Employee Dress Code?

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Audrey Levins

MGF, Master Grumble Framer
Joined
Apr 9, 2001
Posts
545
Loc
San Antonio, TX
Hey Grumblers! (Ah, what a relief it is to be able to address you all again. LOL)

My fiance and I were discussing our eventual shop the other day, and the subject of what dress code we'd have came up.

Obviously, the owners set the tone; what do you all, as owners, wear to work? And what do you require your employees to wear? Do you have logo'd shirts? At the shop I work at, my boss is himself very casual, and only requires long pants, closed-toe shoes, and a clean shirt. LOL But I can't help thinking that this leads to a kind of "sloppiness" in the way we look; I'm not complaining, of course, since I can go to work in very comfy clothes, but I'm curious as to you all's policies on this.

Also--Susan May's remark on the "pet" thread made me curious as well; if you have employees who smoke, do you allow them to at work? My own boss smokes, so he doesn't mind if we do, as long as we keep it to a respectable twice a day or so, but I'm curious as to your policies on this. If they can, where? If I had a shop, and employed a smoker, I'd probably say yes, you can, as long as you don't do it in front of my shop, and as long as you don't go "on break" any more often than anyone else. (Since all employees in Texas are entitled to a half hour lunch, and two fifteen minute paid breaks, a day, I don't think I'd care what they did on those breaks.)

Just gathering notes for my shop!! Thanks for your help.
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I don't care what color your sofa is.
 
Well ironed pair of khaki walking shorts, and a collared golf shirt (some with logos) except those days that won't get above 45 degrees and then I'll wear jeans or long khakis.
Employees don't interface with the clients for the most part, so they can wear what they want as long as it is clean, has sufficient coverage, no holes, and no obscenities printed on them. Closed toe shoes are a requirement, and I insist they wear shoes that are very comfortable. (I had a favorite employee that had to quit because she developed plantar fasciitis.)
The smoking thing can be worse than pets. As an ex-smoker I seem to be more sensitive than others. I can smell smoke on someone that has passed through a smoking zone within the past hour. If smoking is allowed, there should be an area outside set aside for that purpose. It should be well away from the doors so the smoke won't drift in.
the shop next to mine has put out one of those round pin-nic tables with an umbrella in their side yard for their employees. Nice little spot and its a place they can be out of sight of clients and boss.
 
wpfay, you said it all. I agree with you on every aspect. Janet and I are both smokers, and we go on 'smoke breaks' when we want to. Janet says that she doesn't see how we got any work done at the Phone Co because we somked so much.

Your dress code is flexible, liberal and I see no reason for any employee to argue with that. Good advice.

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I'm not totally worthless. I can always be used as a bad example... Woodchuck
 
We're ex of about 25 years now, and got tickled at a sign at the KCI airport. "The Smoking Section Is Conveniently Located Outside the Terminal."
 
Dress like someone from whom you would buy an $800 frame job.

No nail polish - no long necklaces - no clothing with dangling parts that could get caught in machinery - comfortable shoes are an absolute must.

Kit

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Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana
 
I am still wearing my cuddle-duds under my sweaters, heavy colored jeans or wool dress pants and my sneekers with heavy socks! We still have 2' of snow on the ground. In the summer I wear shorts and golf shirts or cool dresses. My help can do the same. Our season is so short that we enjoy the month or two we can wear shorts. My customers all see me cutting or glueing frames, etc. and don't expect to find us all dressed up.
 
Well, since my gallery is at the beach (the gallery is right across the street from the ocean, in fact), I wear "beach casual." It's rare that a patron visits in anything dressier (you are at the beach for chrissakes!). Yes, I have sold an original Rembrandt etching to a lady in a bikini. Yes I have sold a Picasso lithograph to gentleman in a tank top. If we were too dressy, I think people would feel like they shouldn't come in straight from the beach. In the summer I wear a nice polo shirt, khaki shorts, and of course (egads!) flip flops. Yes, I know, I'm flirting with disaster. But, it just takes too damn long to take off conventional footwear when the surfs up! I always keep at least two surfboards in the framing studio. Surfs up, hammer down!
 
