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Home > Employer > HR Issues

It is the quality and the standard of the human resource recruited that plays a key roll in differentiating between a successful organisations and a "run of mill" organisation . In this section, we will discuss the issues relating to this valuable resource through a series of articles.

And yes, we are open to contributions from masters of this Art ... Are you one?

CASUAL OR CASUALTY?

Testing time

Are you suffering from CCS? Conduct a little test on yourself. If you answer, “YES” to any of the following questions you may be a casualty.

• Do invitations that suggest casual attire confuse you?
• Do only gym clothes constitute casual clothes?
• Are you embarrassed easily when you are over or under dressed?
• Do your wardrobe fears prevent you from meeting clients?
• Do you ever apologise for your appearance?

CCS Syndrome

Wondering what CCS is? It’s Casual Confusion Syndrome, where you fail to distinguish the thin line between the trendiest and the tackiest clothes to wear at your work place. In other words, it is far more difficult to tell who’s heading for office and who to the sports bar.

Getting dressed has never been so troublesome. The unstated dress code expected the white collars to “dress up” and the blue collars to “dress down”. So what has become of us? Have we suddenly turned into slobs? Or have we lost pride in the way we look? Or is it that we have become more comfortable in our work place than ever before?

No doubt the Indian corporate culture has changed drastically. Even five years back, a pair of blue jeans and a white top raised eyebrows. However the fashion industry changed all that. Women started wearing leggings and long sweaters. Untucked shirts were “cool”. Dressing like a construction worker in a board meeting was a sign of confidence.

The question is, should this casual trend continue or should employers stick to a dress code that reflects their business. Lets put it this way: clothing is a form of non-verbal communication, which plays an important role in creating an impression to other individuals. That is why employers feel there is indeed a necessity to establish a fashion standard that is tailored to meet their particular business and its clientele.

CASE STUDIES

The Ritz Carlton hotel, for example follows the philosophy that it’s personnel should “not call attention to themselves”. Their dress code includes-

• Small earrings, less than the size of a quarter
• No hair colour that brings attention (e.g. pink, green, sky blue)
• No earrings for men
• Only two rings per hand
• One bracelet per wrist (watch counts as a bracelet)
• No high-heeled shoes (stilettos)
• No lace shoes
• No hoop earrings
• Except for moustache, no facial hair for men
• If hair is beyond shoulder length, it must be pulled back
• Tattoos and body piercing must remain concealed
• Casual Fridays do not exist

The Charity Hospital has a policy where the workers have to pay for a “casual Friday”. On the first Friday of each month one dollar goes into the employee emergency fund as a part of contribution. According to Jerry Romig, hospital spokesman, it has “strengthened the dress code” rather than lowering the standards.

Take a few pointers...

Adapting to trends is one thing, distracting business appearance is another. The idea is to blend clothes, which reflect both a corporate as well as a casual appearance. The guidelines for wearing casuals in the work place are simple. Take a few pointers, you will never go wrong again.

• Clothes you wear for camping or painting your home is a big NO NO!
• Wear attire that is not so much affected by fashion as by the job.
• Avoid tight or short clothing
• Well tailored trousers and a shirt in lieu of a suit is fine on a casual day
• Don’t look like your headed for a party or the gym
• No dirty sneakers
• Rugged outdoor wear
• Humorous attire or accessories
• Poorly matched outfits
• Hats/caps of any kind
• Leggings
• Untucked shirttails

A person in authority must dress with some formality. Long sleeves for example are a sign of power and even jackets on casual clothing communicate force.

In a nutshell, your casuals should not be too revealing, too cute, too sexy, too bright, too faded and too trendy. Bottom line: “Dress for the position you want before you have it.”

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