Speaking to an employee about business attire

I work in a business casual office setting, but I have a female employee who tends to push the boundaries of what is acceptable- very short skirts, plunging necklines, etc. How do you speak to your employee about this? I worry that her inability to present herself as a business professional will hold her back from promotions, but I don't want to verbalize it that way. How would you approach this topic?

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Look at Ask a Manager's archives on this topic. She offers excellent advice on these topics.

1 reply

Thank you, I will look into this!

Are you her manager, and is it a decent sized office? You could send out a memo reminding employees of acceptable dress code. That way you are not singling her out. Just a thought 🤷🏻‍♀️

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It's a good thought, but unfortunately I only manage 4 people, and two if those are men. She woukd definitely know it was directed at her.

I work in advertising and sadly have had this conversation too many times. I’ve approached it with the angle of wanting to speak with them about their growth and in particular their “brand.” What do they want to be known for? Reliable, trustworthy, the happy hour girl or badass boss lady! Which allows you to start to talk about how important it is to build the right brand bc our reputation travels with us. Having a brand of being wildly intelligent but not consistent in our presence in the room does hurt us. It’s a less than pleasant convo but if they are smart women they’ll pick up your cues. Good luck!

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Angela, you nailed exactly what I was looking for! This is a fantastic way to approach the topic - thank you for the guidance!

Hope it helped.. How did it work out?

The way one is dressed shouldn’t define their work ethic, especially if they’re within company policy. It’s hard enough that we get shamed by men and now it’s coming from a woman? I would leave it alone. I’ve had to deal with this one too many times in a workplace and it honestly just made me feel belittled as if the person thought more highly of themselves because of their version of what they thought was “appropriate”

I would try having a one on one conversation privately first. It really isn't anyone else's conversation to be part of, and it make the individual feel uncomfortable if it talked about out in the open. If other employees are following the dress code, it is not necessary to give them reminders.

Is there a dress code?