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In a society where it is the norm for men to wear jeans that show their boxers and women to display their belly buttons with pride, having a dress code in the workplace is a necessity to insuring the proper degree of integrity and professionalism. Some may feel that dictating what employees wear is discriminatory, but as long as there is consistency, the employer has every right to insist that employees dress in a manner that will set the right standard for the company.

When a company has a dress code, the overall appearance of the employees looks neat and uniform. In companies where the employees are not dealing with customers, this may not be quite so important, but it will never hurt the company for employees to look neat and professional. When things look organized, it actually helps the employees to be organized.

Dress codes can also promote safety and hygiene in the work place. For example; in an environment where the employee will be working with heavy equipment, such as in a warehouse or stock room, the employer might require all employees wear steel toed boots to protect their feet from heavy materials that could fall on them. It's considered a dress code because it is required of everyone, and it keeps employees safe from harm on the job.

Another example of a dress code that promotes hygiene would be for restaurant employees to all wear hats or hair nets. It's important to remember that dress codes don't necessarily mean the whole outfit. A certain type of shoe, such as closed toed shoes in kitchens, can be considered a dress code. A dress code only means that everyone is wearing the same item or type of item.

Creating a dress code eliminates the guess work for employees. Everyone has different ideas of what is professional and even more so what is appropriate. By telling employees what the company considers to be professional saves them the trouble of having to decide and then potentially being sent home to change if they are wearing the wrong type of clothing. What an 18 year old girl considers to be professional can be very different than what her 50 year old boss might have in mind. By having a standard set, there is no risk of an employee making a poor decision in what is deemed professional attire.

One of the best benefits for employees are that dress codes make life easier, especially if the company provides uniforms for employees. There is less searching through the closet to figure out what to wear, and it can be much less expensive. Often companies, such as hotels and restaurants, will provide uniforms and not charge employees, or at the very least, provide the first set as well as pay for dry cleaning.

Although it may be frustrating in some ways for employees to not be able to dress in a certain way in the workplace, there are benefits to both company and employee in having a set dress code. Whether the code be rigid or more lenient, having any kind of structure will help the company to run more professionally and present a more professional picture to customers, as well as promote comfort and safety, which should always be the ultimate goal.

Learn more about this author, Debbie N.
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