Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Sticky

oh another lovely, hot, sticky, humid day in western new york is happening....

had a company wide meeting last night (i'll preface the rest by saying i work for a neighborhood/local bank...in the administrative offices, where i rarely leave my cube except to go to the nearby fax or printer...and the occasional meeting with a vendor, and therefore DO NOT deal with customers, or really anyone outside of e-mail and phone) that i didn't go to (hee hee) and i missed that they're now enforcing the DRESS CODE (insert eye rolling emoticon here)

this means, among other things, women MUST wear stockings/hose...no sandals of any kind or open toe shoes. GRRRRRRR

they actually mentioned clothes have to be clean and ironed. there is a 4 page list of things that are and are not acceptable to wear. not acceptable - sleeveless tops. RIFRICKINDICULOUS!!!
of course, i came to work looking rather nice, but not wearing hose and wearing slides with open toes...GASP!!!! THE HORROR!!!

(eyes rolling again)

maybe i'll be sent home! one can only hope....

anyway. i always look presentable, do my best to match match, absolutely wear clean and ironed clothes (hey, i even shower daily - sometimes twice - and put on clean underthings too!!)...but really. is it necessary that me, who rarely wears anything shorter than mid calf length, wear stockings/hose every day in the summer in the 97 degree heat + humidity????? and what about all the cute/fashionable slides/mules/sandals i wear that are cute - and NOT flip-flops...is that really so bad???

this all may seem like a stupid thing to rant about to some, but i'm quite annoyed.

guh. don't the powers that be have other things to worry about like the interest rate or other people's money???

i know, i know...this is corporate world and this is what is standard. i have to abide by it, but i don't have to like it.

i think i need some chocolate. or pizza.

***EDIT***i just got the official e-mail with a file that describes what is and isn't appropriate depending on your "level".

"""Employee Dress Code Policy

Our Company considers it very important that you are well groomed, neat and dress appropriately for your job function. While we trust each employee may have personal preferences, a dress code must be followed that is appropriate to the work environment.
We will allow a casual business dress code in many areas however, we must emphasize that some positions such as executive, outside calling officers including account executives, financial consultants, loan officers or branch managers call for dressier attire.

There may be certain times when employees will be asked to dress at a more formal level if they expect to participate in a presentation with customers, attend a meeting or similar situations. Employees are certainly allowed to dress at a more formal level than this outline provides if that is their personal preference.

Levels of Attire -

Executive, Management and Outside Sales are considered Classic Level– A jacket is the key item that differentiates this level from other levels. It is generally considered appropriate to include suit coats, sport coats and blazers with tie for men and business suits, pantsuits and separates for women. The message and perception that this type of clothing sends is that the wearer is professional, organized, reliable, consistent and detail oriented.

Business Professionals are considered Smart Level – The remainder of our employees will fall into this category. Probably the most widely accepted “interpretation” of business casual. A more casual alternative to the jacket / blazer for men is a casual sweater or vest with a shirt. A tie is optional. For women, a more relaxed alternative to the tailored jacket is a twin set or a blouse and vest. A collared shirt or jacket is a key element. The message and perception that this type of clothing conveys is creative and accessible, friendly and competent.

Relaxed Level is unacceptable- The most casual of the business casual levels is not appropriate in our work environment. This level includes denim – including colored denim, jeans, T-shirts and sneakers, clothing which is not appropriate for any other business casual levels. This level may only be considered acceptable on predetermined occasions.

Attached are some examples of what is considered appropriate attire for each level. In addition to an explanation of what is considered appropriate, it is important to identify what is considered inappropriate. These lists are provided for illustrative purposes only.

Classic Level (Executive, Management, Outside Sales) for Men:

Acceptable: Sport coat / blazer Business suit, sport coat, dress pants, dress shirts with tie, dress shoes and dress loafers, hosiery Not Acceptable: Denim – including colored denim, jeans, shorts, cotton or nylon sweatpants, athletic attire, non company logo attire Sweatshirts, T-shirts, sleeveless shirts, Athletic shoes, work boots, sandals, bare feet

Classic Level (Executive, Management, Outside Sales) for Women:

Acceptable: Jackets and Blazers Dress pants, skirts or dresses, dress skorts no shorter than 4” above the knee, Blouses, sweaters, polo shirts, dress jackets, twin sets, boots, dress shoes with or without heel, loafers, slides, open toed shoes, hosiery Not Acceptable: Denim – including colored denim, jeans, shorts, athletic attire, casual shorts, stretch pants or leggings, stirrup pants, cotton or nylon sweatpants, skirts or dresses more than 4” above the knee, Tank tops, Sweatshirts, T-shirts without jacket, sleeveless shirts, halter top, spaghetti straps, any top exposing the shoulder unless covered by a jacket , Athletic shoes, flip flops, hiking boots or hiking sandals, thong style sandals, bare feet or legs

