Value of Dressing Professionally at Work
verycurious
3 Posts
The DES portion of the State of AZ does not have an official dress code.
However, our division has a couple of supervisors that dress way too casual, sandals and t-shirts while attending high-level meetings.
I'm looking for information, preferably written on how to approach this from the stand point of suggesting employees realize "the value of dressing professonally each day", (playing to the conscience or ego)or something along those lines, since we do not and there are no plans to have an official dress code.
Any suggestions on where to look? Thanks for any advice you can give?
However, our division has a couple of supervisors that dress way too casual, sandals and t-shirts while attending high-level meetings.
I'm looking for information, preferably written on how to approach this from the stand point of suggesting employees realize "the value of dressing professonally each day", (playing to the conscience or ego)or something along those lines, since we do not and there are no plans to have an official dress code.
Any suggestions on where to look? Thanks for any advice you can give?
Comments
I absolutely agree and this is why we have to tiptoe around even developing a policy because adults are like children and we sure do not want to make them angry by suggesting something as silly as dressing appropriately. I'll keep whistling while I work!
Have a good one.
If you have supervisors attending meetings in sandals and t-shirts you are identifying an established culture that has bred a certain comfort level for untidy pigs and unprofessional other assorted animals. You can bet their behavior has been validated and they are emulating levels higher than themselves. People don't just assume they can dress that way at work, especially in office settings, especially in (supposedly) professional agencies and organizations. This is a supreme example of the dumbing down of what was once undoubtedly a great state agency and furthermore, a great example of reducing all things to the minimal level, an evening out of professional and slob to the intermediate ground of totally slovenly. When municipalities do not have water filtration systems in place, eventually all the water in the community turns brown and contains a level of silt and sludge due to the innatention paid to the system. That's where you are. It has gone unattended from the highest levels and has dumbed down to its current level. You find it unacceptable personally, but you have arrived at the huge water treatment plant with a lone bottle of Clorox and one rubber glove. I trust you will change your decision to build a career there. Regrettably, you cannot change the culture in the time you have left in your life.
Boy, am I glad I'm not the only one who has had such thoughts about some State employees! It's not only happening in the State of Arizona! I know it's not ALL employees and a lot of people I know work for this Commonwealth. But--unfortunately--the majority of the workers we do see are dressed (un-dressed?) unprofessionally. The HR Rep in one of our sister organizations recently attended an unemployment hearing. The hearing officer was wearing a spaghetti strap top (with no bra), what appeared to be wide-leg shorts and those 4-inch platform flip-flops. Looked like she should have been on her way to the backyard barbecue or the beach . . . and we are supposed to take THAT State employee seriously?
On a side note - why would a person wear overalls to work (especially a Manager)? With her I am just glad she is clothed - overalls are an improvement.
At least nobody wears flip-flops or backless slides to work any more . . . that took a week to correct (we have some older buildings on campus with marble and slate stairs, so Risk Management can breathe a little easier). We will take those small victories as they come.
I remember when schools used to have a dress code and students had to be presentable in order to come to class. I shudder what would have happened if someone in my class had come to school wearing pants halfway down their hips or jeans, or cut off pants! I remember my first job that I had after school in a law office and my boss demanded that all his secretaries wear skirts or dresses. He did not even like females wearing slacks (he later relented when his wife pointed out the wisdom of women wearing slacks vs micro mini skirts in the office).
I don't know the answer to this major problem we have now with the new "slob" mentality,(under the guise of being "comfortable"), but unless businesses demand that their employees dress more presentable and educate people as to what this really means, it will only get worse.
My $0.02 worth.
DJ The Balloonman
We are facing the same problem at our company (seems to be all of a sudden). I will tell you how it was addressed, but truthfully it has not met with the level of success I expected. It's a lot like the above posters stated -- shows a lack of proper training and our culture is rewarding outlandish styles and behaviors.
In any event we held a "Dress For Success" workshop where I showed a film (obtained from Linda Thomas at [url]www.powerfulappearance.com[/url]). Then we talked about our dress policy and dress expectations. We also had some brochures which we purchased from Organization by Design (Dressing Well) at [url]www.dressingwell.com[/url]. The emphasis was on dressing professionally (nix the low cut tops,midriff showing, flip flop and dance hall like shoes, and too tight everything). Well the biggest violator pretended not to know why the meeting was necessary.
