The Do’s and Don’ts of Dress Codes in the Workplace

Setting  workplace dress codes can be tricky and it can be difficult to know where to begin. So that you are able to create a work wear policy that everyone is willing to get on board with, keep reading.

Do set some basic rules

Regardless of whether you expect your employees to turn up suited and booted each day or your view on workplace attire is a little more relaxed, it’s important that you at least set some basic rules for your personnel to abide by. As a minimum, you may want to establish that you expect your workforce to look clean and smart at all times, and if necessary, you should stress the importance of this when in contact with customers, clients and the general public.

If you’re struggling to decide on some basic work attire rules, you could solve the problem by providing your employees with clothing to wear. For example, you could insist that your employees wear company branded t-shirts. This will help to reinforce your company image, and it’s possible to choose from a number of garment finishing techniques. For example, personalised t-shirts from Fire Label can be embroidered or screen printed to achieve the look you are going for.

Don’t over complicate things

When you’re putting a dress code in place, it’s crucial that you don’t over complicate it. Ideally, you should provide a clear list, detailing examples of what you consider to be appropriate work attire, as well as mentioning what is not acceptable. By keeping it brief, simple and to the point, every employee will understand what they are required to wear. You should also ensure that your dress code policy is easily accessible to all members of staff. For example, it could be kept in the company’s employee handbook.

Do set a good example

As a manager, it’s important that you’re aware of the influence you can have on your employees. So, if you’re going to enforce a specific dress code, it’s vital that you adhere to it. If you’re seen to be ignoring the rules, but you expect your workforce to dress in a certain way, you could find that other people start flouting the code.. Being a leader, you have the opportunity to set the standard of how to dress for work, so you should aim to lead by example.

Don’t overlook health and safety In Your Dress Codes

Health and safety is as aspect of company dress codes that you can’t afford to ignore. For example, if your staff members work around heavy machinery, they may need to wear steel capped boots to protect their feet, or if they operate outdoors, they might require high visibility garments to ensure they can be seen clearly at all times.

By keeping these dos and don’ts in mind,  you should be able to put together a dress code policy that suits everyone.

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