You could almost feel the starch crinkle shirt collars when 150-year-old Wall Street company Goldman Sachs asked employees what they’d like to wear to work.
And there may have been the sound of top buttons popping when, in homage to Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg, hoodie and sneakers won the Twitter poll.
After all, such informality is not always condoned. Barclays has famously frowned on the wearing of jeans, flip-flops or T-shirts at its London HQ.
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Of course, it’s one of the top tasks of the HR professional to enforce workplace rules and standards – and this includes dress codes.
This is important not only so employees look professional; it can also help avoid disciplinary problems and even claims of sartorial harassment.
But before you make everyone wear blue safari suits, here are a few top tips from s1jobs.
Say what you mean
‘Casual but smart’ is a catch-all phrase used since Granny Ina landed her first job as a tank commander in the TA. But such descriptions are simply too vague for HR because they don’t actually identify what clothes are acceptable.
Do use specific terminology in your guidelines – such as no bondage trousers or superhero costumes but certainly shirts, blouses, trousers, slacks and skirts (no, not your super-short one, Brian!).
But be reasonable
If the HR Manager is too strict in formulating a dress code or wants everyone to dress the same, this can deflate morale.
No-one wants to be stuck in a workplace that feels like a scene from the Shawshank Redemption.
There’s a good rule of thumb: if it sounds like a reasonable request, it’s probably okay for an employee to choose those clothes.
Put safety first
Flip flops or slippers may be comfy in an office environment, away from the public, but such choices are not suitable for many work areas.
We’re thinking factories, warehouses and Lego brick sorting offices where steel toe-capped, thick-soled boots are the norm.
Let common sense prevail and always adhere to the company’s health and safety policy.
Never discriminate
We live in a world of fabulous differences that should be celebrated at work. Whether it’s for religious, political or cultural reasons, personal beliefs should always be respected, even when it comes to choosing clothes.
So be sure to incorporate provisions in your workplace policy that make room for these.
Be even handed
It’s not surprising an HR Assistant would have a quiet word with a colleague for being too scantily clad – it’s never warm enough in Scotland for ‘taps aff’ office clobber.
But the same rule should apply to all rule bending – such as the “no blue jeans and waistcoat”. Even if they’re the world’s biggest Garth Brooks fan, no-one should ever be allowed to double denim!
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