How to Tell an Employee to Dress More Professionally | Pinnacle (2024)

FAQs

How to Tell an Employee to Dress More Professionally | Pinnacle? ›

Saying something like, "In this office, it really helps to pick clothes that are more tailored, to make sure they're ironed and that your shoes aren't scuffed (or whatever you've noticed that would help), and to wear your hair pulled back" is more useful than just "you look unkempt." You might also point out people in ...

“Please remember to dress in a manner that is respectful and appropriate for the office.” “Let's make sure our outfits are professional and don't contain any offensive language or imagery.” “It's important that everyone follows the dress code policy so that we can maintain a professional workplace.”

Say that this person's attire is unacceptable and that you need to discuss what can be done to fix it. Relate your points back to the company's written dress code, which can help prevent it from feeling like a personal attack. Have a copy of your employee handbook with you so you can review it with the employee.

With either your dress code policy or pictorial examples in front of you, say something along the lines of: “Some of your clothing choices are inappropriate for the office. I'd appreciate you making some changes, and I will help you.” “I would appreciate you dressing more modestly/professionally in the office.

Saying something like, "In this office, it really helps to pick clothes that are more tailored, to make sure they're ironed and that your shoes aren't scuffed (or whatever you've noticed that would help), and to wear your hair pulled back" is more useful than just "you look unkempt." You might also point out people in ...

Saying something like, “In this office, it really helps to pick clothes that are more tailored and wear your hair in a more polished way” is more useful than just “you look unkempt.”

During the conversation, focus on the impact at work as opposed to insulting their outfit choices. More times than not, their intentions were not to offend or make anyone uncomfortable at work. Be restorative in your argument, by offering to find a solution together as opposed to treating this as a punishment.

Talk with her privately, and say something like, “I want to mention something that has nothing to do with your work, but is important. In our environment, we can't wear skirts quite that short. Generally you need to stick with knee-length.”

Start by saying, "I'm not sure that you're aware that you (do whatever the unprofessional behavior is)." Discuss what the desired behavior or acceptable alternatives would be. If the employee seems resistant to addressing the behavior, go on to discuss the likely short- and long-term consequences of the behavior.

What is the etiquette for dressing professionally? ›

Dressing professionally refers to wearing clothes and accessories designed for a professional workplace. Professional outfits are modest, well-tailored and free of images or graphics. Your clothes should be clean, ironed and free of rips, holes or stains.

Clothing should never be ill-fitting, ragged or revealing. Any item that creates a distraction or impairs the ability to carry out job functions is inappropriate. Inappropriately dressed employees may be asked to change clothing, and all time spent doing so must be accounted for as time away from work.

Clothing should be clean - no torn, dirty or excessively wrinkled items. Clothing with offensive or distracting words or pictures would remain out of the workplace. Overly revealing apparel exposing too much skin or undergarments is also inappropriate in the workplace.

Put It on the Invitation

The simplest way to tell your guests what they're expected to wear is to put a dress code in the invitation. There is a time-honored glossary of dress-code wording short enough to include on invitations, or on a card inserted with the invitation.

One way to ask about the dress code is to be direct. If you spoke with a recruiter or hiring manager on the phone, you can simply ask them what the dress code is ahead of your interview or the first day of work. If you have already been hired, they might forget to mention the dress code to you.

Here, emphasize that there is nothing wrong with their work, but they can improve their professionalism.] Manager: I want to assure you that there is nothing wrong with your performance. I want to set goals for your professionalism in the workplace. For instance, I think you could improve your email etiquette.