It’s Summer – Do You Need to Reacquaint Employees With the Dress Code?

As more companies are progressively adopting a business casual approach to dress and grooming, owners are put in the position of having to define more clearly what constitutes appropriate and inappropriate attire in the workplace.

Now that summer is finally upon us, it’s probably a good time to update and reacquaint your employees with the company’s summer dress code.

What to consider when drafting a dress code

When crafting a summer dress code, it is important to consider the following factors:

What is your general company culture like? Do clients expect a certain type of attire regardless of the season, or do you have a more casual philosophy in general?
Will changing the dress code for summer impact how your company operates?
What is the extent of the average employee’s interaction with your clients? Would more casual summer dress have a negative impact on the reputation of your company?
If you plan to allow more casual dress in the summer months, are there additional safety issues that may result? For instance, if you allow sandals to be worn, will there be additional opportunity for trips and falls, endangering your staff and potentially exposing your company to added liability?
Will changing your dress code be considered as sexual harassment in any way? If your changes are directed at one gender more than another, will this be perceived as an inequality issue?

It’s a training and communication issue

In order to preserve the reputation and professional environment of the workplace, it is wise to review your company dress code policies periodically and make adjustments as needed. Companies with a clearly defined, detailed dress code avoid potential problems by training staff during initial orientation as well as by issuing seasonal reminders about dress code standards.

All such communication regarding company dress code policy must emphasize your desire to maintain goodwill among your staff as well as with your clients.

A simple explanation of the reasoning behind such policies will largely suffice to inform your employees while assuring them of your concern and commitment to their safety and well being.

This was originally published on the Genesis HR Solutions blog.