Dress Code vs doing your job...

[dalesys]

So we don't offend each other...

I guarantee *NOBODY* wants to see my off end...

[BlaqueKatt]

Our dress code is "business casual" (i.e. slacks and polos for guys, equivalent for ladies).

I don't see how business casueal, though, has anything to do with my ability to write code, or the quality of the code I turn out.

It's not like I'm going to turn out less, or lower quality, code because I wear jeans, sneakers, and a t-shirt to work every day.

Actually you're looking at it the wrong way.

You're looking at it as "I'm special*, and the rules shouldn't apply to me, like they do everyone else" And companies have to treat everyone the same, because preferential treatment is usually illegal due to discrimination policies/laws.

How would you feel if your department had to dress up in full 3 piece suits and every other worker was allowed to be in jammies all day, you'd be pretty angry wouldn't you? Maybe complain to management an HR because you're being treated differently?

let's pose a hypothetical situation at company A to illustrate why EVERYONE follows the same dress code:

Fred in IT is required to wear a full 3 piece suit, today he skips wearing the tie, let's listen in shall we:

Fred's supervisor ED-"Hey Fred, I see you forgot your tie, either get one on, or I have to write you up."
Fred- "well Bob in accounting is wearing a hula skirt and tiara, go talk to him first."
Ed- "well accounting has different rules than we do, put on your tie."
Fred-"But that's Not FAIIIIIR"

I have seen this scenario play out more times than I can count. Heck, at one point I had to wear a severely ill fitting men's uniform, that I could barely button across the chest because the company had different uniforms for men and women and being the only female the males ALL complained "it's not fair, she gets short sleeves because she's a girl, that's discrimination!" Mind you this was in an oil change place, and I was at the time nowhere NEAR the cars.



*"I don't see clients" "my work wouldn't suffer"

[Seshat]

Something that IT folk (sysadmins, anyway) do that's usually not accounted for in their dress code: they get dirty. And they end up crawling around the floor of the server room. And so forth.

If I ever get a chance to sysadmin again, I'm buying overalls, dust mask, sturdy shoes. And they overalls and mask, at least, can hang on a hook in the server room when I'm not using them.
If I can find protective gloves that don't limit necessary dexterity, I'll have them in the kit as well. Safety glasses aren't as needed, but ... eh. Maybe. I only have one useful eye.

[BlaqueKatt]

If I can find protective gloves that don't limit necessary dexterity, I'll have them in the kit as well.

These are for electronic and computer assembly

[mjr]

Actually you're looking at it the wrong way.

You're looking at it as "I'm special*, and the rules shouldn't apply to me, like they do everyone else" And companies have to treat everyone the same, because preferential treatment is usually illegal due to discrimination policies/laws.

But see, here's the thing: I'd want the "non-business casual" applied across the board. I'm not sure why our call center people (in another location) have to follow biz-casual, either. True, they're dealing with clients, but that's over the phone. So if they're wearing Tweety Bird pajamas and flip flops, I really don't care. And again, if Sally or Jim wears jeans and a t-shirt to answer the phones, I don't see how that affects their ability to do their jobs.

[Erinesque]

Personally, I really like dressing up. I never wear jeans on the weekends, even though we're allowed to - I always like to do my makeup, and sometimes put my hair in a fancy updo. I even have fascinators for my hair as well as gloves, and really go all out. It's become sort of my signature now, I remember when my boss's boss passed by me and said "Erinesque, you look really pretty", and the only thing I could think of to reply to him was "thanks, you do too"! He thought that hilarious, and now it's sort of expected that I'll dress up.

[protege]

Add me to the "dressing up sucks" crowd. I went to a Catholic grade school, and had to wear nice clothes every day, and on Sundays as well. No wonder that I hate doing it now. Besides, why is it that "good" clothes are the most uncomfortable things ever made? What's the point in looking nice...if I can't breathe?

At least the dress code at work is somewhat relaxed. Usually, I'd be wearing khakis and a polo. But, because our office is a sauna during the summer...I'm sitting here in a polo, shorts, and sandals I'm sure my boss isn't amused, but he did say I could do that. If I don't, I overheat...and then have to deal with a migraine.

[Gizmo]

I got a bit stricter about what I would wear after one of our employees had this conversation with my boss:

F: I got sunburn at the weekend
B: How? It was horrible weather....
F: I did *pulls top down and shows boss cleavage* See!
B: *I hear his chair skittering backwards away from her*.
Colleagues after she left the room: Did she do what I THINK she just did.....?

