Summertime Employee Dress Codes
It’s the year 2022, and life is back to normal! There’s no shortage of ways to celebrate summer, from barbecues and boat trips to camping and picnics. Despite the highest rates of unemployment in decades and skyrocketing inflation, finding new employees remains exceedingly competitive. So, one strategy? Improving your business’s atmosphere. With summer at its’ height, should that jubilee carry over into your business? Let’s talk about dress codes.
Summer Fridays
A suggested way to improve the atmosphere that carries a little financial cost to the employer is vacations or “Summer Fridays,” which could include anything from skipping Friday work altogether to a relaxed dress code.
While most of us can’t go so far as to give up work entirely on Friday, we can undoubtedly dress down a little during the day. In many organizations, Casual Friday has evolved into a more casual work environment where workers may wear clothing that reflects their personalities. This can be an excellent way for your employees to be more relaxed in your business.
Implementing this in your office can make you a little more relaxed this summer. If you don’t have a client coming in, feel free to wear shorts and a collared shirt. You might want to exclude ripped shorts, jean shorts, running shorts, and t-shirts. Primarily if your employees regularly deal with the public itself.
Dress Codes Regulations Concerns
You might want to be mindful of disability and religious considerations, even with your regular dress code. When a conflict arises between an employee’s spiritual practices and the dress code, the employer must modify the dress code or permit an exception to the dress code unless doing so would result in an undue hardship. Likewise, if an employee requests an accommodation to the dress code, the employer must have a good reason to deny the request if the employer does not grant it.
Employers should also ensure that dress codes are as broadly applicable as possible. For example, a dress code that only permits men to wear shorts during warm summer months could violate federal and state discrimination laws. Dress codes that focus on business-appropriate or summer-appropriate attire can apply to men and women of all shapes and sizes.
Retaining Your Talent By Keeping Them Happy
Like attracting and retaining other resources, attracting and retaining talent requires effort. For example, introducing our recommended relaxed summer dress code might make your workplace more attractive to potential employees. If you have, you may also notice that morale at your company has increased substantially.
However, there are dangers involved in failing to clearly outline the dress code, from not applying it consistently to failing to recognize exceptional cases. Be smart! Know how to use some rules to make your employees comfortable. There are pitfalls to watch out for when implementing this strategy. Be careful not to make casual Fridays too casual. If you want some more great business tips, feel free to visit our website. We speak about concepts like this frequently; it might be a great way to upgrade your policies!