HR’s lighter side: Employer mandates boxers, briefs, whatever
June 26, 2009 by Jim GiulianoPosted in: Behavior, Discipline, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views
Employees of the city of Brooksville, FL, will have to follow a new dress code, including the mandatory wearing of underwear. We have just one question.
So, uh, whose job is it to check that the dress code is being followed, especially the underwear stipulation?
Anyway, questions aside, the city council in the community north of Tampa recently handed down a dress code that warns employees about following “strict personal hygiene.” Besides the underwear edict, the council also instructed employees to start using deodorant regularly.
Oh, and while employees must wear underwear, they are prohibited from exposing any part of said skivvies — making it all the more difficult, we think, to catch no-underwear-wearing violators.
The new dress code further prohibits clothing emblazoned with foul language or which is “sexually provocative.” Piercing is OK, but only for the ears.
The only opposition to the rule came from the community’s mayor, Joe Bernadini. He told the Associated Press that he found that the underwear rulings inhibit “freedom of choice.”
We’re still trying to figure out what that means.
Tags: Brooksville, Joe Bernadini
June 29th, 2009 at 11:27 am
This is too good…
“freedom of choice.”
I thought it was sad you had to tell people about hygiene, but freedom of choice LOL
June 29th, 2009 at 11:38 am
Give me boxers or give me briefs…..no does not have the same ring to it.
I am wondering what brought on this. And who decides what is sexually provocative? I can see two different people in the same dress and one will excite and the other disgust. I am glad I do not have to judge that can of worms.
And does this help increase the carbon footprint of the city? All those aeresol cans of deodorant going off in the morning might lead to an increase in respiratory illnesses. I would think the city would encourage their employees to not use the man made products. Go Green!!!
And yes before everyone starts to get upset….I am making fun of the city. Do they not have better things to worry about than if the mayor is wearing boxers or briefs….or maybe none at all?
June 29th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Unfortunately, this nation’s declining moral standards and sexual promiscuity, makes such “rules” necessary due to charges ranging anywhere from hostile work environment to sexual discrimination brought about because someone can not dress “work” appropriately nor bath or wash clothes on a regular basis. No one wants to look at “plumber’s butt” or cleavage fit for pole dancing at a place of business…and bathing…that should just be common courtesy.
June 29th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
It’s too bad that people can’t seem to exercise some common sense when it comes to proper hygene and in what they wear in the workplace or in public. I agree with CLS, but believe that this type of behavior stems from a lack of parental control and guidance when these idiots were children!
June 29th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
I am in retail, and I can’t tell you how often people don’t dress correctly. I also laugh at those that say they are tired of people staring at them, but they have on some of the most revealing clothes.
Keep that stuff for your better half. Here you are to work! Earn your keep and go home!!
But it could be me as I am not very passionate for people’s stupidity.
June 29th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
It is a waste of HR Time to deal with Dress Code Issues in Business. I would think that most people should have the common sense enough to dress appropriately in the workplace. Dress Code is listed in the HR Manual that is given upon hiring and should be followed. Business is not high school and if an employee can’t follow company code, then they should be terminated. After all, you are hired to work and represent the business and if an employee could care less about their workplace attire, then they probably do not care about the business. HR has more important issues on their plate than teaching employees how to dress. If dress code was clearly outlined in the employment manual then their is no excuse to come to work in any other attire.
June 30th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
I work in the Orlando area but live in Brooksville. You would not believe how back woods some of the people are there. The Goverment including the police department, Judges and yes the Mayor are all part of the Good olde boys club. I love this area but the city needs to come into 2009 and move forward in order to make Brooksville into a updated community.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
Wow – I’d love this policy………..then I wouldn’t have to look at a coworkers obvious thong underwear strap anymore!!
July 1st, 2009 at 9:19 am
CL said “I would think that most people should have the common sense enough to dress appropriately in the workplace. ”
Seeing how rapidly the American morales have been decaying I cannot believe you “would think”…..
God bless!
July 1st, 2009 at 9:23 am
@Lisa,
I was thinking the same thing…
July 1st, 2009 at 9:32 am
What if an employee wants to go “comando” on casual friday?
July 6th, 2009 at 11:46 am
I agree with CL…… If HR wants to be taking seriously we need to focus more on being a busines partner and providng value. Put the emphasis on the policy and be done with it.
Do you think our customers want to see us spending time checking underwear!!!!
July 6th, 2009 at 12:06 pm
If I am properly wearing a thong (meaning and the top band is not visible and it is not visible through my clothes), it would appear that I am not wearing underwear. That is the point and the desired effect. I dare someone to try to make me prove that I am in compliance.
