Dress code at work

[GerdG]

I haven’t been much around here for the last couples of months, but coming back from holidays mid August I was glad to see that the “new” forum is up and running.

The following has little to do with skirt or kilt wearing. Nevertheless it tells that people – Danes at least – nowadays are very tolerant regarding the way men dress when at work.

Two days ago one of the official Danish regional radio channels (covering the island of Zealand exclusive the capitol area) asked their listeners:

“Supposing you were going to your bank to negotiate about a new loan, would it be OK to you if your bank advisor showed up to the appointment wearing shorts, YES or NO?”

The reason for the poll (SMS based, four minutes to vote) was due to the fact that in a community the local authorities had decided, in future to forbid manly employees to wear shorts at work, whatever their functions.

The radio listeners had quite a liberal approach to men in shorts: 77 % of the respondents answered YES = OK. Only 23 % answered NO. That was far above my expectations.
Had the poll included people in Copenhagen, those generally being more open minded than the population in provincial areas, the result should probably have been even more in favour of men in shorts.

It also shows that employers might misjudge their customer’s expectations and accordingly overreact about the way employees dress or should like to dress.
Well, there is a difference between shorts and skirts/kilts, but anyhow…

GerdG

[Since1982]

Well, there is a difference between shorts and skirts/kilts, but anyhow

Yes, there is. On October 10th, I have jury duty. I called to tell the bailiff I couldn't wear trousers to do my duty as my left leg has a scar tissue lump from a fall I took back in the late 70's and does not fit in a trouser leg. I asked him what the dress codes were for court. He said, "NO shorts, cutoffs, tank tops, mini skirts, or sandals. I said, how about a skirt? He replied with "ON YOU????????????" He's not seen me around town at the grocery or Bingo at all so I answered him with, Yes Sir, On Me...Do you have a problem with that? He said, "But a skirt is womens clothes..(He's a very old bailiff), and a man can't wear womens clothes in court". I responded with, Ok, you'll just have to excuse me from doing my duty then. NO, he said, it's not up to me to excuse people. You'll have to come in to be excused. OKKKK I said, naked or wrapped in a sheet???

I'm going to wear a black straight twill mid calf skirt and a T-shirt that (I hope) doesn't clash. If they excuse me on the grounds I don't look manly, I can always sue. :):)

[Tripp49]

Hey Skip,I have pulled jury duty twice in a kilt,not a problem at all.In fact the last time it was not even mentioned. So if I can do it in REDNECK North Carolina,surly you should have no problem in the Sunshine State.

Tripp49:cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

[Skirt Chaser]

It also shows that employers might misjudge their customer’s expectations and accordingly overreact about the way employees dress or should like to dress.
Well, there is a difference between shorts and skirts/kilts, but anyhow…

Hey, that poll is worth mentioning. Many employers probably use customers as an excuse. Some might even pretend that they'd be okay with it if only it wasn't bad for business. It would be interesting to see what happens to companies that do give their employees freedom to be tastefully dressed in the garments of their choice. I bet loyalty to the company improves, morale, and productivity. Yet, I can also imagine this would not be the case for workers in a retail setting. Wal-Mart headquarters would hear the complaints if one location tried a skirted male greeter.

I'm glad you brought up dress codes, Gerd. I was already thinking about them after reading a snippet in the newspaper that reported about 1/3 of people in their 20s in the US have a tattoo and 1/4 have piercings in places other than earlobes. Their impact on the workforce was mentioned and a policy of "it can't show" at work seems to prevail. It only makes sense that male skirts would fall into the same category of "I don't care what you do at home but not in the office, please".

Trying to find the figures I bumped into this news article instead on body art and it mentioned this quote from an employment attorney- "If a dress code is put into writing and doesn't discriminate between the sexes, it can be enforced legally, as long as employers are open to negotiating compromises for health or religious reasons." Well, I can see a comnpany would get in trouble for permitting men to have tattoos but not the women but I still can't picture them being gender neutral about skirts.

Quiet Mouse

[Bob]

A surprising number of employers ARE gender neutral about skirts.