like “But you’re Ok with me and the other admins injuring ours?” – i.e. call out how how illogical he is being.
       1. Bunny Girl* October 31, 2019 at 10:20 am

          We do remind him to call. I always say Hey I can’t help because of my back. I don’t think it helps that I’m fairly young and young people can’t have bad backs already! Huge eye roll. His problem is he always wants things done right this second, and we have one facility team that covers a huge company so they aren’t exactly quick on the draw. Which is totally understandable.
          1. Gazebo Slayer* November 1, 2019 at 9:34 am

             If he wants it done right away, he can do it himself rather than ask someone with a spinal injury to do it!
    3. Ama* October 31, 2019 at 10:24 am

       I would just add that it might be worth making a contact at the team that does physical labor and see if there is a written policy in existence about their team being the ONLY people who should be doing physical labor. I know we used to have one when I worked in university administration — I moved offices once and I was told that I was under no circumstances allowed to move the file boxes or my desktop computer and monitor, even though it was literally 50 feet. I would bet if there is a designated team for this, there is some kind of policy in existence.

       Then you can do what I used to do whenever my bosses were trying to make me do something that wasn’t in line with university policy and forward the policy saying, “so I recently learned that we’re not supposed to be moving heavy items — the university actually requires us to use the Assets Team for this. Just wanted to make sure you were aware for the next time this comes up.”
       1. Bunny Girl* October 31, 2019 at 11:38 am

          Oh I’ll try that! Thank you! I’m not sure why my damaged spine isn’t enough for my boss but I guess what can you do?
    4. That Girl from Quinn's House* October 31, 2019 at 12:14 pm

       One thing I’d be sure to check, for that LW, is if their job description has any physical requirements of the job in it.

       One place I worked, had “must be able to lift 50 pounds” in all job descriptions. There were some job descriptions where this wasn’t needed…but if it got around you couldn’t deadlift something 50 pounds, and your boss got tired of you, well there was grounds for your termination so byebye.
33. Janet, Sower of Chaos* October 31, 2019 at 9:39 am

    If I saw someone talking about “woo” I would assume they thought vaccines cause autism.
    1. Janet, Sower of Chaos* October 31, 2019 at 9:42 am

       On the other hand, this StrengthsFinder thing seems pretty woo, so maybe everyone who lists their strengths should include it!
    2. Not an Intern* October 31, 2019 at 2:01 pm

       That is a completely unrelated and unnecessary jab.
       1. Seacalliope* October 31, 2019 at 5:38 pm

          Not really. “Woo” is a common term for pseudo science and it is worthwhile to know that describing yourself professionally with that word would evoke very negative reactions.
34. Laura H.* October 31, 2019 at 10:04 am

    On #1, while the strengths are buzzwordy and I wouldn’t put them anywhere where there is someone who might not know the context, being able to take the strength “input” (Was one of mine) and be able to expand on that and see “that’s me but I apply that strength to x” and further to say that “I take this information and keep building on it by learning more, and it brings me joy to be able to look at something and loop it to something else I already know.”

    These strengths aren’t bad things, a lot of people just aren’t able to put it into a useful context (and not use the buzzwordy strength word)
    1. LW#1* October 31, 2019 at 2:20 pm

       There’s nothing inherently wrong with them, and we had a good class on the strengths – having students think about how they’ve seen their strengths in action, where they might apply them in the future. I agree that the context is necessary.
35. The Man, Becky Lynch* October 31, 2019 at 10:10 am

    #5 If your job description doesn’t require you to do regular physical labor tasks, you’re most likely on a workers comp code that will eat your employer’s face if you get hurt doing something so far out of scope.

    That said, say no. If they push, bring up workers comp concerns with your boss. Especially mentioning you’ve got old injuries that flare up. If they flare up during those tasks you’ve got a WC claim for them to deal with. Which increases their rates and chance of an audit since they’ve got someone classified incorrectly and not paying proper premiums.

