"Business Casual"

by Tina Campbell, Administrator 
Bunda Stutz & DeWitt, PLL

 Casualness has it's limits or does it? I always thought there was a clear distinction between work wear and weekend party wear. Casual wear has become so common it occurs almost everyday.

There has been a slow erosion of the dress code in our society. We now see plunging necklines, ascending hemlines and body piercing. Seen on a recent Sunday was a physician wearing shorts and a t-shirt making hospital rounds. Imagine a lawyer appearing before a judge in that attire to plead a case.

The number of employers allowing employees to dress casually is on the decline.

The many challenges include:

· Hundreds of interpretations of business casual dress 
· Lack of detailed dress code policy/guidelines 
· Lack of noncompliance policy 
· Increased sexual harassment issues 
· Casual attire and casual manners 
· Missed business opportunities 
· Lack of clothing maintenance and overall grooming standards 
· Decrease in ethical behavior 
· Greater incivility in the workplace

Your dress code is too casual when:

· Employees dress as if they are spending the day at the beach 
· Employees appear as if they just rolled out of bed 
· Flirtatious behavior is common 
· An employee wears faded jeans and a t-shirt to a client meeting 
· Employees wear face rings, tattoos, mini-skirts and short shirts to work

Making the best impression when dressing in business casual clothing is a must for businesses today. Dressing too casually can affect your bottom line. Both employers and employees will benefit greatly from clearly defined and established guidelines.

Etiquette classes are offered at the university and you can go as far as to hire professional consultants to help establish guidelines and train your employees.