This poll is an extension on my blog Can We Be 'Too Sexy' For Work? which I published on August 12, 2011.

In this blog I tell the story of a man who got recently sacked for accidentally emailing his 'sexually laden' opinions on a female co-worker to 1,200 of this colleagues.

With this poll I'd like to tap your thoughts and opnions on this story, and give you an opportunity to add commentary to why you selected a specific answer.

[If you can't see the poll-panel, scroll up. It's located right above this post... ]

Add Your Thinking - Be Controversial!

Here, I'd love you to share your opinion on the question whether you can or cannot be 'too sexy' for work. After voting, you surely want to add a few words here to challenge other to either agree or disagree with you. Scroll down to see the comments other Facebook Friends posted.

If you want to, add your comments in the Quick Reply box below and press 'Post Quick Reply'. It's that easy! And if you feel really against-the-grainish, why not making your comments as controversial as you can possibly muster?

Then, if you like to invite your Facebook friends to participate in this poll, or in the discussion on this poll below, press the Facebook Like button, which is located on the top-left side of this thread.

Personalising Your Post.....

It is easy and free to personalise your vote and your comments. When you personalise your vote and comments your Facebook Friends will see that you've been here and what you've writen. If they like what they see, they can 'Like' your post here, which places a link to your post on their Facebook Wall. This is one cool way to show their Facebook Friends what you think and to get more Friend visits to your Facebook Page.

Personalising your comments at GBLCG.com will take you less than five minutes if you start here now.

So you know - registration won't cost you one single cent, won't mean I'll be sending you bucket-loads of unsolicited emails and won't mean that I'll be trying to sell you 'other stuff' later on. So before you think I am going to drag you into some sort of marketing or sales trick - let me assure you that I won't. You can keep your wallet firmly closed. You have my promise on this.

No Thanks - I Just Want To Leave Now...

No problem. If you just want to cast your vote and are NOT interested in participating in any discussions on this topic - you are done! Just close this window and simply forget about all this.

Thanks for visiting us, and thanks for participating in this poll!

[I think this could become fun...]

Raymond

There's absolutely no doubt in my mind that anyone can dress/behave/act 'too sexy' at the office.

Simply stated, I don't think I am an eyesore when it comes to my appearance and, yes, I typically go through considerable lengths to make myself look good before going to the office. And I'll be honest: Depending on who tells me, but if I am told that I look 'attractive' or even 'sexy' I'll generally take that as a compliment.

The question is a good one. Now I come to think of it, it may actually be one that's more complex than I initially thought.

I'll be waiting for other responses to arrive - actually look forward to hear from other women what they think of your slightly 'sexist' blog. But I guess you wrote it like that on purpose... [?]

If you wanted to provoke: Did the trick for me, tell ya..

Raymond, I like your controversal posts. I worked in Aerospace for 40 years, and there is something called a "Dress Code". Reputations were made and destroyed by the way a person dressed. We now have something called "ZERO" tolerance of harassment on women. If a woman is too seductively dressed it is her managers job to call her in and remind her of the dress code and how inappropriate attire is not "Value Added" in the work place.
The way we dress is sending the "message" or making the statement to everyone, just who we are. Since work relations are "Taboo" (at least they should be) then advertizing that we are not only available, but on the market for a sexual encounters, is a deterant, if not a distraction for what we are really there to do. In order to be on the team, (a team player) a woman needs to focus on the job at hand. A woman not only needs to be intellengent, she needs to be smart. If wearing the team jersey gets her in the game than she should, dress conservatively and conduct herself like a lady. Short skirts and low-cut, see thru blouses are a career killer. Something usually saved for after hours and Christmas Parties.

Raymond,

In regards can you be 'too sexy' for work... first, know this is coming from a guy who has not had a job in 5 years (by choice). For those unfortunate enough to find themselves "employed" (the alternative can be found here - AlanSills.com*|* Work With Al - AlanSills.com) , they are working for an employer. That means (to me) a few things:

1) they are in a subservient role - that is, their goals are the employers goals - they are there to further the employers objectives, and if they're not doing that, the employer has the obligation to relieve them of that responsibility

2) their time is not their own - the employer has the right (within local/national laws and morals) to insist they behave (dress, act, speak) in a manner that furthers the employers goals

Anyone who does not "get" that, will find themselves UNemployed - and then either homeless or an entrepreneur. For me, I'm glad I'm sitting here at 10am, listening to Glenn Beck, drinking fresh coffee, writing here and tracking my marketing campaigns. I'm having fun... how 'bout you?

Al

Of course it's a very generic question you've asked Raymond. It's quite difficult to have a one size fits all answer; as the logistics of every workplace on Earth is immense!

Some people don't even need to dress in such a way to be sexy; they're just sexy beings in the eye (or nose, or other senses) of the beholder... And some people are just slobs.

Mix that combination and you're going to have a sloppy person (in thought and most probably appearance) acting as unprofessional as they do.

From the mid 1700's we hit what was (and still is) called the "Power Consciousness", where we certainly found the "Industrial Age" and learned many other things about "power" (tangible or not!)

Then in 1999 we began the "Ethics Consciousness" where we've recently seen (or heard of) people/businesses abusing their power and they're being held accountable for such actions.

But this year we've hit what's called the "Co-creation Consciousness", so people still flexing their (pseudo) powers all over the place are basically wheel-spinning-in-the-mud as far as conscious evolution goes.

Good question Raymond! One that on the surface may seem simple and straight-forward, but when studied a bit, can open a huge 'can of worms'.

As others have already pointed out, dress codes are in place to provide a 'professional atmosphere' in the workplace. When a person (man or woman) dresses overtly 'sensual' they are looking for attention. What happens all too often is they get the attention they want, but not in the 'tone' they were looking for. What I mean by this is they receive overt sexual, or flirtatious advances from their coworkers and (at least here in the US) immediately run screaming about sexual assaults and harassment to the closest lawyer they can find.

I am NOT just talking about women either. I have seen men wearing tight slacks getting swatted or pinched on the rump by an overbearing female boss as well as women with the low cut blouse, spiked heels and short skirts. The workplace is where you exchange your time and experience for compensation in the form of payment. Not to find your next conquest or living partner.