Employers are legally allowed to use dress codes. This doesn’t mean it isn’t controversial. Employees who previously didn’t have a dress code may not be happy if they’re told that they have to wear a certain style of clothing or if they are issued a uniform that they have to wear to work.
However, it is important for employers to set these dress codes up correctly so that they’re not a violation of the employees’ rights. There are a few things to keep in mind while doing so.
Avoiding discrimination
The biggest issue is that the dress code should equally impact all employees, across all different groups or protected classes, and that it cannot be discriminatory. If it looks like the dress code is going to cause workplace discrimination, then it may actually be a violation of the employees’ rights.
An example of this could be focusing on individuals with a specific religious or cultural background. This could influence what they decide to wear to work. If the dress code allows most employees to wear whatever they want but prohibits this cultural or religious attire, it could be discrimination based on those protected classes.
Another common example is when it doesn’t apply to workers of different genders. For example, it is discriminatory if male workers are not bound by the dress code, but female workers are given a very strict set of rules that they have to follow. They’re clearly being targeted because of their gender, so the dress code isn’t fairly impacting everyone at the company.
Employers need to avoid even the appearance of discrimination, and dress codes are just one example of how this can happen. They must know what legal steps to take to resolve disputes, adhere to labor laws and much more.