    But that’s pretty nuclear to start out with. Something to keep in your pocket if they’re too obtuse to accept you’re unable to assist physically.
    1. VictorianCowgirl* October 31, 2019 at 12:25 pm

       Yes! I mentioned the comp code above before I saw your comment. I have to wonder if OP has brought this to management at all yet.
36. Just Me* October 31, 2019 at 10:11 am

    OP 1 – If you or others are mandated to put them in your signature, I would make sure to preface it e.g. StrengthsFinder (r): Achiever, Learner, etc.

    Op 5 – You should definitely talk to management. HR needs to know if they need to have a conversation with them about reasonable accommodations under ADA. Also, as you said you are putting your own work status in jeopardy by taking on work that is more physical than you should be doing on a regular basis.
    1. OP #5* October 31, 2019 at 1:56 pm

       So, full disclosure, I am in a director position (new to the role) but it is not managing this person or even related to their work duties. It’s a non-profit with no dedicated HR department at this time — which is its own thing to deal with. That said, I do think I need to make this clear and have a candid conversation with the site manager and the operations person who DOES manage this individual.
37. What the What* October 31, 2019 at 10:22 am

    #1: A former coworker put everything but the kitchen sink in his email signature, like his titles for volunteer positions outside of work, job titles for his 2nd job, etc. It was a LOT of info and took up a ton of screen real estate. It came across as over-the-top, odd and not in sync with professional norms. It struck his manager and our fellow colleagues as an insecurity thing and a need to feel important. There’s nothing wrong with those feelings and no judgment from me on having those normal human feelings, but hashing out your “issues” in a work email signature and banging on about ALL your titles isn’t the way to go.
38. hiptobesquare the spooky entj* October 31, 2019 at 10:24 am

    I’ve sen people put their Myers-Briggs on their door (when all of them are doing it) and I personally like it because I love stuff like that and find it kind of helpful when it comes to working relationships, but it shouldn’t ever be mandatory.
    1. VictorianCowgirl* October 31, 2019 at 12:26 pm

       Ugh I would never do that, I’m INFP and empathy is so commonly weaponized it would feel like putting my home address on my door.
39. Milo* October 31, 2019 at 10:37 am

    #5 – You need to make sure management — at possibly a higher level than just your direct supervisors — knows that there is an employee who needs an accommodation. When I’ve worked in manufacturing, there were specific policies in place that the solution to an employee who couldn’t perform tasks required for their job COULD NOT be swapping duties with another employee. The injured employee at that point needed to go on FMLA or disability. Of course supervisors tried to do that all the time, and other employees might be too kind, too nervous, or too unaware of the policies and not push back. But no matter what, this is not a real accommodation.
    1. OP #5* October 31, 2019 at 2:01 pm

       They are aware this person needs accommodation. I think it has probably not been dealt with properly based on the very helpful feedback I am getting. My guess is that in the staffing crisis this has been neglected, but that it definitely needs to change, and we need to have a better plan moving forward. I plan to speak to the other supervisors and discuss my concerns with them. I really appreciate your perspective here!
40. NoviceManagerGuy* October 31, 2019 at 10:40 am

    I don’t remember what I came out with on StrengthsFinder, but as I recall I was all blue, and nobody else in the office had all blue results.
    1. Fabulous* October 31, 2019 at 11:56 am

       My experience is similar. I was the only analytical one on my team – and the only person who does the back-end work; everyone else was client-facing and the results showed.
    2. Just stoppin' by to chat* November 1, 2019 at 7:15 pm

       Actually that’s a different assessment called “Insights.” I’ve done both StrengthFinders and Insights at my current job (each multiple times!), and I prefer Insights. That’s fascinating that you were the only Blue. I work for a software company, so lot’s of people that tend towards Blue for sure!
41. Observer* October 31, 2019 at 11:23 am

    #1, I want to point something out. The issue here is not whether StrengthFinder is a great tool or a lot of hot air. The issue is that it’s just totally not appropriate for the signature line for a number of reasons. So much so that if someone starts encouraging students to put them in, please push back on it.

    For on thing, no one really cares what your strengths are, unless they are looking at possibly hiring you. Everyone else just wants to know what they need to know. Knowing what your strengths are is no more relevant that knowing your GPA in school or your favorite music. So, at best it looks clueless and naive.

