What your employees – at least, the ones who make contact with clients and the public – wear says a lot about your company, and in some cases an employee dress code is a necessity for health or safety reasons.
But creating a standard of dress and grooming isn't easy. In order for a dress code to be legally enforceable, it can't restrict gender equality or religious freedom; and in order to be effective, employees have to be able to understand and follow it.
To create an effective employee dress code, organizations should:
- Take into consideration the employees' roles and visibility
- Be sensitive to gender and religion issues
- Be clearly and firmly communicated to employees
Keep up to date on dress and appearance issues
The legal, ethical and practical issues that go into making an employee dress code can change quickly. A one-stop resource that tracks all the news you'll need to know about can save you time and headache.
Put it in writing
Be as specific as possible about what employees can and cannot wear to avoid uncertainty.
Know your rights and responsibilities
Accusations of discrimination based on dress requirements can be a drain on resources and dampen morale. Make sure you understand current laws before you create a code.