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Professionalism is a set of standards that an individual is expected to adhere to in a workplace, usually in order to appear serious, uniform, or respectful. What constitutes professionalism is often debated and varies from workplace to workplace and between cultures. Professionalism is typically defined as a mix of professional ethics, appropriate behavior, and dress code.

Common traits of a “professional” person include:^[2][3][4]

• integrity
• punctuality
• reliability
• organization skills
• emotional intelligence
• appropriate dress

Expectations of professionalism are often unsaid or unwritten. Trainings and clear communication can help young people entering the workforce avoid “unprofessional” behavior.^[5]

A business’s professional standards affect its reputation.^[6]

Cultural expectations of professionalism differ around the world. In Japan, humility is valued as a professional trait. In the Middle East, hospitality is an important character quality of a professional person. For international companies, understanding differing views of professional behavior is important. Time zones can also pose a challenge for professional communication.^[7]

Having tattoos is considered taboo in some workplaces, but this has been changing in the 21st century.^[8] A University of Miami survey found that respondents who had tattoos were more likely to be employed than non-tattooed respondents, although the researchers cautioned that this result was correlative.^[9] In New Zealand, some businesses have dropped bans on traditional Māori tattoos.^[10][11]

In the United States, some workplaces have “Jean Fridays” where employees may wear blue jeans to work for free or for five dollars.^[12] The allowance of jeans into the white-collar workforce on Fridays has led some workplaces to adopt jeans as professional attire for the whole week.^[13]

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, professional expectations around video calls, work-from-home behavior, and after-hours availability began to change. Video call “camera etiquette” became more widespread and important.^[7]

In the 2020s, American CEOs began to curse more frequently in public, sparking discussion on to what extent cursing is “professional” in the workplace.^[14] Whether cursing in the workplace is a legally protected right in the US or not was a contentious issue between the US Chamber of Commerce and the National Labor Relations Board in 2023.^[15]

Critics of professionalism typically say that some specific standards, such as hairstyle or clothing restrictions, are outdated or overly limiting. Professional standards may be seen as conformist or as “selling-out.”^[16]

Hairstyles are also subject to professionalism requirements in many workplaces. In the United States, employers have banned natural hairstyles for African Americans, resulting in a push for CROWN Act laws (Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair).^[17][18] Professional standards that generally apply to only one race have been criticized as a form of discrimination.^[19]