    For another, the names of the “strengths” as such that if someone is not into it, they won’t know what this is. A LOT of people are going to see that and say “No thanks” or look at the candidate in a much less positive manner.
    1. ggg* October 31, 2019 at 11:49 am

       I have done Strengths Finder, DISC, Myers-Briggs, all that nonsense.

       It cracks me up that at every. single. class. someone will find the idea of categorization mind-blowing, and come up with the idea that people should put it in their email signature/on their business cards/in their employee directory listing/on a hat that they are forced to wear around the campus. They say it in a tone of voice as if no one would have ever come up with that revolutionary idea before.
       1. That Girl from Quinn's House* October 31, 2019 at 12:17 pm

          That is a weirdly dystopian image, people walking around color coded based on their results on an assessment test, and being treated and getting access to things accordingly.
       2. JustaTech* October 31, 2019 at 2:19 pm

          Yeah, when we did DISC management wanted us to post our wheels (or whatever the color disc was called) at our cubes/offices so they would “know how to communicate with us”.
          That lasted about a month.
          The useful thing that came out of doing the DISC was getting together with my two closest coworkers after the session to have a serious discussion about how we wanted to communicate with each other. It was helpful because it turned out that we had made a lot of incorrect assumptions about how we each wanted to hear information and that people’s feelings were getting hurt unintentionally. So in that way it was useful.
42. Fabulous* October 31, 2019 at 11:38 am

    #1 – I have my Strengthfinder results in my [work] email signature, but I don’t email anyone externally. Also, my words aren’t dumb* and they’re good describers of me. I also don’t have them up front and center, they’re at the bottom and smaller than the rest.

    * An example of a dumb Strengthfinder word is WOO. Not that it’s a dumb concept just a dumb word, makes me thing if “woo girls” every time I see it!

    –Fabulous
    Adaptability | Individualization | Empathy | Ideation | Self-Assurance
    1. Jack Be Nimble* October 31, 2019 at 11:42 am

       For myself, the immediate association for ‘ideation’ is ‘suicidal ideation,’ and it always throws me off. Of all the words to convey that concept, they chose the one with a diagnostic connotation??
       1. Fabulous* October 31, 2019 at 11:52 am

          I don’t think I’ve heard that term. But I agree, that is an odd word to choose for the concept if it’s regularly used in that context!
          1. Observer* October 31, 2019 at 12:02 pm

             Well, considering what kinds of other idiotic words they are using, this is hardly surprising.
    2. Washi* October 31, 2019 at 11:47 am

       Why are they in your signature? What purpose do they accomplish?
       1. Fabulous* October 31, 2019 at 11:51 am

          It’s more of a “just because” rather than they’re there to accomplish anything. I also like to occasionally see a reminder of my strengths, because sometimes I forget #impostersyndrome #needmydailyaffirmations
          1. Sam* October 31, 2019 at 12:59 pm

             This reminds me of the post-it notes letter – I find it really strange when affirmations are so public-facing, since it’s not like *I* need an affirmation that you’re… self-assured?
       2. ErinFromAccounting* October 31, 2019 at 12:50 pm

          Yeah, I don’t see email signatures as a place to assert “strengths” and personality traits. People can figure out my strengths by interacting with me, not by what I say in my email signature.
          1. Short Time Lurker Komo* October 31, 2019 at 3:53 pm

             Further down below FluterDale has good examples of ‘why’ – They help them specifically connect with students. Students (especially freshmen) see the same/similar words from an adultier adult in the email, so they reach out about problems they’re having.
             1. ErinFromAccounting* October 31, 2019 at 4:16 pm

                It still seems weird, like something that only makes sense while you’re in the StrengthsFinder^TM bubble. Back when I was a student, I certainly didn’t go around deciding which mentors to connect with based on their email signatures.
43. Will* October 31, 2019 at 11:51 am

    OP1: I tell all of the interns/student workers/whatever we get through here to read this blog religiously and defer to Alison over whatever Career Services says. If they want to put their blood type on their business cards after that, there was never any helping them anyway.
44. FrenchCusser* October 31, 2019 at 11:53 am

    I got hearing aids a couple of years ago and I love them to death. Not only am I much less tired at the end of the day (it takes extra energy to strain to hear for hours on end), but my relationships with coworkers are better, and as an added bonus, several signs of mental decline have reversed themselves (such as, my short term memory has much improved).

