Dress Code Policy Business Problem

DRESS CODE POLICY

Introduction

VSP Marketing Group is a consulting company that concerns itself with the development of novel and inventive plans for a vast clientele – small and medium enterprises and Fortune 500 companies alike. In essence, the company seeks to infuse innovative and creative thinking in every project it handles. To be able to accomplish this feat, the company has over time employed a group of capable and motivated employees. VSP views its employees as family. It would be prudent to note that to continue being relevant in an increasingly competitive marketplace, VSP must be ready and willing to embrace more effective formats of doing things.

VSP does not have in place a clear dress code policy. This essentially means that employees of the company are free to come to work dressed in attire of their own choosing. As a consequence, from time to time, employees report to work dressed in clothing that could be deemed inappropriate on multiple fronts. While clothes that are too revealing or indecent could paint a bad image of the company from the perspective of clients, other clothing (such as flip-flops and loose clothing) could pose potential safety hazards at the workplace. Whereas the first scenario could result in loss of business, the second case puts employees at risk of injury at the workplace (which by extension poses a liability risk for VSP).

This report recommends that a dress code policy be put in place – with the said dress code policy providing clear and concise guidelines regarding the VSP’s expectations with regard to how all company employees should be dressed while at the workplace.

Recommendation

It is proposed that the board considers developing and implementing a dress code policy for all employees of VSP. A dress code policy would convey the corporate dress code in an effort to not only ensure that the company is deemed professional by clients and collaborators, but also minimize chances of injuries at the workplace attributed to inappropriate attire for the various functions. The development and implementation of the said dress code policy is crucial as the company seeks to ensure that it retains its current clientele, gains ground in an increasingly competitive business environment, and secures its bottom-line.

Communication of the Company Culture

Company culture could, in basic terms, be defined as practices, attitudes, as well as goals and values that permeate a company. According to Bratton (2020), one of the factors that influences clients’ viewpoints about a business enterprise is its culture. In seeking to evaluate whether their engagements with a company will be fruitful, clients look for subtle clues about its beliefs, values and attitudes. Bratton (2022) indicates that organizations like Citigroup have long recognized that their organizational culture can be visually expressed through the way their employees dress while at work. As the author further indicates, it is for this reason that Citigroup discourages its employees from wearing attire deemed inappropriate, and which could send the wrong message about the company’s values to clients. To be more specific, the author is categorical that flat strappy sandals, flip-flops, trainers, see-through attire, and beach/party dresses are strongly discouraged at Citigroup. Thus, to a large extent, it could be said that one of the integral parts of the image of Citigroup happens to be its dress code. In the case of VSP, professionally clad employees would communicate the message that VSP values competence and integrity. This would likely portray us in positive light and help us gain the confidence of existing and potential clients.

Promotion of Work Performance

Past studies have also indicated that a strict dress code does have a positive influence on work performance. For instance, in a meta-analysis undertaken by California State University-Northridge and Columbia University, it was found that when it comes to abstract cognitive processing, the relevance of a formal dress code cannot be overstated (Reyes, 2022). Abstract cognitive processing has got to do with the ability to illustrate complex relationships and/or draw the right conclusions in scenarios that are not clear-cut or easily discernible. Towards this end, a clear association between a strict dress code and employee ability to properly execute their roles – especially those that require higher order thinking capabilities – could be alluded. It is also important to note that according to the California State University-Northridge and Columbia University study, formally dressed employees happen to be more self-assured in their performance of various tasks (Reyes, 2022).

Creation of a Safe Working Environment

According to Robbins and Judge (2018), some companies also have a strict dress code policy so as to secure the safety and wellbeing of employees at the workplace. This, according to the authors, happens to be the case in blue collar professions where employees could be exposed to hazardous chemicals or sharp objects. However, as the authors further indicate, there are organizations that find it necessary to have in place specific dress code requirements to avert costly accidents for those with typical desk jobs (Robbins and Judge, 2018). This is more so the case given that some attire does increase the risk for unanticipated or unexpected injuries and mishaps. For instance, dropped objects are likely to cause more injury to a person with flip-flops than they would to an individual wearing plain toe shoes.

Counterargument and Rebuttal

There is the probability that implementing a strict dress code policy will result in the employee resentment. This is more so the case given that some employees could feel that a dress code strips them of their independence and personality. According to Henry (2021), available evidence indicates that majority of employees in modern work settings have a negative perception towards dress codes. As the author further notes, past surveys indicate that most of those opposed to strict dress codes are millennials. For this reason, organizations that wish to retain the best talent in the current job market might be hesitant about implementing a strict dress code policy. Employee resentment could result in a high employee turnover as those in the employ of VSP at present seek less restrictive working environments. A high employee turnover in this case could have undesirable ripple effects in the form of loss of talent, cost of hiring new staff, training costs, etc.