I started to wear tops that were way above any showing of cleavage after that - and weren't stretchy or floaty. She was wearing one of those "floaty" tops with the stringy neckline that could be pulled a lot at the time.

Bar that though I actually look worse wearing suit trousers than I do jeans as long as the jeans are in good nick and not too baggy. Plus I quite often had to wander down to the factory and the archives around lots of dust etc. So I actually preferred a casual dress code!

[roxtar]

When my company was bought years ago, we were supposed to go to a "business casual" environment. Because of the history of our site, veteran employees were allowed to retain our very casual dress code... however, most of the veterans have moved on and I'm one of the few who comes in with a t-shirt and jeans most days.

My vast collection of geeky t-shirts is part of my identity here at the office... I'm really glad the dress code isn't enforced.

today's shirt:

[deysongrey]

Actually you're looking at it the wrong way.

You're looking at it as "I'm special*, and the rules shouldn't apply to me, like they do everyone else" And companies have to treat everyone the same, because preferential treatment is usually illegal due to discrimination policies/laws.

How would you feel if your department had to dress up in full 3 piece suits and every other worker was allowed to be in jammies all day, you'd be pretty angry wouldn't you? Maybe complain to management an HR because you're being treated differently?

I see this all the time. At my job we're required to wear some PPE for safety and sanitation. But the supervisors get to skip out on wearing a lot of it. Sometimes they walk into the production room with street shoes on (BIG NO NO) and no hairnets, beardnets, safety glasses, etc...They never have any problem saying things like "life isn't fair" and "You just worry about you, ok?" Or at the very least pointing out that they don't work directly with the raw meat so its ok. Even tho they do all the time.

Then there's the woman who doesn't work anywhere near product, she's in the warehouse affixing labels to boxes all day. She still has to gear up in basically a hazmat suit because "it's not fair".

Or TPTB could actually pay attention and see where it counts and where it doesn't...but that would require them to take time off from scowling and actually do some work once in a while.

[wolfie]

At my job we're required to wear some PPE for safety and sanitation. But the supervisors get to skip out on wearing a lot of it. Sometimes they walk into the production room with street shoes on (BIG NO NO) and no hairnets, beardnets, safety glasses, etc...

The shoes and safety glasses I'd be inclined to let slide - after all, it's only the self-proclaimed VIPs who would be hurt due to lack of this PPE. The hairnets and beardnets, on the other hand, risk contaminating product. I wonder what the local health department would say about the stupidvisors being around raw meat with exposed hair.

[deysongrey]

The shoes and safety glasses I'd be inclined to let slide - after all, it's only the self-proclaimed VIPs who would be hurt due to lack of this PPE. The hairnets and beardnets, on the other hand, risk contaminating product. I wonder what the local health department would say about the stupidvisors being around raw meat with exposed hair.

The shoes could track outside bacteria into the production room. Unless youre the production manager and your shoes dont have bacteria on them. And you dont lose any of your hairs, ever. Also i would love the autonomy to choose whether or not to accept the risk of eye injury.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

I totally think back room employees should be allowed to wear breathable clothing. It's not just for comfort (though that's important...you can't be happy at work if you're uncomfortable, and happy employees are good employees) but also for safety. If you're over-heated you're likely to faint on the job. The cost of cotton shirts is a lot less than the cost of a workman's comp claim. Or several.

Not to mention cheaper than cutting a hole in the cinder block wall and installing a wall A/C unit in the very back receiving area (where I am) so I don't break out in a sweat before 9 am and soaked by 10!

I have an oscillating fan by my desk but it doesn't really help - just swirls around the hot air. Besides, I need that extra outlet behind the desk to charge my iPhone.

And with this summer already having almost 3 weeks of 90+ degrees (before the heat index, which has soared into triple digits) I've had a number of days where due to either being in the back or going back and forth between the back and the sales floor (which has A/C running) that I'm going home feeling sick to my stomach due to the heat. And I have to have a shower as soon as I get home so I can feel better . . . it sucks to feel sticky wet and then clammy b/c you've cooled off then got hot again, then cooled off.

Even worse, these damn polo shirts we have that the company switched to around 4 or 5 years or so ago don't breath . . .I miss the older ones we had.