Alot of great dress code policies listed. The comment about close toed shoes is really important for employees from a liability standpoint. Ever drop a piece of glass on your foot. I suppose workman's comp will take care of the damages but who will pay the negligence suit which follows. The boss should set the standards and not be the exception.

Regarding smoking, no way! Two reasons; first, Those that don't smoke resent those that do and can't stand the smell of cig smoke. Second, the worst employees I have had working with me were smokers and it took me a while to figure out why...they were focused on smoking and getting their next nicotine fix. Their attention was on the next break and not focused on the customer or the artwork in front of them. Even if my shop was in Europe (where everyone smokes) the store policy would still be no smoking.
 
Dress Code continued...
Our shop is 90% custom framing so our dress is casual. Usually jean or khaki pants, Nice shirt or blouse, shorts in the summer are ok. We wear aprons with the store logo embroidered and I keep them regularly dry cleaned and pressed. The overall look might be considered "Casual professional."
 
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Kit aka emrr:
Dress like someone from whom you would buy an $800 frame job.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Exactly!

Nothing too tight or suggestive also. Young girls looking TOO good tend to offend the more mature girls. Jeans are OK. Sharp casual is best.

No smoking anywhere. I even run off people who are smoking nearby outside. The smell seems to travel through the walls. No one in my shop smokes, luckily. If that were the case, no more than two 10 minute breaks per day in addition to normal lunch. A mandatory hand wash and breath mint would follow.

---Mike
 
Clean jeans in good repair or casual pants are OK but I insist on shirt and tie for men and blouse or similar attire for women if you are handling front counter customers. If I'm to present myself as a competent professional than I should look the part, especially to get that $800 frame.

Mind you I'm not retentive about it, most of my ties are of the character variety, eg: Mickey Mouse, Spiderman, Tigger, whales etc.... I don't want them to think I take myself too seriously.

I've been told by other merchants that our shop does reflect a " more professional and respectful tone " than my competition. Besides, a well fitted shirt can be just as comfortable as a casual shirt.

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Wal-mart...the Ferengi of our times.
 
Thanks for all the feedback, guys and gals... I still haven't decided quite what my own, still mythical, employees will wear, though. LOL I like the idea of requiring a collar on guys--not a dress collar, but a polo shirt, or collared cotton shirt, etc. I don't really like the idea of a logo shirt, just because I've had to wear so many of them, and to me they look so "corporate," like a waitress at Chili's, or something. And no T-shirts, and no baggy or frayed/torn jeans. I don't like the idea of name-tags, either; I've worn them as well, and if people want to remember your name, they will; that's up to you and your customer service skills. I think name-tags are very Wal-Mart. *grin*

Basically if someone comes to the interview dressed nicely and neatly, I will be more disposed to hire them; I see a lot of people, particularly younger people, dressed for a job interview in what they probably wear to the beach. I was always taught to dress more smartly for an interview than the job will require after you get it; it shows respect and attention to detail.

So those are my thoughts, although I love the idea of wearing slaps to work in case the surf's up....
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And as for smoking....as a smoker, I have to say that I work just as hard as any non-smoker I work with; non-smokers, at my job, find just as many ways to screw off as a smoker looking for a cig. LOL Basically it's a matter of work ethics, not tobacco; if you are a hard worker, it will show regardless....although I do usually have Altoids lurking somewhere nearby.
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I don't care what color your sofa is.
 
Tadporter:

You bring up an interesting subject; women are harder to "classify" as far as what's casual, what's dress casual, what's acceptable and what's not....a shirt that would look very respectable on me might look "racy" on some other girl, depending on various factors. LOL I'd hate to draft a handbook on what a female employee could wear, though; I think mostly it depends on common sense, and what kind of girl you hire.

