Dress Code Change

[BikeMan22]

We have a written old-school style dress code at the offices where I work. By old-school I mean things like male staff members are expected to wear a collared shirt and plain tie, female members of staff have similar rules to abide by.

The thing is that although it is a written dress code, it hasn't been enforced at all in recent years so we have been able to dress quite casually. This is because the manager who has just retired did not enforce any of it. I will admit that he was very lax and far too lenient in the way he managed. We now have a new manager, she is young and very enthusiastic but this is her first manager role. I don't at all mean to put her down because of this, credit to her for making it into management.

She has told us about some changes she will be making and a thing she wants to make an immediate change to is the dress code and to enforce this as the written dress code states. She has given a three week period of grace for us to make changes where she says she will be reminding anyone she sees not complying that after the graced period she will then be enforcing it as written.

She has made it clear that once the grace period is over, if she sees anyone not complying with what is written she will discipline them. I'm one of the older guys in the office and have never had any disciplinary issues at work. Though from what she says, if I'm seen for something like not wearing a tie, I'll be disciplined.

I'm not thinking of changing jobs over this, I'll just go with it but it really seems like going from one extreme to another. Do you think she is going about this harshly and should show some leniency rather than working to the letter or do you feel this is justified?

[bhg481]

If the rules say you must wear a tie but doesn't go into more detail, you could always tie it round your waist to hold your trousers up - wearing in the literal sense of the word but making a point.

[MissTerious2]

Jack. I'm glad you posted that. I thought I was suffering from deja vu. And worried because that can be a sign of dementia.

[Hymie]

I’m very surprised that a company would have such a ‘strict’ dress code, without some very good reason.

At the location where I work, I’m the only person that wears a tie out of about 50 staff.

Prior to Covid, I’d occasionally travel to London for work using the train & tube – during the journeys, I did not observe another travelling individual wearing a tie.

[BikeMan22]

Hymie, Well the dress code has always been there, but it wasn't enforced at all. However we now have a new manager who does want to enforce it, it just seems to be something she is very particular about. I too haven't noticed many people at all wearing ties these days.

[Hymie]

It could be problematic for the company if they dismiss someone for not following the dress code (that had not been enforced for some time); there is also the very tricky issue of having differing dress codes for men and women – this would likely fall foul of equal treatment.

So unless there is some very good reason for the dress code, the company might find they are inviting individuals to make a claim for constructive dismissal – which could prove expensive in terms of compensation pay outs, and hiring replacement staff.

[BikeMan22]

Hymie, you could be right about this proving problematic and I'm aware that differing dress codes for men and women can prove tricky. I'm probably just going to go with this for now but hopefully we will be able to have some discussions around updating the dress code.

[Hymie]

One other piece of advice I can offer, which you might like to share with your new manager – is that you should never trust a person who is wearing a tie.

[BikeMan22]

Hymie, I wonder if she has ever heard that one before! lol.

[Hymie]

The following observations made at a work conference I attended in Germany this week may be of interest you (and maybe your new boss), where there were around 100 delegates attending, representing their companies from around the world (most from within Europe, but many from the Americas and Asia).

There was no dress code, but one would reasonably expect the attendees to be in at least smart casual attire, being there on behalf of their employer.

Of the 100 or so delegates, around 90 were male – I observed that all the men (except one wearing a roll-neck sweater) were wearing a collared shirt, but only around 10 were wearing a tie. Some were wearing jeans, I would estimate around 5.
Many were wearing a jacket, but it was difficult to estimate the number as some were wearing the jacket and others had it on the back of their chair – even so my guestimate would be that 30 – 40 had a jacket (the weather being similar to that in the UK).

[Zacs-Master]

And what conclusion do you take from your observations, Hymie?

[Hymie]

That virtually no company has a dress code that requires employees to wear a tie.

If a company were to enforce such a dress code, they may very well have to justify it before an industrial tribunal.