Gauging HR re kilted at the office

[Alan H]

Give a kiltie an inch, an dhe'll wear the thing to work four days a week...*grin*

Congratulations.

[A Dhuglas]

Hey A D,

That's a start. I wore my kilts to work cold and survived...started occasionally too and always on "casual Friday."

If you have an office or cubical always nice to add a few things Scottish and of your clan to establish the cultural position. There's great reluctance to challenge things cultural. Your HR committee wouldn't even consider making a Hindu lady employee "not wear" her sari to work.

Hoping your kilts include tartans for your clans...I think it helps when people ask what clan your tartan is from and you can say its from your father's clan, or your mother's clan etc.

Save the Utilikilts, the "Scottish Jeans" for that casual Friday.

I mean what are they gonna do/say if you show up kilted on a Scottish or clan holiday?

Hopefully, after the initial questions and teasing from peers passes they'll see what a non-issue kilts are....no different than a lady working in a sari.

Ron

Thanks, Ron.

I just received a copy of a note my grandfather wrote long ago for my mother. In it, he goes through a few generations on that side of the family and identifies clan ties about which I never knew. So the number of tartans I can call my own expanded from Douglas to include Johnston, MacDonald, MacDougall, Robertson and Stewart! Aside from bringing my Mom into this world, that has to be the nicest gift my grandfather ever gave me. I'm sure that in addition to Douglas there are more clans on Dad's side but we haven't run the geneology to ground yet.

HR is being cautious. We're privately held and a very conservative tone is maintained -- we cater to the top tier of the financial community. Apparently the concern is opening the floodgates to all sorts of radical things so one Friday a month is their safety zone. My rep figures the same as you, I and other folk here: give them time to adjust to the idea and the restriction may well relax. I can be patient when I put my mind to it -- especially since nobody slammed the door.

Adding Scottish bits to the cubical will be part of Saturday's agenda thanks to the games on Long Island. My crystal ball reveals at least a blue saltire, a lion rampant and something tartan appearing next Monday. Maybe a little luckenbooth or celtic cross if a particular vendor is around...

My Black Stewart SWK is on tap for Friday. And thanks to Grandpa, I can say it's a family connection

[Riverkilt]

What a treasure that letter is cousin,

Not just a gift to you, but the generations after you.

Probably wouldn't hurt to review your firm's client list for Scottish names...your kilts could turn into a marketing coup.

Ron

[morrison]

A Dhuglas, you have my total encouragement. Wear your best!

[Jimmy the Celt]

A Dhuglas, have you thought about getting a kilt suit or three from 21FCK? They're pricey, but not anymore than a trousered suit would cost you, really. I am thinking that perhaps a kilt suit would be better accepted at first. If you have the bread, that is; they are currently out of my budget But if you can spare the bread, it might be worth showing them a picture of yourself in a kilt suit.

Just a few thoughts. Good luck man!

James

[A Dhuglas]

A Dhuglas, have you thought about getting a kilt suit or three from 21FCK? They're pricey, but not anymore than a trousered suit would cost you, really. I am thinking that perhaps a kilt suit would be better accepted at first. If you have the bread, that is; they are currently out of my budget But if you can spare the bread, it might be worth showing them a picture of yourself in a kilt suit.

Just a few thoughts. Good luck man!

James

Pretty tight in the cabbage dept right now because of my job change and unemployed spouse. So I'm starting them (and me) off easy and sticking to what I already own. A TFCK creation is a good idea but, money aside, I don't want to wait that long to break these folks in.

[Jimmy the Celt]

Pretty tight in the cabbage dept right now because of my job change and unemployed spouse. So I'm starting them (and me) off easy and sticking to what I already own. A TFCK creation is a good idea but, money aside, I don't want to wait that long to break these folks in.

I know what that's like. Still wishing you good luck!

[A Dhuglas]

With the HR angle covered, I appeared at the office last Friday in my Black Stewart SWK, cream hose, yellow flashes, black shoes/accessories and a deep yellow buttondown shirt that hits the yellow strip in the kilt pretty well. Looked pretty good. Not as much like a big bumblebee as you might think thanks to all the colors in the kilt.

No bad reactions of which I'm aware but quite a few double-takes. A couple of "nice skirt" cracks but no malice in them. Stopped by my manager's office in the morning to run my appearance past him before the rest of the crew came in: "Wow! You really did it." Met with him again later to discuss a project and his only reaction was: "C'mon in....I'm just adjusting to the visual..." So things appear to have gone well. No repercussions today.

However, my testing was limited; about 12:30 PM the power in the building went out! Something brought down a major power line just outside the office park. The resulting fire as the line cooked off was reportedly spectacular. An hour later the power was still out and not expected to be up for a few hours so we were all sent home. My first day kilted at this workplace and I get short-changed a half-day Maybe the power of kilt disrupted the local chi of the office park and whacked that power line...

Anyhoo...the ice is broken and now I just have to wait for Sept 29th to continue the infiltration.

Thanks for all the encouraging words.

[mkmound]

Obvoiusly, your outfit looked hot!

[pbpersson]

Thanks for all the encouraging words.

You know what? Slowly but surely, step by step.....and we are all cheering you on. If we see enough of these little transitions perhaps someday even non-Scots will be able to wear kilts to work.

This is how it all begins....

Keep up the good work!


Phil in Phoenix