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Dress Code-How casual is casual?
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Dress Code-How casual is casual?
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Our Employee policy on dress code states , "...required to wear professional attire(followed by examples)...Fridays are casual days...business-casual or tasteful jeans..."
We have several young, attr
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Forums » Topic Forums » General Forum » Dress Code-How casual is casual?
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Dress Code-How casual is casual?
posted at 8/30/1999 10:31 PM EDT
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Posts: 63
First: 8/1/1999 Last: 8/31/2000 |
Our Employee policy on dress code states , "...required to wear professional attire(followed by examples)...Fridays are casual days...business-casual or tasteful jeans..."
We have several young, attractive female employees who wear "mini-skirts" Monday through Thursday and wear skorts on Fridays. I personally feel that these "short" skirts are a distraction to our male workers and that no shorts should be allowed, whether skorts or standard. However, any employee working an approved weekend is allowed to wear shorts. The employees feel that they should be allowed to wear shorts because they are allowed to wear short skirts. I have been sending these shorts wearers home to change on Fridays, unless they make a big fuss. Is it permissable to rewrite the policy to include skirts and shorts longer than fingertip length? (Similar to School policy)Please advise. |
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Dress Code-How casual is casual?
posted at 8/31/1999 12:29 AM EDT
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Posts: 833
First: 6/11/1999 Last: 8/23/2001 |
You can rewrite it, as long as it wasn't part of a bargaining agreement, but your employees may not like it, and you need a way to communicate it. You may want to include others in your decision, so it doesn't seem so personal: you called it "our" policy, and then stated that YOU felt the skirts were a distraction. Also, not knowing where you stand in the company's hierarchy, you may be sending employees home to change, while others attired the same but working for a different manager are allowed to work.
Everyone's idea of "appropriate" is different, as is the term "casual", which runs from thongs to turtlenecks depending on the wearer's interpretation. In your rewrite, include examples, and retain the right to determine what is appropriate, and to alter the casual-dress for business necessity. |
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Dress Code-How casual is casual?
posted at 9/1/1999 1:04 AM EDT
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Posts: 99
First: 6/22/1999 Last: 12/11/2001 |
I ran into some of the same trouble as our dress code is casual every working day. In writing the company's first handbook, I stated no shorts were allowed and skirts were not to be above the knee more than 5". One of my manager's wanted shorts allowed and to remove the length of the skirt. I agreed with the removal of the shorts but did ask him what about shorts that show a person's "cheeks", as they are cut very short these days. Would those be allowed? I was steadfast on the skirt length as it could be construed as sexually provacative to some people if it was any shorter. Some of my managers have the belief that NO ONE will challenge the guidelines and that everyone is perfect and will dress accordingly. So I have to be the devil's advocate and take the opposing viewpoint to get my message across.
If in making a big fuss, you don't send a staff person home, don't those employee's whom you have sent home complain that not every one is receiving the same treatment? You might also want to look at what fingertip length is on women of different heighths. I'm 5'1" and my fingertips just barely cover below my backside, which is short according to your description. My bookkeeper is 5'9" and her fingertips reach farther down. That's why I chose to put a length above the knee as a guideline. |
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