Setting Up a Dress Code in the Workplace
To put more formality in "business casual," start with a memoand follow up a week later with the worst offenders
This article is for subscribers only.
My IT company generally has a casual atmosphere that our twentysomething employees enjoy. However, these days T-shirts and flip-flops are the norm, and I feel like our professionalism is lacking. How can I get people looking nicer without alienating my staff? — A.N., Irvine, Calif.
Your situation is not unusual. In a recent survey by Los Angeles-based temporary employment agency OfficeTeam, only 4% of employees ages 21 to 28 said they preferred business attire at work. Most said they would rather dress in business casual style or wear jeans and sneakers, although 93% said they recognized that their attire influences their chances of being promoted.