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For those of us who have been in the workplace for 30 years, we remember when dress codes were simple. Women wore dresses or skirts to work, and men wore suits. Then things loosened up a bit, and women were allowed to wear pantsuits; men’s shirts no longer had to be white, and occasionally they ditched their ties. As the dot-coms exploded, companies relaxed their dress codes and implemented the business casual work environment. We were all thrilled with our new relaxed workplaces!
Over time, things started becoming a little too relaxed, forcing companies to define where exactly they put the emphasis on the phrase “business casual.”
Some companies choose to be rather vague with their dress code policies, stating them very simply, such as, “Dress in a safe manner, comfortable enough to work, appropriate to a business environment.” Others tell employees to look at their supervisor and model their dress based on that person — the theory being you should dress for the job that you would like to have. And other policies are very specific, leaving nothing to chance.
The definition of the business casual dress code varies greatly by workplace. There are many examples on the internet. Since it does vary so widely, if your company defines itself as “business casual” it is important that you clarify what this phrase means in your workplace. For instance, does it include bare midriffs, short skirts, sandals, sockless shoes, bare legs, spandex, khakis, t-shirts, tennis shoes, or logo clothing?
Regardless of what your company’s policy is, it must be enforced evenhandedly. If you’re going to allow a slender young employee to wear a short skirt, you must allow an older, heavier-set employee to wear one as well. As with all policies, what is most important is clarity and consistency.
Put your policy in writing, preferably in your employee handbook. Give it to each new employee when they start and review it with them. In your policy, refer to the business reasons for its existence. It is your right, as an employer, to set a professional environment that meets the needs of your customers, or that provides for the safety of your employees. As with any policy, it must be applied across the board and without regard to age, national origin, etc. Your policy also needs to take into account religious requirements. For instance, even though you may not allow hats in the workplace, you would want to allow someone to wear a head covering that was required by their religious beliefs.
Changes in our nation’s culture heavily influence dress code policies. With the “Y Generation” entering our workforce, managers are now often faced with the dilemma of how to handle body art, such as tattoos and piercings, which are becoming more and more common. Companies may make it a policy to not hire anyone with body art, but this restricts the applicant pool in a time when the applicant pool is already shrinking and our experienced workforce is starting to retire. The solution many companies resort to is to incorporate a body art policy.
Employees can be required to cover their tattoos while at work. Facial piercings can be removed in the workplace. The younger workforce can also pose challenges on issues such as hair color, like pink and purple, and extreme hairstyles. You may not want to require everyone to have their natural hair color, but you might want to require them to have a natural hair color. Are these standards legal? They certainly are. As a business you have the right to set grooming standards, as long as they are non discriminatory and accommodate any religious practices.
One of the most difficult aspects of enforcing standards of grooming presents itself when we are forced to discuss hygiene or inappropriately provocative dress with an employee. Hygiene discussions are never easy, but are in the best interests of the employee and the entire workforce. Deal with the issue as soon as you become aware of it. Don’t become involved in any workplace gossip about the employee. Take the offending employee aside in private, be direct about the issue and explain that corrective action needs to take place or it affects the employee’s ability to meet workplace standards.
Provocative dress has a similar affect on the workplace, as it becomes a distraction to others and a hot topic for gossip. Again, take the employee aside and speak directly about the company’s dress code expectations. If these discussions can occur between a manager and employee of the same gender, it can make the discussion easier for both. Though these discussions are difficult and we’d all like to avoid them, putting them off actually creates more of a distraction and disruption for everyone involved.
Ideally, our companies’ dress codes would be in place long before any issues arose (well, ideally, issues of dress would never arise at all, but this isn’t an ideal world). Unfortunately, many times our company dress codes are loose and ill-defined until we start to have a problem, and then we find ourselves in a position of writing codes and defining dress. If that’s the case for your company, it may be easier on your staff if you can involve them in the process.
Many years ago I worked for a company that abruptly redefined its dress code, eliminating many of the freedoms employees had enjoyed, and regulating dress even down to the acceptable number of pockets on pants. In response, the receptionist came to work one day in a dress and asked, “Does this meet the new dress code?” After being told it did, she proceeded to wear that same dress every day for several weeks, until she was fired for her poor attitude. Unfortunately, up to that time she’d been a great employee. A combination of poor management style and poor communication contributed to the loss of a long time employee.
As the baby boom generation retires, and the next generation takes over, the acceptable norms for body art, hair colors and styles, and other body decorations and expressions will quite probably change. Managers themselves will likely sport tattoos, forcing an evolution in the workplace. Inevitably, policies change to reasonably accommodate the prevailing standards of the day. The important thing to remember with your company’s changing dress code is that it must be based on sound business reasons, clearly defined, and consistently administered.
(Editor’s Note: The recommendations and opinions provided are based on general human resource management fundamentals, practices and principles, and are not legal opinions, advice, or guaranteed outcomes. Consult with your legal counsel when addressing legal concerns related to human resource issues and legal contracts.)
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