Summer's heat brings appropriate-dress issues to many workplaces

By Barbara Bowes

Summer is finally here -- the sun is shining, temperatures have risen and people seem more lighthearted. However, it seems that as temperatures rise, so do skirt hemlines, shirtsleeves and pant legs.

Ever since business casual was introduced into the workplace, dressing for work in the summer has been quite controversial and for some managers, a great big headache.

In fact, some employers feel that because employees are always pushing the boundaries of the company dress code, business casual has degenerated to such an extent that many employees have become quite sloppy and unprofessional.

It's reported that female employees, particularly the young crowd, are exposing too much flesh with their short tank tops, miniskirts and blouses with see-through fabric. As well, we are starting to see body art such as tattoos on the arms, legs, ankles, neck and lower back. And let's not forget about the increasing number of employees who are more frequently sporting tongue and eyebrow studs or rows and rows of earrings on just one ear.

Then again, we all know an employee who just loves their blue jeans (pants and shorts) and continually wears the pair that is most frayed, ripped and stained and should have been thrown out long ago.

At the same time, if you overheard a conversation at the company watercooler about the summer casual controversy, the most frequent comment you'll hear is that since business has no place in the "bedrooms of the nation," they also have no place in someone's personal clothes closet. In other words, many employees don't understand why an employer is concerned about their personal attire in the first place and feel that dress code rules shouldn't apply to them.

Well, let me tell you, it is not that employers have an out-of-date view of fashion, are too conventional or don't respect the need to balance comfort with being professional. It's simply that employees are the face of an organization.

Since customers are affected by first impressions, the clothes employees wear create an image, and image is important to business success.

For instance, would you feel more comfortable buying or getting advice from an employee who is flexing way too much flesh accompanied by an unwanted view of their private undergarments, or would you be more prone to listen to someone who is neat, well-groomed and appropriately dressed in a more business-related attire?

Let's face it, there's been plenty of research over the years to demonstrate that professionally dressed employees are taken more seriously. In addition, it's long been known that how a person dresses affects self confidence, personal productivity and professionalism. Finally, most executives would confirm that personal demeanour and dress does have an impact on an employee's overall career.

So, if you haven't already clarified and defined "acceptable dress" in your organization, now is definitely the time. On the other hand, recognize that dress-code policies aren't as easy to develop as one might think.

Employers must consider the challenging fact that most dress codes refer more to women than men and this may be considered somewhat offensive. In addition, you don't want to be perceived as treating your employees as though they were children and you don't want to spark controversy over clothing definitions.

Finally, you don't want to be rewriting your policy every time fashion changes and you simply don't want to spend your time being the "fashion police." The following guidelines will enable you to prepare a policy that is workable for your organization.

- Include a philosophy statement explaining why dress code is important to your business.

- Be specific about what dress is or isn't permitted in the workplace without getting too involved in definitions or attempting to name designer labels.

- Write clear and concise statements that are easy to understand and interpret.

- Understand and match policy statements with your corporate values and the public image you wish at create.

- Ensure policies are reasonable and practical from both a business and safety perspective.

- Review your policies for human-rights issues such as gender bias, age, religious or cultural considerations and ensure compliance.

- Include a policy on exceptions and exemptions.

- Include a policy on process for employee inquiry.

- Include a policy on disciplinary action for policy violation.

Writing a policy on dress code is one thing, but it is also important to get that employee buy-in. The best way to do this is to involve employees in developing the policy. Ask for volunteers to participate in a committee that will look at the dress-code issues, survey employees and management and propose a set of policies that are objective and which are meaningful to your organization.

Once the policies are set and approved, develop a communication strategy so that all employees are presented with the rationale for the policies and can gain an understanding of what is expected of them.

While dress-code issues might be stressing you out and causing a rise in blood pressure, keep in mind that some things just need to be handled as they arise and that there may not be any standard answer that can be put into policy.

Consider as well, that if someone can't make good decisions about what to wear to work, they are probably facing challenges about other decisions they have to make in the workplace, too. It is probably wiser to look into and address these workplace issues rather than just focusing on the employee's choice of dress.

Source: Avoiding Dress Code Lawsuits, Jennifer Carsen, J.D., Business and Legal Reports, 2008, What's In a Dress Code, Liz Ryan, Women Today