If anything positive came from the global pandemic in 2020, it was the fact that many Austrians were able to continue working from home even after the cases of COVID subsided.
Now, fast forward to 2024, and with many workplaces returning to ‘normal’ office work days, it looks like some people are trying to change some of their WFH habits.
And it’s bothering their co-workers… a lot.
The usual house habit that comes into the office
A Reddit user took to the social media platform to ask a question that was bothering them as office hours have increased.
“As office work becomes more common, I’ve noticed that some still treat it as if they were at home,” shared the person on the ‘ondemand’ thread.
“Big 4 here and I can’t believe there are some who think it’s ok to take off your shoes in the office and walk around in socks. Am I just out of touch?”
The post received over 300 comments, proving that the topic of office etiquette is one worth debating.
stop You can’t do that here!
Many of the comments came from people who were equally disgusted at the thought of someone taking off their shoes in an office environment.
“I work in a super chill office and that would still be a big (and weird) no,” one person insisted.
“This is f**king wild… let’s hope this doesn’t become a thing,” another person added.
And another voiced even greater concern: “The answer is no and any reputable company would have an HR/WHS team that wouldn’t allow this to happen. It’s probably harmless from a security point of view, but it’s very poor behavior.”
Meanwhile, some people really didn’t see a problem with it, with some pointing out how the custom is perfectly acceptable in Asian countries.
“On your desk? Finally Just put them back on if you have to go somewhere. Even if it is 5 meters away. If your legs are out of sight, they’re out of mind,” said one.
And others said they could tolerate it as long as people were aware of their foot odor.
“I don’t give a damn what people do or don’t wear on their feet. The issue is whether or not their feet smell bad,” one person snapped.
“Unacceptable, in my experience people who do this are not aware of their own foot odor,” added someone else.
The Kidspot team weighs in
Now, before I choose to take off my sneakers and call them ‘acceptable’, I decided to put the question to my friendly Kidspot colleagues.
For Lifestyle Reporter Cassidy, it was a hard no.
“I’m not a fan at all. I think it’s great that it shows that someone is comfortable in their workplace, however there is definitely such a thing as being too comfortable, and that’s taking it too far. Sorry, I never want to see anyone’s bare feet,” she warns.
The video’s editor, Clara, said she was more concerned about the barefoot worker from a hygienic point of view.
“I just don’t think it’s very hygienic – your shoes are constantly picking up dirt and germs, and you’re resting them in the same place your feet go. Studies show that our shoes carry bacteria and germs, even traces of feces on the soles. Why would you want to put your socks or bare feet there (even if you have socks)?” she shares.
Parents editor Nama said she would be delighted by it too, but would be a bit more forthcoming with her thoughts if she ever saw it happen.
“I would say what is that smell? Can you smell it? I’m going to get sick. Then I pretend to throw up in my mouth. But seriously, in the office – have some respect,” she insists.
Well, that’s it then. Emails should be handled with care at all times! Did you understand?
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Image Source : nypost.com