To ask help wording a dress code policy for our office?

[OvertiredandConfused]

I am in despair of the dress code at work and want to change it so that it gives a reasonable idea of expectations but isn't a ridiculous list of dos and don'ts! We're all intelligent adults for goodness sake!

The aim is to have what I would call a smart casual / business casual environment. So that would allow for tailored jeans with a shirt or jacket and smart shoes, for example. Your favourite tour t-shirt, ripped jeans and trainers is not ok.

We currently have what reads like a very prescriptive dress code and yet half the staff still look scruffy even thought they technically follow the guidelines whilst the other half are irritated that the jeans example above is not allowed.

I was thinking of a statement along the lines of "we expect employees to present themselves in clean and smart attire that is appropriate for their role and an office environment." However, I think that is a little too open to personal interpretation.

Has anyone got any useful suggestions, or great policies that they're willing to share?

This really depends on your job so much. I had to tell one member of staff to dress less smartly

Why? Odd as it might seem there are people who like dressing smartly. Telling me to wear jeans , t-shirts and trainers (at any time, not just work ) would make me as uncomfortable as apparently wearing smart clothes makes others.

the point about some people looking like a bag of spanners whatever they wear is entirely valid. I recall a fairly top manager who did wear suit, shirt and tie. Everything seemed to fall apart the moment he put it on - untucked, trailing and regrettably not terribly fragrant.

yet he would conform to the letter of the dress code.

so the main advice is sensible. Provide a uniform or don't bother. And the uniform is for everyone, so make sure it is suitable for the conditions of the office.

U had one job that had a really strict uniform they provided. we are talking I'll fitting and ghastly and dictated down to jewellery and make up.

it wasnt unusual however fir a customer to turn up and stink people out the place or come on covered in mud from work.

I

so the main advice is sensible. Provide a uniform or don't bother. And the uniform is for everyone, so make sure it is suitable for the conditions of the office

And how does that work somewhere like a law or accountants' office? You really think making everyone look like security guards in shiny suits will work?

And as for "our customers know what to expect " so do my clients and casual clothes is not it.

It's not unusual to have standards of dress. A consultancy for eg.

Lots of places with clients.

I would go with
"Associates are expected to dress appropriate to the working environment. Clothing must be in good repair, flip flops are not permitted, and Associates must bear in mind that they are a visual representation of the Brand when meeting clients"

go and stand outside a secondary school one morning, they aer all wearing the same uniform, see how some look like they were draged through a hedge backwards, and some look super smart.

Some people are just scruffy, no matter what they wear, and some people can make ripped jeans and dirty decorating top look fab.

Just do proper smart office attire only, with DD Friday's. Then everyone knows where they stand.

PMSL at the idea of uniforms!!!! Don't be so stupid. Can you imagine if I went to meet a client in my accountancy firm uniform??

You can be expected to dress in a smart and professional manner, whilst still dressing individually.

But whois WHY with dress down Fridays?

If you are employing people who do not know what is appropriate to wear to work perhaps you need to review your recruitment process.

Seriously if you need to write up detailed guidelines on how to dress, how do they get their work done to the required standard without every process and procedure documented in triplicate

I understood instantly from your first link OP. I couldn't get your second one to work. I can imagine though.

Beach wear is my pet hate unless you are working on a beach. Sometimes not even then. I've seen waiting staff in polo shirts and long shorts. Not everyone wants to see your tits while you're serving them lunch.

It looks smart/casual and I don't see how anyone would have difficulty understanding or buying it. I'd be happy to wear that. Lots of offices like in law or accountancy are much more formal. If I worked in that kind of place I'd stick with their dress code.

You are free to express yourself at weekends.

He had to dress less smartly, as he was working with some very disadvantaged people, and wearing a very smart suit and tie, simply creates a barrier.

But whois WHY with dress down Fridays?

I know tldr I have no idea why this is a
" thing" . It's not good from an employer's pov. I assume a motivational guru came up with it and no-one challenged it as bollocks.