After a lively discussion and what I felt was a helpful seminar I still see some over the top outfits and I guess some people just don't get it. Hard to believe but true.
I don't want to be the daily clothes police (Repeat after me: "I've got a tough job. Sometimes my job requires that I do things that aren't particularly comfortable. I didn't sign up to do just comfortable things. Sometimes my job makes me smile. Sometimes my job makes me cry. Whichever, I like my job").
>principal set up a committee of students, teachers and parents(I was
>on it) to come up with a dress code. When the dress code came out,
>the biggest screamers were the parents. Now, not only are these same
>parents still in the workplace, but in many cases, so are their kids
>(who are probably dressed the way they were taught to).
So true. I equate this to children starting Kindergarten who have had no discipline at home, who haven't been taught to be respectful, etc. By the time they are in Kindergarten, it's too late - teachers should not have to be responsble for teaching children how to behave. By the time someone starts working, they sure as heck ought to know how to dress appropriately. Something else their parents neglected to teach them. Very frustrating. We have a dress code and we've tried to cover every possible scenerio.
>no discipline at home, who haven't been taught to be respectful, etc.
>By the time they are in Kindergarten, it's too late - teachers should
>not have to be responsble for teaching children how to behave. By the
>time someone starts working, they sure as heck ought to know how to
>dress appropriately. Something else their parents neglected to teach
>them. Very frustrating. We have a dress code and we've tried to
>cover every possible scenerio.
My wife has taught for xx years at the kindergarten, 1st grade, jr hi and high school levels. The above sounds like a direct quote from her. Her environment, although she seems to love it, to me amounts to bad manners, poor habits, outlandish behaviors, inappropriate dress and an assortment of M.F. this, M.F. that and a regularity of overhearing herself referred to as HO. Thank God and the prison system I didn't go into teaching.
You have many useful replies, and I have little to add. I spend too much of my time in Silicon Valley where we are sometimes grateful that engineers come even clothed. But I do offer the light-hearted view, below (apologies for the length, as some of you may have seen this in one of its email versions). Sometimes humor is funny only because it is so close to the truth.
Steve McElfresh, PhD
Principal
HR Futures
408.605.1870
p.s. Lest you think my opening comment is pure hyperbole, note P. Bronson's book, The Nudist on the Late Shift (Random House).
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Casual Fridays, Memo Record:
Week 1 - Memo No. 1
Effective this week, the company is adopting Fridays as Casual Day. Employees are free to dress in the casual attire of their choice.
Week 3 - Memo No. 2
Spandex and leather micro-miniskirts are not appropriate attire for Casual Day. Neither are string ties, rodeo belt buckles or moccasins.
Week 6 - Memo No. 3
Casual Day refers to dress only, not attitude. When planning Friday's wardrobe, remember image is a key to our success.
Week 8 - Memo No. 4
A seminar on how to dress for Casual Day will be held at 4 p.m. Friday in the cafeteria. A fashion show will follow. Attendance is mandatory.
Week 9 - Memo No. 5
As an outgrowth of Friday's seminar, a 14-member Casual Day Task Force has been appointed to prepare guidelines for proper casual-day dress.
Week 14 - Memo No. 6
The Casual Day Task Force has now completed a 30-page manual entitled "Relaxing Dress Without Relaxing Company Standards." A copy has been distributed to every employee. Please review the chapter "You Are What You Wear" and consult the "home casual" versus "business casual" checklist before leaving for work each Friday. If you have doubts about the appropriateness of an item of clothing, contact your CDTF representative before 7 a.m. on Friday.
Week 18 - Memo No. 7
Our Employee Assistant Plan (EAP) has now been expanded to provide support for psychological counseling for employees who may be having difficulty adjusting to Casual Day.
Week 20 - Memo No. 8
Due to budget cuts in the HR Department we are no longer able to effectively support or manage Casual Day. Casual Day will be discontinued, effective immediately.
Thanx. I will use this "opener" with my clip from "Erin Brokovich" at our next training class.
"Sam"
By the way, lived in San Jose and worked at ADP for 4 yrs, San Jose State Univ for 10.
"Sam"