Introduction
Every organization has a certain dress code that has been established to allow employees to work at ease in the office. Employees have to be dressed in a professional way that depicts the work they do. This dress code should project a professional image to the business clients and the society. Not all casual clothing is appropriate for the office. Every organization should have a clear guideline of what is acceptable and what is not acceptable in the office. Dress codes differ according to the work place for example there are certain clothing that work well for dance clubs, beach, and sports which may not be suitable for an office setting. Companies change employee’s dress codes from time to time if they feel that the present dress code is not appealing to every one especially to employees, customers, and community. For example clothing that disclose to a great extent the chest, back, feet or underwear is not suitable for an office setting or a business environment. Clothing should be well pressed, all seams finished, with words or pictures that are not offensive. Some companies persuade employees to dress in clothing that has the company’s emblem or wear uniforms. This paper will look at the different types of dress codes, explain why women feel it is unfair to be restricted from wearing nice work pants and gives some of the strategies to be adapted by the company while introducing the new dress codes. It will also give the expected outcome of the change in dress code.
Types of Dress Codes
Basically there are three types of business attire; Business casual, Professional Dress, and Campus casual. Business Casual is not common in a professional business or an office setting but can be found in a semi-conservative workplace. It comprise of a shirt with collar, dress paints and nice shoes for ladies. The dress paints should be of knee-length or longer. For men, it consist of shirt (collared or pollo), good shoes and pants without a tie. Professional dress code emerges to be the top most traditionalist type of (business) wear. It is common in finance office, accounting office or other conservative business environments. Sometimes employees are forced to wear professional because of the conservative employers who have hired them (Heathfield, p. 1). A professional dress for ladies covers a suit (pants or skirt) whereas for men it encompass (business) suit and a tie.
Campus casual refer to the clothing that one puts on during his/her leisure time. It comprise of jeans, sneakers, tee shirts among others. Campus casual can be worn under certain circumstances in the work place for example in casual networking events (Heathfield, p. 2). Before the management of a company decides which dress code should be worn at work, it is good to understand the work environment. It may decide to change women’s dress code if women are wearing offensive paints or are exposing a great part of their bodies to the public. The best way to ensure that women put on dresses that appeal to everyone is to put a restrain on the dress codes. The change of a dress code policy is deemed to upset some employees.
Why Women Feel the New Dress Code is Unfair
The reason for changing a dress code policy is to ensure that employees dress appropriately to the work place. Many people have no ethics or morals and would like to dress in an offensive manner to attract everyone’s attention. A change in a dress code that prohibits women from wearing paints is likely to upset most of the female workers and more so if men are allowed to wear casually. Women feel more comfortable in paints than in dresses and may feel offended if they are not allowed to put them on. However, if allowed to put them on some may wear tight pants which show a bad image of the company. The fact that the company allows men to wear casual attire is a clear indication the business is not of conservative type. The change in rules may have been introduced by one of the authorities for his or her personal taste. It can also be because of a conservative boss who has a negative attitude towards ladies’ pants. Rules should not be imposed out of personal gratification but should be for the good of all the stakeholders. Before changing the dress code, it is always good to summon all employees and allow them to give their personal views concerning the whole issues. If majority agree to the changes, then the new code should be introduced.
Company Resistance
The company may be resistant to the women complaints because there was a reason for introducing the new dress code. Most likely women were taking the advantage of being allowed to wear paints to the extent of wearing tight and inappropriate paints to the office. Male workers will look good in any output they put on and that’s the reason they have been allowed to wear casual attire. If women are allowed to wear campus attire to the office, they are likely to wear offensive clothing. According to the company, the only way to ensure that women put on office attire was to prohibit pants no matter how smart or nice they appeared to be. This is not the only organization that has introduced such as dress code. They are many all over the world that feels that women should wear dresses of knee-length or longer with moderate slits. They not only look professional but also well glommed.
Strategies to be Implemented
Change of a dress code is the first step in improving the performance of a business. Many employees think that they look good in their present dress code and may be reluctant to change. There are some tips that can make the transition easy and boost employees’ morale. First step is to consider employees turnover because it drains more income than customer dissatisfaction. If the change in dress code will result in increased employee turnover, then it is good to ignore it. Is the change in dress code a business concern or a personal interest of one of the leaders? Superiors should not be permitted to make illogical decision because it may influence employee’s performance. If the change is a consequence of a definite problem, it is better to deal with the problem itself other than altering rules on the dress code. Not all employees will dress in an offensive manner and it is appropriate to talk one on one with the employee who is offending the others than starting a new dress code. However, if there are frequent complaints from customers, employees or the community concerning the general appearance of the company’s employees, it is wise to introduce a new dress code (Marth, p. 5).
Employees concern should be addressed with sympathy. They should be allowed to address their complaints to the person responsible for introducing the change. This can raise their morale and respond positively to the change. If the company wants to change the whole policy, it is recommended to consider ways that will develop employees’ appearance without radically altering their individual expression. Some employees may have some aspects of their clothing that they cannot change for various reasons (Marth, p. 6). For example, some employees may not go to work without pants because of some abnormality in their body of which they feel uncomfortable with if exposed. Superiors should take their time and speak one on one with such employees and look for a solution to their problems.
Before the dress code is set up, a gathering should be held for all the workers concerned. An in-depth explanation of the new code should be given and use of derogatory language should be avoided. The reasons for introducing the new dress code should be addressed.
Outcomes
Although most of the female workers are likely to complain about the change in new dress code, they will adapt it within a very short period of time. However, not all employees respond positively to a change in the dress code. Five female were reported to have resigned from their job because of a change in the dress code. The employees were news presenters on the Qatar-based Al Jazeera television channel. “The women handed in their notice after repeated criticism from a top company official for allegedly not being conservative enough in their dress” (Baxter, p. 2). Change of dress codes is common in most organization which often upset the parties involved but with time they get acquitted to it. I will urge the management to give employees ample time to adjust to the change because it will require extra cash to buy new cloths. Two months will be enough for resolving the complaints.
Conclusion
Every organization has its own guidelines on the dress code depending on the kind of business it is involved. A dress code for a night club will definitely not be appropriate for an office setting. For an office setting, dresses should be well pressed and all seems made properly. The dress code should appeal to fellow employees, customers, and the community. The kind of dress code used in the business settings differs from company to company and may be influenced by superiors’ preference. Denying women their right to wear paints while allowing males to wear casual attire is unfair to the women. They should be allowed to wear paints but with certain restriction.
The reason for changing a dress code policy is to ensure that employees dress appropriately to the work place. Before introducing a new dress code, it is always good to summon all parties that will be affected and give them room for self expression. If the change is as a result of personal issues, then it is better to deal with the problem other than enacting rules that affect everyone.
References
- Baxter, Elsa. “Al Jazeera female staff quit over dress code.” Arabianbusiness, 2010.
- Heathfield, Susan M. “Dress for Work Success: A Business Casual Dress Code.” About.com, 2010.
- Marth, Arthur. R. “Tips for introducing a new dress code policy.” helium, 2002.