It took 10 long months, but October is finally here and in full swing. And we all know what that means, right? Halloween is just around the corner. Be still, my candy corn-loving heart! But for those of us who are, you know, adults, the question persists: Should I wear a Halloween costume to work? Given everyone's obvious excitement (and by everyone, I clearly mean me), I think we can officially consider FastCompany's "Worst Costumes to Wear to Work" video to be a PSA of profound cultural significance.
Admittedly I am, in fact, one of those people who gets annoyingly excited about this hallowed holiday. But, let's be real: I'd put on a costume any day of the year, so it's only natural I get pretty pumped about the one when doing so is actually socially acceptable. There are, however, a few limitations when it comes to how far other people's patience will stretch in response to festive Halloween ensembles — particularly in the work place.
Still, if you work in a Halloween-friendly office environment, consider yourself lucky. Not everyone has a boss who is so tolerant of employees adopting a potentially distracting dress code, even if it is only for a day. And, considering full-blown lawsuits have stemmed from Halloween costumes in the workplace, some bosses may be suffering from a slight case of samhainophobia. With that said, if your boss doesn't say bah-humbug to Halloween work wear, there are a couple of office-specific occasions FastCompany cautions rocking your costume might be inappropriate (and don't forget to scroll down to check out the full video).
1. During a Big Meeting
Kudos for committing to the Star Wars theme, but "Luke, I am your manager!" just doesn't have the same ring to it as the original. Also, can you imagine being the coworker who loses an eye to a Halloween lightsaber duel? OK, if you're going to lose an eye, that's a pretty rad story to tell... but still.
2. When You're Firing Someone
You're already firing the poor sap; try not to tarnish his entire childhood while you're at it. Although I personally think clowns are utterly terrifying and only exist to haunt our dreams, so this costume makes perfect sense to me.
3. Having a Work Lunch
Oh goodness. You know who needs a raise? Whoever did this chick's makeup, that's who. Even if your faux flesh wounds are impressively realistic, digging in them over your coworker's Cobb salad likely won't go over well. The same applies for any costumes in which you appear to be oozing... anything.
4. When Laying Down the Law
While you have to admire any man confident enough to wear a giant diaper to work, it's pretty hard to take your superior's anger seriously when you're legit wondering if he just needs a burp, a bottle or — heaven forbid — to be changed.
5. Giving a Client Tour
Wait, what? Who wouldn't want to have a T-Rex give them a company tour? OK, so perhaps if the clientele is particularly upscale, it might not fly. Also, this costume may prove problematic if you need to use your tiny arms to hand the client something. But other than that, I say rock on with your Late Cretaceous self.
6. Asking for a Raise
Here's a job tactic few people try — totally creeping out their superior. Judging from this dude's green man suit, though, perhaps more people should. Still, just to be on the safe side, maybe reschedule your promotion interview for a day when you don't look like a nameless, faceless, and quite possibly radioactive creeper.
Images: emmastory/Flickr; FastCompany (6)
