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 HUMAN RESOURCES GUIDELINES

Home > Equally Enforcing Summer Clothing Standards

Summer is here and with it comes concerns about employees wearing casual clothing that is lightweight, skimpy and potentially distracting. While comments are often made about women's attire, business owners also need pay attention to how men are dressed.

When commenting about inappropriate clothing, don't be afraid of being labeled as "sexist." Business owners are allowed to define appropriate attire in their workplace.

The best way to avoid potential confrontations about clothing is to review your company's dress code. How does it define appropriate attire for women and men?

• Make sure it does not focus only on women (make-up, skirts/dresses, blouses).
• State that men also are prohibited from wearing inappropriate attire (tank tops, shirts unbuttoned too low, shorts).
• Use gender-neutral language in the policy (no revealing clothing, no beachwear).
• The policy should use specific examples.

Dress code requirements are allowed to be different for men and women as long as the specific rules are applied consistently - women's dress code requirement applies to all women, men's dress code requirements apply to all men.

In commenting about attire and in your dress code, avoid words that may be inflammatory, such as "sexy." Instead, use business terms, "professional" versus "casual."

This information is compiled and provided by George S. May International Company.
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