The Post-COVID Dress Code

Quick! What did you wear during your last Zoom business meeting? Did you even have on socks and shoes?

It used to be that a dress shirt and tie or a dress meant you were serious and competent about your job. We can all think of co-workers or employees where that wasn’t the case!

Then business casual came in and relaxed the standards just a bit. And honestly, you may have even tried to sneak through even more casual clothing while hoping you wouldn’t get called out on it. We know some of you like to push that line!

When COVID-19 hit, the dress code relaxed even more. Now it is sweatpants, T-shirts and slippers as the majority of people work remotely and rarely have to show more than just the upper body in a Zoom call. Those going into offices have started to resort to scrubs or simple clothes mainly to keep laundry simple and their expenses down. Although scrubs aren’t cheap either!

We have all heard the comical mishaps related to wardrobe choices during Zoom calls, such as the news anchor that had on a dress shirt but forgot his pants. But then again, who doesn’t ask themselves when walking out the door, “I have on pants, right?” What, you don’t ask yourself that?

We may also grimace when we hear how school students are being expected to follow dress code guidelines from the comfort - or discomfort - of their homes during COVID. Imagine the pressure for these families to keep up with the laundry or maintain the proper clothing requirements when many are just trying to survive day-to-day with how COVID has impacted them personally. Maybe you don’t have to imagine that as you live it.

Honestly, the entire conversation leads us to ask: Why does your business even have a dress code? I mean, do you require - and even provide - uniforms? Does the dress code indicate whether your business and employees are taken seriously and appear more productive? Are you using the dress code as a secret test for employees? Come on. We know that is happening out there.

So that brings us back to really what is the purpose of a dress code and what does that look like post-COVID because there will be after COVID-19 restrictions. Eventually, hopefully soon!

This opens up a great conversation you should be having about dress code policies within your business, regardless of whether employees are on-site, at a different location or remote.

Even if you don’t have a formal HR department, make sure someone is familiar with the expectations, enforcement and potential laws related to dress codes at work. But also remember, that employees don’t like to feel like they are overwhelmed by rules.

Maybe the answer is in simple dress code policies instead of complex ones as we enter a post-COVID business environment. Keep it simple because we are all still balancing a lot through COVID. And that likely won’t change even in the post-COVID workplace.

All the best,

Jessica

Kingston Data & Credit

Cambridge, Ontario

1-888-908-3151, Ext. 3003

support@kingstondc.com