Now that summer has officially begun, employers might start to see changes to work attire and grooming.
If you don’t have a robust and consistently enforced policy, these changes could go downhill so quickly it might be difficult to rein in.
Employers are historically challenged to develop sound policies for dress and grooming. When implemented, managers are typically resistant to enforcing them.
In creating a policy, employers shouldn’t overthink it, but they need to determine how an employee must dress or groom to be successful in the job.
Employers should consider not just workplace attire, but also piercings and tattoos, jewelry and grooming such as hair, facial hair, makeup, nails and odor.
While the law prohibits gender stereotyping, it has generally found that attire and grooming standards that impose burdens on both men and women are legal.
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Something as follows is appropriate:
COMPANY maintains a business casual environment in its workplace. Appropriate personal grooming and attire are expected at all times. Extreme styles and/or any attire that is too tight, too baggy, is revealing or distracting is not acceptable. Clothing should be clean, pressed, in good condition and appropriately fitted.
As a guide, employees should not wear beach-type sandals or flip-flops, jeans material, T-shirts, bare midriff tops, athletic wear, shorts, tank tops, pants that sit below the waist or any clothing that does not promote a professional image. COMPANY reserves the right to prohibit grooming or attire that the COMPANY determines to be a distraction, or is considered contrary to our COMPANY brand (i.e.: tattoos, piercings, hair, clothing).
This policy is a guide and cannot address all questions of specific attire. Management has the discretion to make decisions regarding violations of this policy.
Any employee who violates this policy may be sent home to change and/or disciplined up to and including termination, depending on the severity of the offense, and the frequency of the violations.
If you are not sure if something is acceptable, choose something else or inquire first.
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Employers should make sure the standards are not discriminatory as written, or as enforced, relative to national origin, religion, race or sexual orientation.
Employees may be entitled to violate this policy as a reasonable accommodation for medical or religious reasons. Safety trumps everything, however, so they are not entitled to an accommodation if it affects safety or creates an undue hardship.
If an employer denies a reasonable accommodation, it needs to be prepared to defend the business necessity of the rule’s enforcement.
The reality is that managers don’t like to address these issues.
Managers have to consider whether they care enough about the success of their employees that they are willing to take a few minutes to explain that employee’s attire/grooming is not helping that person succeed. The manager who avoids coaching an associate is not helping that person succeed.
I frequently get asked about whether men should counsel women alone about attire issues. This is a legitimate concern because sometimes the communication gets misunderstood. As a rule, for any manager communicating with another employee about attire or grooming, have HR or another manager present, and not just if it is between two genders.
Finally, remember the golden rule: If you can see up it, down it or through it, don’t wear it! Following this rule solves most of the issues.