My underwear is my business. If it’s not showing, it should not matter what (if anything) I am wearing under my clothes.
This rule is more invasive and even less acceptable than a mandatory seat belt law.
July 6th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
I have no words…
July 6th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
J – excuse me for being invasive, but the fact that you want others to think you are not wearing underwear tells me that you are purposely seeking to be provocative in your dress. Perhaps if you said, “I wear a thong so that you don’t see an ugly underwear line”, I could be ok with your comment. I can’t, however, see how asking people to wear underwear is invasive. It is offensive to me to have to look at those – or try very hard not to look at those – who are obviously not wearing underwear…this interferes with my desire (and my boss’ desire) to be productive at work.
It is so ridiculous that this topic has to even come up. But the truth is, it does have to come up. Yuck.
July 6th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
@ J
I don’t know if someone would *want* to prove you are, but could insist that you don’t come back to work until all question is eliminated. I agree with ‘ds’ in that if the desired affect is to look as if you are not wearing underwear, then perhaps you are confusing the work place with the night club.
I personally don’t want to see no underwear or really tight clothing at work as it is distracting. How one feels it is invasive to ask and not equally invasive not to be properly dressed is beyond me.
Just so my point is clear; at the night club you can look as sexy as you want, sure. But at work, one should look professional.
July 6th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
ds,
I did not fully flesh out my thought (pun definitely intended). That is what I intended to say, but neglected to include before I clicked submit. It was less about appearing naked than about not attracting unwanted attention because of a panty-line. If I wanted to draw attention, I could wear bright red underwear of any cut under close-fit summer-weight white pants.
As for the rule being invasive, I argue that it encourages people who otherwise would never think about my choice of underwear to check me out as I pass by to make sure that I am in compliance. How is that not invasive?
My choice to wear underwear is not like my choice to wear perfume: If I am loaded with perfume, everyone in the elevator is subjected to it, whereas my lack of underwear is a personal and private matter.
July 7th, 2009 at 8:42 am
J,
You sound a bit dillusional. It is doubtful “everyone” wants to know whether YOU are in compliance unless you have a habit of making a spectacle of yourself. Perhaps an honest look in the mirror and a class in social maturity could reap more rewards for you than thong underwear.
July 7th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
I worked for a developer whose Office Manager admitted to dressing like a Hoochie Mama and enjoyed the male attention. Unbeknownst to her doting husband, she had sex with the owner of the plumbing company and then got fired for paying her personal utility bills with hand-written company checks. So maybe there is correlation between immodest dress and morales.
July 7th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
That’s why I like working in the medical field. Everybody wears scrubs and hopefully underwear….I don’t check.
July 7th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
CLS,
I didn’t say “everyone”, and what I meant was that simply having that rule will make some people “think” about the rule and pay attention to things that they otherwise would not even think of.
If I tell you not to think of a pink elephant, but to name an animal, what is the first thing that comes to mind?
Externally, I dress appropriately for the environment that I am in and, as a general rule, I dress rather conservatively. However, what I wear underneath is my personal choice. Leather, silk, cotton, nothing… that is private and to be shared only with someone of my choosing.
I fully support a rule forbidding underwear being visible. I also support a rule requiring the stomach and back to be covered. And for a dress or skirt to not be too short. But to mandate that someone must wear a bra or panties? Not a chance. Does that mean that I would encourage someone to go without a bra? Not bloody likely, but if they want to, that’s their decision. I might encourage them to watch “What Not To Wear,” and I might nominate them to be on the show, however.
July 15th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
I have to weigh in on this…
I think the “underwear rule” is really geared to making employees stop and think about what they wear so men (and women) won’t fall victim to plumber’s crack, so younger men won’t wear baggy pants down around their knees and show off their boxers. It’s for those women who feel it is appropriate to go without a bra (or panties) under something that is white or sheer drawing attention to darker body parts, or to show their bra and cami straps under tank tops. Those things are very blatant and could be very offensive to the rest of the population.
So let’s talk common sense. I don’t really think someone who’s wearing a thong that doesn’t show is going to be disciplined for not wearing underwear. And I can’t believe that someone will be designated “underwear police.” But this dress code will give the employer the right to tell any employee that they should cover up and dress more appropriately for the workplace. And they have reserved the right to tell an employee to remove their body jewelry in situations where it could be offensive to others or a hazard to the employee. This IS common sense.
This is a municipal dress code and the employees who fall under it are municipal workers who interact with the public (including those who are road workers, sanitation workers, office workers, etc.). Thanks very much – I really don’t want to see city workers showing off their body parts.
L