There's something funny about the fact that you mentioned "suggestive" clothing for girls, when there is no such thing for guys. If I hired an attractive female employee, she may or may not look "suggestive" regardless of what she wears; some women just don't like more attractive women than themselves, period. There is not a great deal I can do about that. LOL As long as it doesn't look more at home in a nightclub than it does in my shop, I would allow a female employee to wear what she feels best in; sensible shoes, clean khakis/jeans, and a nice shirt--no T-shirts.

Speaking of which, I need to buy a pair of work shoes with insoles....
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I don't care what color your sofa is.
 
Thank God, we own our own shop. If people could see what I wear to work (after hours when I'm there framing alone, they'd probably never allow me to do their framing). I've always thought I'd be more eager to rush in to begin work each day if I could just go in my bathrobe...You know, instead of having a "casual day" as so many places do now, we could have a "robe day".

Since I am the one that works with all the customers, I try to dress in a way that lets the customer know I'm not a "trendy" person. I like to use the term "casually elegant" as my dress style. Have to admit that I do wear sandals alot in the humid summers we have here. (I'm VERY CAREFUL handling any glass though my hands don't show it! I'd have to wear leather gloves full time to not cut my hands on mat fallouts or glass. Don't think that would look too good!)

Charles normally wears shirts that have our shop's name on them and jeans or khakis. He ALWAYS wears tennis shoes.

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How cheap do you want it to look?
 
Down in God's own country we can claim work wear as a tax deduction if it has got our logo imprinted on it - consequently the only item of apparel that is not marked is my jocks and that could happen yet .
 
Audrey, You really need to stop smoking. Don't ususally lecture but other people will smell it. It's not that you don't work as hard, it's just smart business wise and in order to cover it up strong perfume is worse. My two cents worth...Think of your health and the money. I quit when cigs went to 75 cents a pack. Probably before you were born.
 
Audrey, are you looking for insoles, per se, or for shoes with arch support? Why, I can remember when we used to wear the old Acme boots with the straps and brass rings, back in the hippie days. Levi bells, @ $6.00 a pair. Then we went to Topsiders, no socks. Then the rigors of walking 2~3 miles a day, at work, on concrete floors started to do a number on my arches. Switched to Nikes when they first come out. Stayed with them until the last few years when they started looking too garish, even for me.

Find a big shoe store that sells athletic shoes, like Just For Feet. Check out a pair of New Balance 1020's. Also, Asics Gel-Kayano. They are the most comfortable shoes I have found. I only buy 'running' shoes, although if I had to run 5 feet, I'd have to stop and rest. They're the most comfortable shoes for walking/standing for long periods of time. They don't feel like they have a lot of arch, to your hand, but when you put a pair on, that fit, your feet will thank you.

As for smoking, I want to be an ex- really badly. It's the hardest thing I ever saw, to quit, that is. Prices are $2.50/pack here in the heart of tobacco-land. With 2 smokers, at about a carton each/week, it gets expensive. Not to mention the health risks. I have a doctor who is the smartest man I have ever known. In every area. He told me once that 'everybody that smokes, dies from it'. A sobering thought, to say the least.

We have a Bugle Boy outlet 12 miles from us. Janet and I went there a month or so ago, and they were having a 'going out of business' sale. I bought 4~5 pair of the softest khaki's I've ever seen. Got 'em for a song, too. My favorites, though, are Carhartt carpenter's jeans. They get a little warm in the summers we have here, but they're much more comfortable than Levi's. Even old, worn-out Levi's.

Comfort is the key for me. We had to do so much more walking at the Phone Co than I do now, you HAD to be comfortable. When you work in an open room, a FULL city-block long and 1/2 block wide, you walk a lot. Up and down ladders, laying on the floor, etc. Be comfortable, but don't turn off the customers.

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I'm not totally worthless. I can always be used as a bad example... Woodchuck
 
Originally posted by CharlesL:
Prices are $2.50/pack here in the heart of tobacco-land.

Holy cow! Up here, I pay almost $4 per pack!!!
It gets hot in our shop so the framers wear shorts, but the designers up front have to wear 'dress' clothes.
Click to expand...
 
