The Common Sense Guide to Casual Fridays

As an employee, I always look forward to Fridays.  There's just something about the anticipation of having some time off to do whatever or nothing at all.

For many credit unions, Fridays are considered casual dress days. Most employees really appreciate being able to dress down and feel a little more relaxed. For employers, casual dress days have been linked to improved employee morale and increased productivity. Best of all, it’s a free benefit for the organization.

However, it seems like there's always a few employees that try to spoil it for everyone. Sometimes I see things that make me stop and question, "Did they look in a mirror before they left their house this morning?" 

I can't blame any employer for feeling as though employees should just use common sense when dressing for work, even on casual Fridays. However, things are not always that simple. Before allowing casual dress days, there are a number of considerations that employers should make to avoid abuse of the privilege and awkward situations.

When allowing casual dress days in your credit union, a casual dress policy should be developed and implemented. There are a number of topics that should be covered in the policy and listed below are some recommended areas to include:

Designate When 

Which day (or days) will be considered casual? Most credit unions designate Friday as casual day. However, some credit unions choose to permit casual dress every day of the week, or for special occasions or events. When making this decision, it's important to consider how often employees have direct contact with members as well as whether or not credit union culture will support frequent casual days.

Define Exceptions 

Decide if there are any exceptions to the casual dress policy. For example, if a member is scheduled to visit on a day that is typically reserved for casual dress, will employees be expected to not wear casual attire? If so, what will be the revised dress code?

Think About Employees Roles

Sometimes the type of work employees do will dictate how they should dress. For example, a facilities worker in a credit union may be permitted to wear jeans every day, whereas, the loans staff may be required to dress more conservatively. If any differences in expectations exist based on employee roles, be sure it's clearly defined in your policy.

Explain What's Appropriate

"Casual" can be interpreted to mean many different things, from khakis and button-down shirts to jeans and t-shirts. Help employees to understand your idea of casual by providing examples of appropriate dress. Most employers consider the following to be acceptable on casual days: sweaters, polo shirts, blouses, button-down shirts and jeans. 

Spell Out What's Off-Limits 

While providing examples of the type of dress you consider to be appropriate is important, providing examples of inappropriate clothing is also critical. T-shirts, shorts, tank tops, ripped clothing, short skirts and sheer or revealing clothing should probably all be included on the inappropriate list. Remind employees that the examples are not all-inclusive and that management discretion will be used when determining if something is inappropriate.

Define Consequences

Be sure to state the potential consequences for failing to comply with your credit union's dress code policy. Will employees be sent home to change? If so, will non-exempt employees be paid for their time spent away from work? When employees understand that consequences exist, they are more likely to follow the policy in order to avoid any sort of negative outcome.

Be Consistent 

It is critical that you ensure your dress code does not adversely affect employees of a protected group and that it does not favor one gender over the other or certain religions, races, or age groups. For example, imposing certain dress codes on women, but not men or prohibiting certain religious attire may be viewed as discriminatory. Be sure that your dress code, as well as all credit union policies, applies equally to all employees.

As always, a good rule of thumb is...when in doubt, ask first or just don't do it!

By Kimberly Jones, HR Consultant, Credit Union Resources, Inc.