How to Write an Employee Dress Code

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Developing a dress code may seem like a simple task but it is actually quite complex.  From anti-discrimination laws to a change in the culture of business determining, designing a dress code can be tough. Did you know that Employer Solutions Plus can provide you with a resource who will design a code for you that aligns with your culture and needs?

If you choose to go the self-service route we have outlined some guidelines below:

Things to consider:

  • Your business’ public image
  • The type of work your employees perform (suits and ties might not go so well if there’s manual labor)

Steps to take:

  1. Identify your culture. Are you a polo and khakis or slacks and tie business?  Do you want to host casual Fridays?  You need to determine what level of formality you expect from your employees on a day to day basis.
  2. Assess your workplace. What is the type of work being performed?  Is it reasonable to expect a business casual dress code in a manual labor environment?  Do your employees work long shifts where formal attire would be uncomfortable?
  3. Learn the laws. There are multiple laws around employee discrimination that could be impacted by dress codes.  These include religious discrimination, racial discrimination, disability discrimination, gender discrimination and sexual harassment.
  4. Develop the code. Time to write the dress code – you need to be sure that it is clear, concise and doesn’t leave room for interpretation and also hits all of the requirements of the above laws.  Identify exceptions and be clear with your terminology.
  5. Identify code violations and how to handle them. What’s your policy? Three strikes? Will an employee in violation be expected to go home? Will they lose pay? There are many variables in this – the most important thing here is that it needs to be consistent.

These are the types of questions and considerations you need to make. The challenge of designing a code that fits your culture, aligns with laws and has the right procedures and outcomes for measuring adherence can be confusing, time consuming and stressful.

You don’t have to go at it alone though – contact Employer Solutions Plus today to find out how we can address this business challenge!

Employee Dress Code Trends

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Any employer knows that dress codes are a necessity. A company’s dress code is not just about mandating what your employees can/cannot wear – it speaks to the culture of the firm. Recently, many companies have been migrating to a more lax dress code – erring on the “casual” side of business casual. Other companies however are maintaining a traditional business attire environment. So what’s contributing to these trends? We have given you a breakdown of the key drivers to these changes.

Drivers of the Casual Dress Code

– Cultural Shift

  • Our culture as a whole has seemingly become more casual than 20-30 years ago. If you step into any start up in NYC it is highly unlikely you will see anyone wearing a suit. Some of this country’s largest companies like Google and Apple have and encourage casual dress codes.

– It’s Trendy

  • If Google is doing it – why wouldn’t we? Many businesses adopt practices from successful companies, including their dress code policies. The idea that a multi-billion dollar entity like Google or Facebook allows their employees to wear jeans makes people say “well if they do it and succeed, why can’t we?”

– Telecommuting

  • With the popularity of telecommuting, many workplaces realize that it doesn’t matter if you have on sweatpants or a suit – the work WILL get done. Knowing that productivity is just as high, if not higher, in a work from home environment, companies are becoming more open to the idea of keeping it casual inside and outside the office.

Keeping It Formal

– Tradition

  • Companies who are comprised of primarily older, baby boomers are more likely to uphold a more formal dress code. The concept of wearing jeans on anything other than a Friday seems unprofessional and unnecessary.

– Culture

  • If the nature of your business requires you to regularly interface with customers whether in person or virtually you will often see a more formal dress code being enforced.