Managing Dress-Code at Work!
Working in the Human Resources department and being a Fashion Police isn't an easy job, right? But I think we should be brave enough to get our word out and draw that line when it is required.
The Company Culture:
The culture that a company owns and the values set by the company automatically defines the dress code. If business casuals is the way to go about in the company and employees show up in party wears, something's got to change and that's OK.Employees should not take "business casuals" for granted and think it to be "Wear Whatever I Want". They should live by the company's culture and follow an acceptable dress-code.
Aspiration Comes from the Leadership:
We also need to practice what we preach. "Do As I Say, Not As I Do" doesn’t work. If the leaders and managers show up in Loose Pants and Party T-shirts, how can they expect their teams to follow a dress-code that holds up the company's culture. We must model the look we want others to emulate.
Managing Dress-Code Expectation:
Sending out a company-wide email or a memo based on a recent encounter on dress-code is not advisable. The best time for expectation management is when an employee joins the organization. The dress-code can be part of the employee handbook or communicated in conversation, sometimes by adding certain humor to it or through use of info-graphics on company's dress-code.
Rectifying the Rectifiable:
The definition for "Business Casuals" may vary for every employee; if they continue to breach the dress-code, we might need to discuss it directly. However, it can work best if such communication comes from a team-mate rather than a boss. Something like; Hey! striking T-Shirt, but wearing a collared shirt is more appropriate in our office" can do the trick.
In a nutshell, we should be savvy enough to take care of our attire that is inline, not only with our company's culture, but also with our own values and customs.