Good Reasons to have Dress Codes at Work
By: Leigh Goessl
Published: October 26, 2009:
A dress code for the workplace is a valuable policy for some companies. The way employees dress can distinctly impact how the business is perceived, and in some industries, perception is everything.While there is no one size fits all strategy for having a dress code at work, ultimately the goal is to display an appearance of professionalism to the public or clientele. What this means is going to differ from company to company.In some workplaces the dress code may be simple and be specified as a uniform, others may implement formal business dress and then there are those that are business casual. All are different kinds of dress codes, although formality may vary.Whatever attire is selected, the required dress should reflect an appearance that is attractive to customers, clients, colleagues and partners.
What’s the Value of a Dress Code?
The image a company projects as a whole is critical to its success. When people enter into a business and the attire reflects professionalism they are more likely going to respond positively.If they see sloppiness or perceive an environment of unprofessionalism, they are likely going to start wondering about the quality of products or services. The either conscious or unconscious thought behind this is generally if staff doesn’t maintain a professional appearance, how much thought is given to their work.In some ways this may sound judgmental or discriminative, and even if a sloppily dressed employee is the best performer on staff, this won’t matter if they give off a negative perception of unprofessionalism.For instance, take an industry such as hospitality or healthcare, if sloppiness is the norm, what will customers think about the quality received in services? They may wonder about the cleanliness or rooms or hygiene.While it may not be fair, the reality is that the way a person dresses can paint the image that is perceived. Often...