    I really don’t understand the stigma of wearing hearing aids. They’ve made my life so much better in so many ways, that I’ve become quite an evangelist for them. Wear your hearing aids! If you have any hearing loss at all, get them! They’re great!
45. ThundarCatz* October 31, 2019 at 12:07 pm

    @#4-

    Location: Phoenix, AZ
    Business: Professional Services, we are NOT one of those modern, free lunches and massages with pet employees type of work environment. We are your run of the mill professional office with a breakroom, cubicles, and offices. The high point of each month is when the Keurig cups are replenished and there’s lots of the Dunkin’ Donuts flavor available.
    Halloween: Full on department by department decorated areas complete with music, team costumes, all the windows/walls/cubicles covered and depending on your department’s theme, faux blood spatter, Unicorn glitter, Zombie nerf guns, animal print (looks like every animal in the African Savannah was gutted and skinned for this), and one year, a giant cardboard “brick house” with three people dressed as piggies and a life sized stuffed wolf in a negligee and Depends. Company awards $500 to the best department effort and gives $100 (per department) allowance to spend on decorations. Now…during the month of October, the company intranet has 4 -5 photos of other offices (we had a few in different states) decorated with some pumpkin string lights, some string lettering…and dollar store knick-knacks- then October 31 rolls around and it explodes with photos from the Phoenix office complete with staged dead bodies (accounting department’s Zombie apocalypse), people prancing around in My Little Pony adult onesies (real estate department), animal print bedecked marketing department, the Ghostbusters, the cast of CSI and one person in that inflated t-rex costume because they were in marketing but misunderstood the “animal” theme.

    It’s an office with open doors to clients and one year, we had our top client come visit and they ADORED all the decor. Now, they swing by every year to see everything.
46. BC Lower Mainlander* October 31, 2019 at 12:29 pm

    I work in Public Heath Audiology, so my clients are <19 kids in the clinic and newborns at the local maternity ward at the hospital. In the office we can do a whole outfit, but at the hospital it would only be makeup and accessories that would not go against hygiene policies.
47. Leela* October 31, 2019 at 1:08 pm

    OP #4 – this depends so much across industry, but I can tell you that I never do because in my role I need to have serious corrective conversations with people sometimes and I don’t think I could do that in costume, which is probably based on this:

    When I was in high school, all the teachers dressed up as the same thing (like they were all playing cards, or aliens, or whatever) and one year they were all crayons. The science teacher lost it at a kid who kept goofing off and shouted “You need to learn about RESPECT!” with her hands on her hips while dressed as a giant crayon and it was the least dignified thing I’ve ever seen, and every time I put on a costume I wonder if I could hold my own in a tense situation wearing what I’m wearing
48. HelloCupcake* October 31, 2019 at 1:23 pm

    #4 When I was interviewing with my now job 5 years ago, it happened to be on Halloween. I came from my other job that was super anti-halloween anything (besides feeling so dead inside and acting like zombies). I walked in and no one was at the front desk. The next thing I know I see a Greek goddess laughing/screaming/running from a slasher down the hallway into an office near the front desk and then after they were done hysterically laughing at each other, they realized I was standing there, popped their head out and asked me if I was here for the interview. My supervisor who actually interviewed me forgot he was wearing a football helmet the entire time and as all the employees left for the day, I saw all these awesome and great costumes and they also offered me yummy food from their potluck. The office complex itself that they were in that had a lot of mixed type of businesses and they held a pumpkin carving contest (first place won a pizza party for their office), had music playing, treat bags galore, etc. I knew I would get along with them just fine and we won first place for 3 years in a row ;)
    1. Diahann Carroll* October 31, 2019 at 1:45 pm

       I’ve interviewed on Halloween at two separate companies, and the one where I saw the most costumed people running around and laughing while music and games were taking place in the background was, oddly enough, an insurance company. Who said that industry was stuffy? Lol
49. BelleMorte* October 31, 2019 at 1:55 pm

    Because I put it in the wrong place…
    As someone who is deaf, so much of this advice is so wildly inappropriate and would be borderline (if not completely) in violation of the ADA.

    This is someone’s disability you are talking about. People think they can police whether people use their hearing aids or not, whereas they would never dream of telling someone semi-mobile in a wheelchair to just use crutches because it’s less inconvenient for us.

    Yes, you can point out that the music is playing extremely loudly, yes you can say you are speaking very loudly (if you want to be a jerk), but asking/telling/guilting her to wear a disability aid or otherwise stop inconveniencing you because she has a disability? No, No, Nopeity Nope.

    Her health choices are none of your business, full stop. Say ‘Hey, the music is really loud, I can hear it from XYZ clearly, can we turn it down as it’s distracting” but everything else. No. Just No.

    I’ve had so many well-meaning people tell me to go to speech therapy, get hearing aids, speak quieter, stop embarrassing them with my weirdly accented voice, stop making (normal human) noise. All of this is NOT ok and made me think of them a lot less.

    As well, people who have all ranges of hearing loss, at all points of thier lives, identify as Deaf and they do not look at hearing as something to be fixed.
    1. Leela* October 31, 2019 at 4:53 pm

       That’s a really good point, listening to music too loudly could be done by anyone with any range of hearing ability, and that’s what should be tackled rather than bringing the hearing aid into it.
50. FluterDale* October 31, 2019 at 2:01 pm

    Hi Allison!

    Long-time reader and huge fan of the column.

    I did want to chime in about the strengths in the email signature – you close out with, “Why do colleges insist on doing these things that employers aren’t interested in?” With all due respect, I don’t think the universities are doing this particular thing with employers in mind at all. The strengths tests are given at my university to first-semester freshmen, and are part of a larger program intended to help retain freshmen by helping them to acclimate, build communities, and figure out how best to navigate their college experience … by identifying their unique strengths.

    A lot of the freshmen I’ve worked with don’t understand growth mindset, or even that different people are intelligent in different ways. I’ve had several experiences with students who have reached out specifically because they saw that we had similar strengths (from the list in my own email signature) and they wondered if I could help them figure out how to navigate a subject they were really struggling with. Or help them figure out a major that might play to their strengths, because they were woo, empathetic, and people-oriented but somehow in a STEM program.

    Freshmen don’t do as much emailing for internships. I think it’s expected that by the time they’re upper classmen, the strengths are gone. And it’s definitely not expected that people who aren’t comfortable listing strengths do so – I do, because it’s part of the curriculum I’m involved in, I think it’s kind of neat, and it’s helped me better do my job by making me approachable in a different way with my student population.

    I’d take them off if I were actively applying for jobs from my work email. But as a long-time reader, I would never do that. (Unprofessional smiley emoji here.)
    1. LW#1* October 31, 2019 at 2:27 pm

       The course itself used the strengths assessment in a reasonable way. It’s mostly the email signature thing that’s bothering me. I’ve seen at least one sophomore use it, and she’ll be applying for internships this summer.
       1. FluterDale* October 31, 2019 at 2:35 pm

          Again, it’s beyond the course – our university uses it as part of community building among the freshmen. It’s a thing they’re all doing and all participating in that is, in a small way, academically-oriented.

          If your sophomore still has it, maybe encourage her to edit her signature. And if you’re not involved in that part of the community, don’t do it?
       2. Close Bracket* October 31, 2019 at 4:52 pm

          I wasn’t able to attend the training for employees about how we’re using this assessment

          I think you should follow up on this. If your university is using the strengths as FluterDale’s is, you should not push back on student’s putting them in their email signatures. You could suggest to your students that people outside your university won’t know the context and that they should consider removing the strengths if they use email when applying to internships.

          Honestly, though, it sounds a little like you are projecting your own discomfort with disclosing information about yourself onto the practice and making about concern for internships when really it’s about you.
          1. Observer* October 31, 2019 at 5:41 pm

             *IF* they use email? If they are not using email to apply, then there is a problem right there.

