Dress Code

Now revised so you can read it top-to-bottom. And the names changed to
protect the usual. I figured if you're used to reading blogs, then
you've grown accustomed to the bottom-to-top form. But I haven't.
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Hi Joseph K,

It has been brought to my attention that you are sporting a mohawk and it doesn’t meet the employee handbook policy requirements regarding a professional appearance. The policy allows for casual dress, but we still must maintain a professional appearance.

I understand you will be visiting a client site in early April. The Utepils Senior Management Team feels that the Mohawk is inappropriate and will not properly represent professionalism during your visit. As per the policy, you must appear professional.

We cannot send you to a client site if you appear unprofessional. Utepils is booking your travel tomorrow, therefore, I require you to confirm you understand the policy by end of business today.

9.2.1 Casual Dress

Employees must be dressed and appear professional. Employees are able to wear casual clothing, but employees must also appear neat and well-groomed. If you are not sure, you can ask the HR manager for guidance.



Thanks,

HR Manager

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Hello HR Manager,

I will try my best to modify my hairstyle to conform to the company dress code standards. Unfortunately I cannot guarantee that it will be long enough to be fixable before the time I am scheduled to be on site.

I do have a question regarding the dress code policy. Since the decisions of what is considered professional and what is not are solely dependent on the judgments of each individual, do we have a standard definition of what a professional appearance is?

Thanks,
Joseph K

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Hi Joseph K,

I appreciate your willingness to adhere to the policy in the future.

We didn’t make the policy strict to the point we had to say how your hair style should be or how long your shorts need to be, etc since we are creating a policy for people that are intelligent and reasonable and it gives some room for flexibility within the policy. If we need to go to the point of describing every detail of your dress and how you should appear, then it doesn’t seem fair to other people who have a reasonable understanding of what “Professional Appearance” means. We don’t want to treat the employees like they are not intelligent and that we need to tell them exactly what to wear. I also stated in the policy that if you are unsure of something to come and ask me about it.

Let me ask you, do you think that a Mohawk is considered, by a reasonable person, to be professional?

I will follow up with (my manager) regarding who will be going to the client site.

Thanks,

HR Manager

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Hi HR Manager,

I do not appreciate the manner in which the company policies have been explained. My first impression after reading the description given is that anyone with alternative views of what professional attire is is either unintelligent or unreasonable. I believe that I asked a straightforward and non-confrontational question when I requested more details of the company policies. The response that I was given was far from non-confrontational.

I am fully willing to modify my attire to comply with the company policies but I am not willing to have my character and personal judgment demeaned.

Thank you,
"Joseph K"

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Names and prices changed to protect the innocent