Since Bob Dylan wrote “The times they are a-changin,” social, cultural and fashion norms have changed everyday life in many ways. The result is a more relaxed way we dress outside of the workplace. Those influences have found their way into the workplace.
Formal business attire is mostly a thing of the past, except for a few sectors of the business world. Tattoos and piercings have become commonplace. The old stereotypical standards on what is proper and improper no longer apply.
Aligning Employee Attire with Company Values
Employers increasingly struggle to align their expectations of how employees should dress with what employees wear or want to wear. It is important for employers to provide guidelines and communicate their expectations clearly.
A very important part of the company culture is how an employer wants to present itself to its customers and how it expects employees to represent and convey that culture. The expectations of a financial services company will differ from those of a pest extermination company. What is appropriate or inappropriate is different depending on the company workplace and culture.
Remote Work’s Influence on Employee Dress Codes
The remote work trend has had a significant impact on how employees dress. If the employee is not client facing, there can be less emphasis on what the employee wears. One part of the challenge for employers wanting their employees to return to the worksite is getting returning employees to meet the employer’s dress expectations.
To attract and retain employees, more employers are relaxing their policies to more casual dress. This approach appeals to more employees seeking a more flexible approach to how they dress in the workplace.
It may be difficult if not impossible to define an absolute code for dress, but whatever guidelines or rules are implemented should be tied to the employer’s culture and type of business activities it is engaged in. Employees should understand that they are expected to dress professionally in an appropriate manner when representing their employer. While a specific laundry list may not be appropriate for a given company, it is nevertheless helpful for the employer to convey general parameters for proper attire as well as hygiene.
Balancing Compliance and Religious Expression
It is important to keep compliance considerations in mind when an employee displays clothing, tattoos, or piercings that managers may consider inappropriate. If the employee asserts that the way they dress is based on religion or a sincerely held religious belief, the employer should go through an interactive process to determine whether the desired appearance can be accommodated.
In conclusion, dress code policies are changing rapidly in today’s world. Employers need to be aware of these changes and adapt their policies accordingly. By doing so, they can create a more inclusive work environment that allows employees to express themselves while still maintaining professionalism.