Handling Sensitive Dress Code Issues

HR is on the front lines of policy development and enforcement and we need to work with other parts of the organization to ensure that dress codes are managed consistently and fairly.

Webinar Oct 09 2025, Thursday 02:00 PM EST 60 Minutes Intermediate Level Code: GRC0000314

Since employees typically are the first contact made with a company it is often necessary to control that image projected.

In the past, employers used dress and appearance policies to help employees work comfortably and safely while still projecting a professional image to clients, customers and future employees.

Over the years employers have also used dress and appearance policies to help create an employment brand.

Today, and especially post-pandemic, dress and appearance policies require us to develop strategies that align with both employer goals and culture and, at the same time, protect us from discrimination claims and “push-back” from our employees.

  • How to establish an acceptable and legal dress code policy
  • What are the latest issues with gender orientation and identity
  • How to change your company dress code (or institute one) without causing a revolt
  • How to handle provocative or inappropriate clothing?
  • Where dress codes and discrimination claims meet (and how to avoid them)
  • Where the legal line is drawn when you have separate dress codes for men and women
  • How to tailor your dress code to fit workers in different types of Jobs - From the warehouse to the corner office
  • How to effectively communicate your dress code expectations to workers
  • Dealing with employees who consistently push the dress code envelope

  • Human Resource Supervisor
  • Human Resource Manager, Director, Vice President
  • Managers and Directors of operational units

Pre-Covid, the concept of “professional dress” was under severe strain. Today, as we begin to return to the office, employees are using traditional discrimination concepts in making claims of lifestyle discrimination based upon sexual orientation, gender-identity, physical appearance, piercings, tattoos, smoking and other privacy/personal issues.

At what point does the employee’s right to self-expression interfere with the employer’s right to set boundaries?

Dress codes are used to communicate to employees what the organization considers appropriate work attire. The policy allows us to set expectations regarding the image we want to portray.

At the same time there has been a decided interest in dress codes from federal and state agencies and, in particular, the EEOC

Employers realize that impressions made on clients and customers are important to the success of an organization.

RANDI WALTUCK BARNETT
RANDI WALTUCK BARNETT

Ms. Waltuck Barnett is a highly regarded global trade professional, having created and implemented global and domestic trade compliance programs across many industries for companies large and small. Her experience includes oversight of a $5B, 65-location division of Honeywell, a $3B, 17-location division of Motorola, and Global Trade Optimization for Dell, Inc., among others.

Ms. Waltuck has worked in the international trade arena in various industries for nearly 20 years. Her professional accomplishments include multi-million dollar global supply chain savings under various legal theories, as well as end-to-end global trade risk mitigation processes and procedures, identifying “right-sized” technology tools, including “compliance on a shoestring” practices.

She has served on councils and boards for various organizations, including the American Association of Exporters and Importers (AAEI), the Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT), is a charter member of the International Compliance Professionals Association (ICPA), and a frequently sought-after trade and supply chain conference speaker for various well-known conference organizers, including the American Conference Institute (ACI), Marcus-Evans, and Richardson Conference Events.

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