I stopped wearing flip-flops to work (I have 2 pair of rainbows, 1 casual & 1 for evening attire) about the same time I quit smoking. Without going into the gorey details, glass and exposed toes don't mix well. Tried to stop something I dropped from impacting the terrazo with a little soccer move...ouch!
Felt pretty stupid and instituted the closed toe policy (along with "don't ever step backwards" and "no backpacks or swinging handbags", but thats another story).
 
We use an old restaurant phrase in the shop...."Behind you!" In my old jobs, this meant that if you stepped back, you risked wearing someone's steak dinner....these days, it means you risk losing a few digits.
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We also used to say "MAKE A HOLE," which meant "GET THE **** OUT OF MY WAY."

It still stands.
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I don't care what color your sofa is.
 
Our danger word is AWARENESS! This means stop and notice your surroundings as something untoward is about to happen. Always used it on my kids and now grandbabies.
 
Our market is upscale fine art. During a busy season we had a framer who owned his own shop help out. I frame dressed up in skirts and matched outfits. I like black a lot. He asked me "Do you frame dressed like that?". My answer was "Would you buy a $5000 canvas from someone dressed like you?"

What is your market? Since my framer covers for me when I am not here, my rule is no jeans. However, because I am deciding how he should dress I feel it is only fair that I contribute toward an acceptable wardrobe. So he gets a clothing allowance $100 a year.

Logo shirts are very nice. If I had more employees that would be my direction. Uniforms give an upscale look.

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Timberwoman
AL
I cut the mat, I pet the =^..^= cat.
 
Incredible, here (NZ) working in a workshop style situation you would get fried if OSH(Occupational Safety and Health Dept.) ever found out that it wasn't compulsory to wear long trousers and steel capped workboots in the workplace. Showroom is a little different, you'll have a target market, dress to the standards of the professionals they deal with most often.
 
Too true Lance - here it's long sleeved shirts as well and if I search the laws carefully I'd probably find that I should be wearing protective headgear also . The little Hitlers over here are having a ball and common sense doesn't come into it.
Well it's Easter Sunday over here and I'm off to run the bar at the Easter Drag Meeting. Life has it's compensations sometimes. Happy Easter to N.Z.

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Old age comes to everyone - Immaturity can last forever
 
I'm still choking on "luxurious fur...." Being a red-head, I have no luxurious fur, but I've seen some people....
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Seriously, that's an EVIL reason for requiring someone to wear sleeves all year round, particularly when the heat index down here gets in the triple digits regularly.

I would most likely hire a guy to do the more "strenuous" chopping, etc., and he would be required to wear long pants and closed toe shoes, for his own safety. (Or at LEAST closed toe shoes.....you want to talk about hairy arms....some peoples' feet don't ever need to see the light of day. LOL)

And I'd hire a girl to take my place when I'm away from the shop, and to prep, and she would be required to dress nicely, although not as nicely as me, probably. I don't really want to require someone making basically what I'm making now--LOL--to dress as nicely as the owner. It's not fair, and I'd protest as an employee. LOL And ArtLady, God bless you for the thought, but a hundred bucks a year rounds out to less than ten bucks a month....which is about the price of a dozen socks.
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If you really require nice clothes for something as "hands-on" as framing, I'd think anything less than fifty bucks a month is more like a bonus, and less like a clothing allowance. But since I don't even get bonuses, God bless you anyway.
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I'm all about extra money, for ANY reason. LOL

Anyway, thanks for all the feedback...I think it basically comes down to what kind of atmosphere your shop has, and what works in your area of the city/country. An upscale gallery would require sharper dress than a small, unpretentious shop. There is no right or wrong, I think....



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I don't care what color your sofa is.
 
MerpsMom - for you edification I mean drag as noisy cars and the smell of ethanol and burning rubber - though thinking of the word drag and mentioning rubber - well , I don't think I'll go any further . Hooroo

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Old age comes to everyone - Immaturity can last forever
 
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