Smart Level (Business Professionals) for Men:

Acceptable: Dress pants, dockers, corduroy, Pullovers, dress shirts with tie, sweater with collared shirt or turtleneck, polo type shirt, collared shirt, Dress shoes or dress loafers, hosiery Not Acceptable:Denim – including colored denim, jeans, shorts, cotton or nylon sweatpants, athletic attire, sweatshirts, T-shirts with no collar, untucked shirts, sleeveless shirts, non-company logo shirts, shirts with inappropriate wording or imagesAthletic shoes, work boots, sandals, Bare feet

Smart Level (Business Professionals) for Women:

Acceptable: Jackets and Blazers Dress pants, dockers, corduroy, skirts or dresses, dress skorts no shorter than 4” above the knee, Blouses, sweaters, polo shirts, collared shirt, dress jackets, Dress shoes with or without heel, loafers, slides, open toed shoes, boots, hosiery
Not Acceptable: Denim – including colored denim, jeans, shorts, athletic attire, casual shorts, stretch pants or leggings, stirrup pants, cotton or nylon sweatpants, skirts or dresses more than 4” above the knee, Tank tops, Sweatshirts, T-shirts with no collar, sleeveless shirts, halter top, spaghetti straps, any top exposing the shoulder unless covered by a jacket, shirts with inappropriate wording or images, Athletic shoes, flip flops, hiking boots or hiking sandals, thong style sandals, bare feet or legs

Grooming and Attire - Proper grooming and attire have a positive impact on the Company’s image.

Do’s

Dress professionally, take pride in your appearance with clean and pressed itemsWear clothing that fits properlyPants worn at the waistlineWear appropriate undergarmentsRemove hats and caps during workPerfume, makeup or aftershave worn in moderationClean, well groomed hair Shoes that are polished and in good condition

Don't's

Wear torn / ripped clothing, clothing that is excessively wrinkled, untucked, stained or tatteredWear clothing with appropriate coverage Wear clothing that is provocative or revealing either at the neckline or hemline or clothing made of very sheer material, clothing with an exposed midriffWear clothing that is excessively tight or pants excessively baggy or dragging on the floorPants worn significantly below the waistlineWear exposed undergarments Wear hats or caps during workStrong perfume or aftershave; excessive makeupDirty, unkempt hair Shoes that are dirty or tatteredShoelaces that are frayed

Jewelry and Tattoos

Do’s

Earrings for men or women that are not excessively danglingTatoos below the neck – not of an offensive nature

Don’ts

Body piercing exposed other than earringsTattoos above the neck will be required to be covered at work

Appropriate dress and hygiene are important in promoting a positive company image to our customers, both internally and externally. Extreme styles and statements of individualism may be best suited for time off the job. Radical departure from our standards is not permitted. Managers may ask employees reporting to work improperly dressed or groomed to return home to change clothes or take other appropriate corrective actions. The employees will not be paid for such time away from work, and repeated violations may be cause for disciplinary action.

Team Friday – In support of our team environment, we intend to implement “Team Fridays”. Staff members are encouraged to wear (company) logo shirt and “docker” style pants. Team Friday does not allow for jeans, denim – including colored denim, sweatshirts, sweat pants, fleece, stretch pants or leggings. Consideration of potential “outside calls” may demand a higher level of dress on “Team Fridays”.
A shirt will be provided for each employee to support our “Team Friday”. Additional shirts are available for purchase."""

SO, where is it in here about my raise for a better wardrobe, hairstyle, shoes and company/team logo clothing??

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I hope you get sent home. :)

rebecca said...

me too :)

newwavegurly said...

One of my early jobs in "corporate America" had a dress code. Not nearly as strict as what you guys got handed this past week, but a dress code just the same. How did I combat it? About once a week (or every-other-week) I used to wear khakis, a button front long-sleeved shirt, and a cool tie to work. If the men were allowed to dress that way, who was to say that it was unacceptable for me to dress that way?

Michelle said...

While I can understand that company should expect their employees to be dressed in a manner fitting the job duties I think that this is more like a gestapo dress code. It is overly controlling. Perhaps they should hire robots instead of individuals with their own tastes.

*hug*