As the weather heats up during the summer months, some employees may take it upon themselves to modify the manner in which they dress, and some companies may also wish to implement a more casual summer dress code. Either of these situations require some attention to avoid any problems resulting from the change in attire by employees.
If employees are working outside or in a warehouse where there is insufficient ventilation, be sure to allow employees to drink sufficient water, and take necessary rest breaks in the shade to avoid heat exhaustion. Information on preventing heat related illnesses can be found on the Cal Osha website at: http://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/heatillnessinfo.html
If the company wishes to modify the dress code to accommodate the warmer summer months, a policy should be distributed to all employees detailing acceptable and unacceptable attire. Employees should be cautioned not to dress “too casual” and that “beach style” attire is not permitted. Also, it is important to monitor the clothing of employees to ensure that they are not too sheer, too revealing, too bare and showing too much. Such attire can lead to inappropriate comments leading to claims of sexual harassment.
Employees should also know that they can and will be sent home if they report to work in inappropriate clothing and that the time taken off will be deducted from their compensation. If an employee is sent home due to dress code violations, and the employee fails to return to work, this can also be addressed as a disciplinary matter.
What Should I Do?
-
Create a written dress code and distribute it to all employees;
-
Train managers and supervisors on how to deal with dress code violations;
-
Apply the dress code consistently so that there are no claims of discriminatory practices taking into consideration religious beliefs and gender differences.