The weather has been lovely over the past few weeks with the sun shining every day however do you have the dilemma of what is appropriate clothing for work? Do you have a dress code policy in place?
Dress codes and appearances at work are becoming more important and the number of legal cases are on the increase however there are still uncertainties amongst employers and employees about what is acceptable workwear.
An employer’s dress code must not be discriminatory in respect of the protected characteristics in the Equality Act 2010 for age, disability, gender reassignment, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.
Generally speaking, employers have the legal right to establish dress and grooming standards for employees. Some companies require formal business attire, some companies allow employees to dress down on “casual Fridays,” and others adopt a more relaxed dress code throughout the week. All of these options and many more are perfectly legal, as long as they do not discriminate.
So, whether it’s beards, heels, shorts or headscarves, ‘what to wear’ is a recurring theme for HR horror and pulling together a dress code policy that suits your business needs without creating problems needs careful tailoring.
If you would like any further guidance or support with writing a dress code policy, do not hesitate to contact the Howarths team on 01274 864999.