In my office employees can't "dress down" if they are seeing clients that day or attending meetings out of the office . Clients rarely turn up without appointments.

I'm a scientist in a corporate customer facing role. Halfour employees have PhDs. I believe we did once have a dress code back in the day but then it was 'Everyone of management grade look smart, the rest of you dress how you like. Oh, but you all must wear jeans and trainers on a Friday'. Nowadays the only dress code that is observed is the Friday rule and the SHE dress code (except the rules about shoes, the shoe rules are hated by all women in the company). Today I had 2 customer meetings, some people were in suits, some wore sloganned jumpers and ripped jeans. There was a beard that was compared with Robinson Crusoe's. Clients are scientists so always scruffy and mistrustful of those who are too smartly dressed.

The thing is, people who are conservative and work in a conservative environment will think a strict dress code is essential. People who work in more creative environments will think a dress code is ridiculous. The OP needs to work out where her company is on the line between 'barrister' and 'university' but accept there will always be some people who ignore the rules.

DH has a menswear shop. When City firms brought in Dress Down Fridays about 20 years ago he got loads of custom from men who had no idea what to wear.

They didn't feel liberated. They were happy to wear suits in navy and dark grey with black lace up shoes. Having to choose something different was a burden.

At least one bank had to bring in a dress code because staff were getting it so badly wrong.

The problem with dress codes is they are effectively unenforceable, you'll not fire someone who's otherwise good for not meeting your dress code, and people know it - it would be insane if you did. So because you can't fire the good people, you won't fire the bad either.

If your clients require people to be dressed in a certain way, then the performance of your staff will be easily appraised to fall short of the standard if they aren't meeting it, but if it's not harming their work when firing them would be insane.

And yes, I'd rather meet an accountant who's comfortable and knowledgeable in their dress, rather than either in a crumpled ill-fitting suit or excessively primped.

PMSL at the idea of uniforms!!!! Don't be so stupid. Can you imagine if I went to meet a client in my accountancy firm uniform??

whois A friend said the same thing. He was a manager for a retail bank in a very smart part of London.

He said it was ludicrous for the company to expect clients to have any confidence in him to invest their money wisely while he was wearing a polyester jacket with a fraying machine-embroidered logo on the breast pocket.

Yet they still expected their staff to pull in the custom and berated them when they didn't.

He wasn't expecting to shop in Savile Row but needed to wear something that looked that it wasn't drip dry.

Another issue with this is widely differing opinions - see debate on J Corbyn, M Foot etc. Personally, provided you are clean and tidyish I am much more interested in your work than what you look like but some people are genuinely offended if I don't wear a tie - like when people were afraid that if the Coronation was broadcast on the wireless in 1953, people could be listening who were not wearinv hats.

My solicitor is very good wasonthelist. He doesn't much care for clothes. But if he hadn't turned up in court for me in a dark suit and tie I'd have been seriously unimpressed as would the judge.

I was paying him a lot of money, not just for his legal advice but his awareness of what was appropriate behaviour in a court.

He can wear his Clash t shirt on his time, not mine.

Why all the prejudice against armpits? I have some v smart sleeveless/capped sleeve shift dresses. I look way smarter in them than some of my colleagues in their M&S cardis.

I love the way it's always a suit and tie or a clash t-shirt. Like there's no middle ground. As for Judges, they are the worst example of preposterous dress for no good reason. And why on earth does a piece of rag around your neck make you "smart" it's archaic and pathetic.

Part of the reason for court dress (judges, barristers, advocates and solicitors is to do with impressing on the public that appearing in court isa serious matter. It's not everyday life and what you say in a court will be taken seriously.

They will remove wigs and gowns if trials involve children.

why on earth does a piece of rag around your neck make you "smart" it's archaic and pathetic

You just keep on blazing a trail and I'll just stick with the person who gives good legal advice and also knows how not to piss judges off with his manner or dress.

ps it was an informal hearing and the judge was wearing a suit and tie not a wig and gown. They do, you know.