The temperatures are soaring, Memorial Day weekend is behind us and the articles in the paper and on the internet about how to dress casual for summertime in the office abound. However, it occurred to me that although these articles are helpful for employees who choose to read them, there is another step that needs to be taken. This step is the responsibility of the companies, large and small, that allow casual dress on Fridays or throughout the summer.
It is the organization’s responsibility to make sure that its employees know and understand the company policy regarding casual dress. If there is a policy in place, a simple email to all employees welcoming summer and reiterating the policy is the fast and simple way to go. If you want to have some fun with the idea, get creative. Here are a couple of ideas that can make an employee announcement an adventure and a bit of fun.
Stage a fashion show of do’s and don’ts. Seek volunteers to wear appropriate clothing to demonstrate what is deemed acceptable. Most offices have one or two individuals that are a bit more dramatic than others, so put them to work. Have them ham it up by modeling the styles that are best left for the park or beach. This would be the things like those loud Hawaiian shirts, shorts, thin strapped tank tops and “Life’s a Beach” T-shirts.
If a life fashion show is a bit over the top for your organization make use of the internet. Download pictures of well known celebrities modeling those same styles identified for the fashion show and put some catchy phrases with them. Things like “Charlie Sheen would be welcome to work here if he wore slacks with that shirt.” Or perhaps “Taylor Swift looks adorable, but her tank top is best saved for the beach.” Send an email to employees with an attached slide show to get the message across.
Whichever way you select, make sure that the message is clear. Let employees know what is expected and what will and will not be tolerated in the office. A clear message will help to clarify what the company policy is and prevent any potential issues so that everyone can relax and enjoy the summer in the office.
