Employees often find themselves expressing their personalities through their fashion choices. Unfortunately, not all employees are able to edit their personal style to adhere to what is appropriate for the workplace, for a variety of reasons including workplace safety and professionalism.

While most employers have a dress code policy already in place, it may be a good idea to revisit this and other policies regularly to ensure the set standards are up-to-date and reflect the current state of the company and jobs being performed. And, yes, it is safe to assume that employees will have a good idea of what is expected in terms of a professional, business casual, or casual dress code, however, a clear explanatory policy may be needed to keep everyone on the same page.
When revisiting your dress code policy, pay special attention to:

• Jewelry. Depending on the work environment and jobs performed, it may be necessary to prohibit loose-fitting jewelry to avoid any potentially serious injuries, especially when machinery is in play.
• Pants and Shoes. As slips, trips, and falls are the most common nonfatal workplace injury it may be important to request employees wear slip-resistant footwear, never stand higher than the third rung from the top of a ladder, and do not wear loose-fitting pants (or clothing).
• Tattoos, Bold Hair Colors, and Piercings. Allow employees to maintain their personal style as long as they appear well-groomed, and are adhering to all other aspects of the employee dress code policy. It is unnecessary to limit potentially valuable and qualified employee candidates based purely on either of these choices of personal expression.

When rolling out the updated policy, it is important to make sure all employees are aware of any changes or additions to the policy, understand the reasons behind any changes or additions, and know-how to access the updated policy.

If you’re ready to revisit your employee policies, procedures, and guidelines, let VensureHR assist your existing human resources team with the execution of HR administration tasks. Contact us today to get started.