Dress down dilemma

Summer dress codes: advice for employers

Summer’s here, dress codes are feeling the heat and employers may be getting added pressure to relax dress standards. A dress code at work is as much about your business culture as your public image. Suits, ties, shoulder pads and blouses have been replaced in some businesses with jumpers, open shirts and leggings. But it has to fit your business and rules must be enforced with everyone. Summer naturally means everyone feels more hot and flustered but coming in flip flops, board shorts or a bikini just may not be appropriate for a work environment. It’s important to consider that a drastically relaxed dress code coupled with vague standards, may also cause employees to relax their approach to dealing with coworkers, customers and the public at large. That puts your public image at risk and exposes you to perceptions of discrimination and harassment.

It’s vital that the employer’s dress code policy should be clear as this will be important when taking action against an employee whose fashion sense leaves much to be desired. An employer is perfectly within their rights to insist on a standard of dress or uniform. A quiet, sensitive word about dress codes is usually the first step to resolve any issue.

Care must be taken to ensure that a dress code policy is fair to all employees. For example, a similar standard of formality should be expected from both male and female workers. Other relevant areas of discrimination are race, religion and belief or even age. Over half of employees (55%) polled by YouGov said that women ‘get away’ with more casual clothing than men to keep cool. Employers must be sensitive to religious beliefs and care must be taken to ensure that these are not breached or offended e.g. slogans on t-shirts.  If employers wish to allow more flexibility to one group of staff but not to another, they must be able to show the business reason for doing so.

The HR Dept South London specialise in advising small and medium sized businesses on
all employment and HR issues.
http://www.hrdept.co.uk

Pensions Legislation and Employment Law Seminar

Invitation to Seminar
Please feel free to join us at the  HR Dept seminar “Employment Law Update” on Tuesday 23rd March at Jury’s Inn Hotel, Croydon from 9.30 am to 11.30 am.
The HR Dept have teamed up with Calver Groom Financial Management and the seminar will include information regarding your responsibilities as an employer in relation to the Pensions Reforms due to be rolled out in 2012. This will cover:
Employers’ obligations such as auto-enrolment and minimum contributions
Timescales
Sources of information
How to plan for the changes
Benefits of early preparation
You will also receive a practical update on current legislative changes and topical issues covering:
Statutory increases to pay
Recent rulings
Case law
Changes to family friendly policies
Retirement and pensionable age
In addition all delegates will take away a complimentary pack containing information on the topics. All delegates will also be able to take advantage of the HR Dept’s free HR audit of their current procedures and processes.
Reserve your place at the seminar by emailing Jane.Chant@hrdept.co.uk.