As an employer, you want to make sure that all your employees are trained well, respected and treated fairly. One thing you’ve found that you don’t care for in your workplace is the nitpickiness that can happen when your team isn’t wearing what looks best.
You’ve had some workers act differently to co-workers with less money, and you’ve seen others “dress to impress,” to try to seem better than others. You want to end this now to restore balance, so you’ve considered enforcing a dress code.
Is a workplace dress code a good option for your workplace?
It may not surprise you to know that there are many employers who require people to follow a dress code. In some cases, they go as far as to establish a specific uniform for their employees. Part of the reason for this is to make sure everyone looks the same and that no one can be singled out for what they wear or how they look.
For the most part, a dress code is legal. However, you must be cautious not to include discriminatory aspects. For example, if you have a worker who wears a headscarf due to their religion or one who has to wear skirts because of theirs, then you need to make sure you make the right exceptions for them.
You are allowed to enforce different dress codes for men or women, but make sure that neither gender faces a greater burden to protect yourself. If you’re not sure what that means, then you may want to discuss your plans with your attorney.
