Dress codes in the workplace – post-Covid
Business attire is retiring. We got comfortable with getting comfortable. You may have dressed up for work before COVID-19. And even if you got dressed up every day while WFH, it’s unlikely that you put on a suit or heels. 2020 was the year of PJ’s, sweatpants, and slippers, preferred items of leisurewear for workers being forced to retreat to their home office. With nowhere to go and with kitchen tables, couches, or beds being the prevailing workstations, what was the point of wearing formal wear?
Lockdowns have left many of us with little to no desire to prepare a fresh outfit every day, especially when no one will see them but their cats or dog – in some cases no one. Jumping onto Zoom calls, seeing your colleagues wearing super relaxed garments and tousled hair is a common and accepted sight.
Zoom shirts have become so commonplace that formal definitions can be found online. Even if you’re unfamiliar with the term, you’re probably guilty of having one hanging over your chair. It’s that smart piece of attire you throw on over your PJ top seconds before accepting a video call from your boss.
“People embracing being comfortable and functional fashion into their daily attire, has been eye opening for many.
“We can assume that a bit more of a relaxed dress code will be widely accepted, depending on the occupation.”
Here are a list of some great articles that deal with the new way in dress codes
- https://www.shrm.org/ResourcesAndTools/legal-and-compliance/employment-law/Pages/coronavirus-dress-code-policies.aspx
- https://www.worldatwork.org/workspan/articles/will-dress-codes-survive-the-pandemic
- https://www.cityam.com/what-will-we-wear-to-work-after-covid-we-ask-the-experts/
- https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/05/kill-the-office-dress-code/609070/
Dress Code Policy (written Aug 2012)
An organisation’s dress code not only maintains uniformity among employees who come from various backgrounds but also projects the company’s image to its clients, business partners or to the public in general. Employers have the right to prescribe standards of dress at work that are reflective of the culture and corporate image of the business.
However, the standards set should be reasonable, having regard to the type of work and the industry in which the work is performed. Employers should ensure that a dress code policy is applied consistently and in a manner that is not discriminatory. The policy should enforce a standard that is common to all employees but is sensitive to different cultures, religious practices, ages, and disabilities. It is also important that the policy takes into account any occupational health and safety requirements and the nature of the workplace and work being performed.
Article in the Sydney Morning Herald – RailCorp shaves staff for being ungroomed – At least four Sydney train staff have been prevented from clocking on for shifts because they are unshaven or poorly dressed, in the first days of RailCorp’s blitz on grooming. As part of its “First Impressions Count” policy, RailCorp threatened to start sending staff home yesterday if they did not comply with the train operator’s grooming standards. Read more: