Summer Dress Codes
Now that the sun is shining, employers may be noticing relaxed dress standards. What should employers do?
Employers establish dress codes for a variety of reasons, including to present a positive image to clients, to prohibit employees from coming to work with offensive, distracting, or inappropriate attire, and to avoid clothing that would present a health and safety risk. While business attire was the norm at companies for many years, employers have relaxed dress codes in an effort to improve morale and retention. Casual dress policies have become more common at work in response to employees' demands for flexibility and a relaxed work environment.
So as hemlines rise with the temperatures, now may be the time to remind employees of your guidelines on what you regard as acceptable. Dress codes should help supervisors avoid misunderstandings with employees about what attire is considered appropriate for the work place. Written guidelines will also assist supervisors in enforcing dress codes in a consistent, nondiscriminatory manner.
For employers considering a casual summer dress code, according to employment attorney Steven Bernstein of the Fisher and Phillips Tampa, Florida office, here are some items to consider.
1. What kind of working environment am I hoping to achieve, and how would relaxed standards impact our overall corporate culture?
2. What has been the practice within our area and industry, and how will this impact public perception within the local business community?
3. Have we relaxed standards on Fridays or on other occasions in the past? If so, have employees been willing to hold up their end of the bargain?
4. What do you visualize when it comes to acceptable "business casual" attire? Do your employees share that view, or is the emphasis too often placed on "casual?"
5. How big an issue is this among employees to begin with? Am I at risk of giving in simply to gratify a handful of employees at the expense of several others?
6. When it comes to revealing and inappropriate attire, where am I prepared to draw the line, and what steps am I prepared to take to enforce it? Can I say with a straight-face that this standard applies equally to all employees in the same group? What about forms of self-expression such as tattoos and body piercings?
7. What is the most effective way to communicate our standards to employees, new hires and candidates alike? Company-wide meetings, mass emails, circulation of a written document, or all of the above?
8. Are we prepared to live with any and all internal dress code guidelines, and have they been reviewed lately? If we are not prepared to enforce them to the letter, isn't it time to revisit them? If we are prepared, have we trained our supervisors to do so on a consistent basis, and are they willing to set the example?
Reviewing the answers to these questions can assist employers in determining what to include in their dress code policy. For an example of a casual summer dress code, email the HR Works helpline at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