             The college COULD be using the appropriately. But they shouldn’t be asking staff to put them on their door, or in their email signatures – which go outside of the organization. And the students should NOT be encouraged to put them on their signatures, for sure – there is very little doubt that even freshies are going to be using their email to apply for internships etc. and this just looks very, very bad.
51. Chinookwind* October 31, 2019 at 4:05 pm

    I was just thinking of this story today. I was on an exchange where we were placed at local community organizations. My placement was at a historical Catholic mission site undergoing renovations
    It has a school, bishop’s “palace” (think small mansion), a church that was still used during the summer and a graveyard across the highway.

    The first weird incident was when I was cataloguing books in the basement area with my back to the only stairs. I heard someone come down the creaky stairs and turned around to ask EO, the site supervisor, why he was taking his break early, but there was no one there. It shook me so much that I ran upbto the offices where all the doors were closed and no one was walkong around.

    A little later, another participant came out to see our sitr and I took him over to see the old graveyard. He started goofing around on the headstones and being particularly rude to the dead. 18 year ild me didn’t know how to stop him, so I just tried to get him away from there.

    After he left and I went to work in thr basement (now always facing the stairs), I had this feeling like someone was glaring angrily at me (like when your mom cauht you stealing the dessert meant for later). I couldn’t shake the feeling as it got angrier, so I thought “why not” and explained to thin air that the visitor had bern raised an atheist and didn’t realize he was being disrespectful (which was true as I had known him awhile) and that I didn’t know how to stop him. It seemed to satisfy who ever was glaring and the feeling went away.

    I found out after this that the place also had a ghost that was known for running off anyone damaging or descrating the site, including running off teens so efficiently they would leace their booze and drugs behind in the bishop’s palace.

    This, plus other tales given, was enough info for me not to enter the bishop’s palace Halloween night (we hosted a party for my group) when most everyone else was standing next to it saying there was no such thing as ghosts.
    1. Chinookwind* October 31, 2019 at 4:06 pm

       Sorry, my phone posted me to the wrong posting. This was meant for spooky work tales.
52. Hope* October 31, 2019 at 5:19 pm

    #1 – I was recently emailing with a couple of people who work at Gallup, the company that runs the StrengthsFinder test. They had their strengths in their email signatures, which i found both interesting and totally appropriate given they work at the company. So it was a promotional thing, as many people have in their emails, which is at least more interesting than the ridiculously long email legalese.
53. Allison* October 31, 2019 at 5:23 pm

    #4 – Book publishing! We have a lot of fun with it. The people in the children’s department usually participate the most, and sometimes dress as our books’ characters, but people from other divisions sometimes join in, too, just because. It fits the general creative nature of the job.

    https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/78508-children-s-publishers-celebrate-halloween-2018.html
54. Alenyaka* October 31, 2019 at 6:08 pm

    #1 – I work for a fortune 10 company, and worked for an international private company that would be fortune 10 if they were public. We all use strengthsfinders in our signatures, and they are posted on our doors. It’s a great tool to use for professional development. I can’t say it’s the best, but it’s another personality test that helps us focus on ourselves and figure out how we can grow and develop.
55. Radiant Peach* October 31, 2019 at 8:16 pm

    People in my office dress up and it seems to be expected – even our CEO joins in. We are in a higher ed related field (but not a university) in a large, fairly laid back city in the southern U.S.
    But, to be fair, the dress code every other day is relaxed to the point where the only real rule is “please don’t wear pajamas”
56. fogharty* November 1, 2019 at 12:40 am

    A few jobs ago we were all forced to undergo Meyers Briggs assessments, then required to post our types outside our offices/cubicles. I was against the whole thing, but was told it was mandatory.

    So I posted my type as “Perception, Intuition, Thinking, and Actualization”. Only once in the three or so years that sign was up did anyone notice my type was “PITA”.
57. Nobody Special* November 1, 2019 at 11:49 pm

    #1: My organization contracted with Gallup (developers of Strength Finder) for a screening project and I attended a few days of meetings at “Gallup University” in Omaha. Every employee there wore their top 5 strengths on a card around their neck, as well as on a placard at their workstation. (and their applicants are screened in or out of consideration using strengthfinder.) Also I was familiar with a large, top ranked hospital which for a few years contracted with Gallup
    for required management training, and those managers were encouraged to use their “signature strengths” as an email signature. I’m betting the OP’s organization was contracting with Gallup for training too.