Workplace Dress Code Policy: A Business Case for VSP
This paper presents a policy recommendation for VSP Marketing Group, a consulting firm currently operating without a formal dress code. The report argues that implementing a clear dress code policy would serve three primary organizational goals: communicating company culture to clients, promoting employee work performance through formal attire, and creating a safer working environment. The paper also addresses the counterargument that strict dress codes generate employee resentment — particularly among millennials — and recommends proactive employee engagement as a mitigation strategy. Drawing on organizational behavior literature, the paper concludes that a formal dress code would strengthen VSP's professional image, reduce workplace liability, and reinforce its competitive position.
- Introduction: VSP lacks a dress code; problems arise
- Recommendation: Proposing a formal dress code policy
- Communication of Company Culture: Attire signals company values to clients
- Promotion of Work Performance: Formal dress linked to cognitive performance
- Creation of a Safe Working Environment: Dress codes reduce workplace injury risk
- Counterargument and Rebuttal: Employee resentment addressed through engagement
- Conclusion: Dress code supports professionalism and safety
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper follows a clear business-report structure, moving logically from problem identification to recommendation to supporting evidence, making the argument easy to follow.
- It anticipates and directly addresses a significant counterargument — employee resentment — rather than ignoring potential objections, which strengthens its credibility.
- Evidence is drawn from multiple disciplines (organizational behavior, cognitive psychology, workplace safety), giving the recommendation a well-rounded empirical foundation.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates effective use of the counterargument-rebuttal structure. After building a three-part affirmative case, the author acknowledges that employees — especially millennials — tend to resist dress codes, then reframes the problem as a failure of implementation and engagement rather than an inherent flaw in the policy itself. This move converts a weakness into a manageable risk, which is a hallmark of persuasive policy writing.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a company background and problem statement, followed by a formal recommendation section. Three body sections each argue a distinct benefit of the policy (culture, performance, safety). A counterargument section then raises and rebuts the employee-resentment concern. The conclusion synthesizes all three benefits and reiterates the business case. This structure mirrors a standard professional business report and is well-suited to an undergraduate business or management course.
Introduction
VSP Marketing Group is a consulting company focused on developing novel and inventive plans for a wide clientele — including small and medium enterprises as well as Fortune 500 companies. The company seeks to infuse innovative and creative thinking into every project it handles, and to accomplish this it has over time employed a group of capable and motivated employees. VSP views its employees as family. It is also worth noting that, in order to remain relevant in an increasingly competitive marketplace, VSP must be ready and willing to embrace more effective ways of doing business.
VSP does not currently have a clear dress code policy, which means employees are free to come to work dressed in attire of their own choosing. As a consequence, employees occasionally report to work wearing clothing that could be deemed inappropriate on multiple fronts. Clothing that is too revealing or indecent could paint a negative image of the company in the eyes of clients, while other items — such as flip-flops or loose clothing — could pose potential safety hazards in the workplace. The first scenario could result in a loss of business, while the second puts employees at risk of injury, which by extension creates a liability risk for VSP.
This report recommends that a dress code policy be put in place, providing clear and concise guidelines regarding VSP's expectations for how all employees should be dressed while at work.
Recommendation
It is proposed that the board consider developing and implementing a dress code policy for all VSP employees. A dress code policy would communicate the company's professional standards with the aim of ensuring that VSP is perceived as professional by clients and collaborators, while also minimizing the risk of workplace injuries attributed to inappropriate attire. The development and implementation of such a policy is crucial as the company seeks to retain its current clientele, gain ground in an increasingly competitive business environment, and secure its bottom line.
Communication of Company Culture
Company culture can be defined, in basic terms, as the practices, attitudes, goals, and values that permeate an organization. According to Bratton (2020), one of the factors that shapes clients' views of a business is its culture. When evaluating whether an engagement 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 at work. For this reason, Citigroup discourages employees from wearing attire deemed inappropriate — attire that could send the wrong message about the company's values to clients. Specifically, flat strappy sandals, flip-flops, trainers, see-through clothing, and beach or party dresses are strongly discouraged at Citigroup. To a large extent, therefore, dress code is an integral part of Citigroup's corporate image.
In the case of VSP, professionally dressed employees would communicate that the company values competence and integrity. This would likely portray VSP in a positive light and help build the confidence of existing and potential clients.
Conclusion
In the final analysis, for VSP to remain relevant in an increasingly competitive business environment, it must ensure that its engagement with clients is mutually beneficial, professional, and consistent with its organizational culture. A formal dress code would be a meaningful step toward these goals. Such a policy would also help protect VSP from liability claims arising from workplace injuries, while simultaneously reinforcing its competitive advantage through a more capable and professionally presented workforce.
References
Bratton, J. (2020). Organizational Leadership. SAGE.
Hanson, D., Backhouse, K., Leaney, D., Hitt, M., Ireland, D., & Hoskisson, R. E. (2021). Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalization. Cengage Learning.
Henry, A. (2021). Understanding Strategic Management. Oxford University Press.
Reyes, S. (2022). Companies with strict dress codes: What to know about dress codes 2022. https://blog.hirenest.com/companies-with-strict-dress-codes-what-to-know/
Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2018). Organizational Behavior. Pearson.
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