One of the most important things a boss can do to set healthy
boundaries in the office is to define a dress code. It's more
critical today than ever before. Young men today show up for job
interviews wearing shorts and muscle shirts. Others look like
they just crawled out of bed wearing baggy jeans pulled down to
reveal their boxer shorts, baseball cap turned sideways and
three-day stubble. Young women show up wearing mini skirts as if
they just came from a nightclub. Others wear low-rise jeans,
flip flops, and spaghetti strap tops with their bellies hanging
out.
Managers ask me where it will stop. It will stop where you make
it stop. Your values differ from those of other generations, and
you must settle what's appropriate. Organizations struggle with
this nationwide. Churches have relaxed dress codes to allow
people to wear jeans and shorts. Most four-star restaurants no
longer require coats and ties for men. While churches and
restaurants are loosening their dress codes, other
establishments are tightening theirs. A Burger King in Kentucky
makes their employees take off all facial piercings when they
clock in. Prohibiting facial piercings is a black and white
proposition, but dress code becomes a murkier issue when trying
to specify wardrobe do's and don'ts. Defining "business casual"
for women is a nightmare. Fiserv Solutions in Jacksonville,
Florida, offered the best solution I've seen. They went through
dozens of magazines and clipped out pictures of women's fashion
styles. They then pasted the photos on poster boards which they
displayed in their break room. One board is labeled "No" and the
other is labeled "Yes".
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The key to manufacture a dress code work is to keep it updated. Both
private and government sectors are forced to permanently update
their policies to keep up with public and technical trends. The
Marine Corps updated its uniform regulations in 1996 to prohibit
tattoos on the neck and head. The Army updated its policies in
2002 to authorize the wearing of pagers and cell phones for
official Army business. The Air Force updated its policy on body
piercing in 2003 to prohibit "body mutilation" such as split
tongues. The Navy updated its policy on pagers in 2004 to allow
sailors to wear personal digital assistants and cell phones for
official Navy business. The new policy also allows female
sailors to wear pants for official duty or even formal events.
All branches of the military now have policies which require
members to take off objectionable tattoos at their own expense.
Failure to do so may follow in punishment up to involuntary
separation. The Walt Disney enterprise in Orlando, Florida,
loosened its dress code in 2000 to allow moustaches. They
loosened it again in 2003 to allow women to wear hoop earrings
as long as they are no larger than a dime. They allow only one
ring per ear, which must be worn at the bottom of the ear. Post
earrings are allowed as long as they are no larger than a
quarter. Women may wear open-toe and open-heel shoes, but
hosiery is required. Men are allowed to wear braids in their
hair as long as they are above the collar. Men are not allowed
to wear Oxford style shirts.
Different generations in the workforce make dress code even
more important. Generation X is highly independent and known for
being non-conformist. They came of age when flannel and
earthiness was trendy. They may show up with body parts fully
covered, but with wet hair and no makeup. They believe the au
natural look is wholesome. Generation Y, also known as the
Millenials and Echo Boomers, values conformity, but their
fashion trends can be so outrageous that many don't know how to
dress appropriately for work. Consulation attendees permanently ask
me about young women with their "jelly bellies" hanging out for
the world to see. This is a follow of Generation Y being raised
to comprise everyone and accept everything, so they let it all
hang out - literally. They haven't learned that they have to
accommodate the employer, not the other way around. They're
accustomed to society, along with over-indulgent parents,
accommodating them. By defining a dress code, you're bringing
uniformity to as many as four generations who all have to adapt
to the same approved long sufficient to earn a paycheck. This also
sends the message that you're the boss.
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