Businesses that already consider casual dress as the norm should still offer some rules on truly casual days. Here's a great policy that will work for the less professional atmosphere.
Tops ' Approved tops and shirts should be neat and neatly pressed. Sleeveless tops are appropriate for women although tanks tops are not. For males, casual tops should include golf shirts and no tank tops or graphic T-Shirts. Henley tops and button down shirts are welcome for sexes and casual blouses and shirts in plaid and prints are also acceptable. On no account should blouses or shirts reveal cleavage or be unbuttoned inappropriately'for both men and women. No sweat shirts will be approved as appropriate attire.
Bottoms ' Clean and pressed Khaki pants or jeans work only if they contain no holes or fringe plus they appear newer instead of worn. Skirts or skorts are acceptable in addition to Bermuda shorts as long as they are clean and pressed. No mini-skirts are permitted nor are shorts apart from the Bermuda offering.
Dresses ' Women may wear appropriate sundresses that do not reveal cleavage or underwear (bras). Sweater dresses and jumpers of the cotton variety are also acceptable.
Using the ever-growing entrance of Gen X and Gen Y in to the workforce, the requirement for a business casual policy is a hot topic in HR nowadays. Here, Jean Scheid provides a few examples of business casual dress policies to ensure no one is offended and the staff is constantly on the appear professional.
Unfortunately, business casual dress days should not include shorts, tanks or T-shirts or even the ever popular tank bras. Your staff isn't going boating, hiking or to an amusement park, so you have to be sensible when designing a policy for casual dress.
Before I delve into some examples of economic casual dress policies, consider the type of business you own. If your clients are on the thirteenth floor of the fancy office building, your policy will have to be different than if the business is situated in a strip mall and also you sell skateboards.
Some corporate offices are more of the technical support type for example IT support in which the customer never really sees the worker. Small professional accounting or attorney offices may rent or possess a single small building or space but nonetheless wish to convey some professionalism.
Shoes ' Under no circumstances will flip-flops be allowed on casual day. Clean sports or tennis shoes are welcome. Deck shoes or boat/loafer shoes are also acceptable. Casual boots such as the ones from the corduroy variety or ankle boot-type shoes are allowed.
Accessories ' No accessories such as pins or jewelry which include sayings which may be offensive to other people is disallowed. Appropriate scarfs, necklaces and belts are welcome.
Rule to help you adhere to the policy: To determine which is appropriate and what is not, for those who have doubts about how you look'try a different outfit.
If your workplace is much more from the professional type, you want to keep that professionalism, reliability , shouldn't use the above example of a business casual dress policy. Instead, you might opt for:
Tops ' No golf shirts, Henley's, sweat or T-shirts are allowed nor will tank tops be authorized. Short sleeve button down and cropped sleeve blouses are favored over sleeveless tops. On casual days, ties and business wear aren't required.
Bottoms ' Only cleaned and pressed khaki-style pants or skirts are accepted. No jeans or corduroys are allowed. No cropped pants, shorts, skorts, Bermuda shorts or mini-skirts are allowed. All skirts should be of a professional length and type of material (no blue jean skirts, for instance).
Dresses ' All sundresses commonly are not allowed, particularly if they're sleeveless or of the see-through variety. Dresses ought to be from the casual day-wear type with discretion being of the utmost importance.
Shoes ' No sneaker, athletic, flip-flops or sandals are permitted. Shoes should be clean and professional; for casual days, flats for women and loafers for men are acceptable.
Accessories ' No accessories promoting lifestyles (grunge, etc.) is going to be tolerated. All accessories, jewelry and belts are required to follow exactly the same requirements as a normal professional dress day. Baseball caps and hats should not be worn on business casual day.
Although both of these types of business casual dress policies will work for the professional and the not-so-professional office, before you decide to write and implement your policy, it's best to speak to an HR manager or labor law attorney on any laws requiring employee dress. A company casual dress policy also requires the those who own the company to judge what they will and will not tolerate or deem as 'casual."
Generally, first offenders from the casual dress policy ought to be given the option to go home and alter, leave during the day, or maybe they live far from work, given the option to purchase something from a store near by that's allowed. Repeat offenders ought to be documented within an employee warning format.
Finally, make sure to include a statement in your employee handbook about the policy and include the entire written policy inside your new hire materials.