Oh, the shock it must have been… You arrive at this naturist resort, ready for a week with not a single piece of clothing in sight. You walk into the reception desk, and the first thing you see is a row of very friendly but also very clothed receptionists. Didn’t the brochure say that nudity was expected throughout the resort whenever the weather permits? Then why does this not apply to the staff?
Especially in Europe, it’s very likely that the staff members at naturist resorts are dressed. When we spend time on forums and Reddit, we regularly notice that there are questions about this. Understandable, because many dream of having a job they can do in the nude, yet those lucky enough to have one are wearing clothes. It seems like a contradiction, but it isn’t really.
The practical side
Although working naked definitely sounds like fun, we sometimes forget that it can be impractical. Most of all, because you don’t have pockets. Many staff members need to have some gear with them, ranging from keys, pens, or cash to radios, screwdrivers, massage oil, or first-aid items. Pockets are really handy for this.
Also, staff members often need to cross in and out of nude zones and deal with the outside world. They need to meet delivery drivers, contractors, or inspectors, which may not only be a bit uncomfortable for either party if one is nude, but it’s also a form of representing the resort.
Of course, this doesn’t apply to every staff member all of the time, but just the simple fact of having to put on clothes and take them off again several times per day can feel like a burden.
The safe side
There’s also an important safety element here. There’s this joke that the only time a naturist wears an apron is when cooking bacon. Resort staff regularly work with chemicals, sharp equipment, or large tools like leaf blowers and chainsaws, situations where even regular clothing isn’t sufficient and protective gear should be worn instead. Even if they feel like the naked MacGyver, insurance and liability policies may dictate that working nude is simply not done.
As staff are often outside for full shifts, they also need to think more about sun exposure. As a guest, when the sun gets too harsh, you can go and have a nap under a tree. As a staff member, that’s not really an option.
And then there’s also a hygiene element, especially for kitchen staff. We know, we also think that a greasy and sweaty uniform is much less hygienic than a well-showered human body, but some people think differently. Sometimes it’s even a legal thing, for example, food hygiene regulations may require kitchen staff to wear clean, protective clothing.
The recognisable side
We don’t want to turn this blog post into a marketing crash course, but take it from us that the more you are exposed to a brand name, the more likely it is that you will remember it. So when you visit a resort that cares about its marketing, you’ll see its name or logo appear many times throughout your stay. It’s just how it works, and staff uniforms are an excellent way to bring the logo in front of you, together with a friendly smile.
But making your staff recognisable isn’t just about marketing. If you need to talk to a staff member, they are super easy to find because of their uniform. Even more, when you see a clothed person at the pool or on the beach, the uniform makes it easy for you to determine if it’s a staff member or a guest.
When we are filming at large resorts, and especially during the high season, we often ask for a staff T-shirt or hat so the guests can easily see that we are approved to walk around with a camera.
The naturist side
Lastly, there’s the element that not all staff members at naturist resorts are actually naturists. This one blew your mind, didn’t it? But here’s the thing: especially large resorts need A LOT of staff. Euronat Naturist Village, for example, has around 150 people working for them full time in the high season, in a huge variety of jobs and on a temporary basis (as the resort isn’t open year-round). It’s not easy to find those people year after year, and it would be nearly impossible if the resort asked all workers to be naked.
Even if they wanted that, we doubt that it would even be legal. Depending on the local law, asking staff to take off their clothes can be seen as a form of harassment.
But working at a naturist resort does have a positive influence on non-naturist staff. One resort owner who hires students during the summer months once told us that they all say they won’t be going naked… Until the first heatwave… Because the pool is nude-only no matter if you’re a guest, a staff member, or the president of France.
Do you really prefer the staff to be nude?
We hope that this blog post somewhat explains why staff members of naturist resorts are sometimes clothed, and that sometimes it’s not even their own choice. If this makes you feel uncomfortable, something very important to remember is that these people are very used to seeing nudity, a bit like doctors and nurses.
But if you still prefer the staff to be nude as well, there are some resorts where nudity is also the norm among staff, like Bare Oaks in Canada. Over in Europe, you’ll most likely find this at smaller clubs or resorts that usually don’t need huge numbers of staff, don’t have huge numbers of things to do, and often rely on volunteers.
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We actually prefer if everyone at the resort is unclothed, including the staff. It feels perfectly natural to be naked when everyone else is, but as soon as someone shows up with clothes on it is uncomfortable for everyone. For this same reason, we prefer “nudity expected, weather depending” rather than “clothing optional”. It just levels the playing field for everyone. Bare Oaks that you mentioned was our first overnight experience and the “everyone naked” rule made it very easy to adjust and be comfortable. We may have given up if half the people were dressed.
I have also noticed and studied the clothed staff issue. While far from scientifically based, I think there is a correlation between the distance between the front gate and the reception building combined with the clothing optional vs nudity expected where a larger distance plus nudity expected is more like likely to have nude staff compared to a resort where the reception is right at the gate of a clothing optional property.