Dress for success – How should workplace attire be managed?

The relentless heatwaves that have gripped the country this year have seen calls for a maximum working temperature to be introduced in the UK.

What the heat may have also done is raise questions in your workplace about what is acceptable for people to wear.

Questions around workplace attire will persist even after summer ends, so knowing how to be respectful while professional is vital for all employers.

What are the rules around workplace dress codes?

When determining how to create and maintain a dress code in the workplace, employers need to balance a range of health and safety laws alongside the Equality Act 2010.

Dress codes should be centred around safety while also ensuring that none of the nine protected characteristics is infringed unless it is strictly necessary to do so.

This means that there should not be different dress codes depending on a person’s gender, as it could be considered discrimination on the grounds of sex or may present challenges for someone covered by the gender reassignment protected characteristic.

It is also necessary to consider religion and other belief systems as well as disability and neurodivergence when providing guidance on how employees should dress.

While some garments may be imposed or restricted due to health and safety concerns, it is not permissible to universally ban items of clothing that may have religious or cultural significance or be deeply tied to someone’s belief.

Tattoos and hair colour can be restricted under dress codes, but this must be communicated clearly and applied consistently to avoid being prejudicial to certain individuals.

How do employers implement dress codes effectively?

All dress codes need to be clearly written into contracts or employee handbooks in order to be enforced.

If there is a need to change the dress code for the workplace, this needs to be updated in writing before it can be enforced.

Ideally, a dress code offers employees the flexibility of self-expression while still aligning with the values of the company.

This means that some degree of flexibility can be beneficial for morale as employees feel respected and able to engage with their work.

Once taboo aspects of dress like tattoos and dyed hair may be approved in your dress code as these forms of expression become more popular and less stigmatised.

Being mindful that some disabilities and neurodivergent traits may not be visible or always apparent can inform your approach, as different employees may have preferences for fabrics and styles that better align with their needs.

Some workplaces may abandon the notion of a dress code entirely to avoid the minefield that can be opened up in trying to know where the lines of acceptable dress are.

However you decide to monitor attire in the workplace, having expert HR support is vital.

Our team can help to review your policies and procedures, ensuring that you are not inadvertently discriminating against employees or being too severe in how rules are imposed.

Getting outsourced HR support has the added benefit of remaining free from any potential conflict within the workplace, particularly on such a contestable topic as dress code.

Make sure your dress code policies are looking sharp by speaking to our team today!