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SILLY DRESS RULES

Offices, schools, and businesses are constantly using dress as a way to weed out people they want to do business with. People not dressed to specific instructions are not allowed inside to work, learn, or spend money inside these buildings.

With this comes some petty rules that are made up. These make perfect sense to the ones in charge, but the rest of the community is left shaking their head. Please read the following & see if they make any sense:

* All jeans are acceptable, EXCEPT blue jeans.

How is it that blue jeans are that much more offensive than, say, purple jeans? Is there a Johnny Cochran in the house?

"If the jeans are black, you're on the right track."

"If the jeans are white, you'll do all right."

"If the jeans are BLUE, you will miscue."

*Blue jeans can be worn on Fridays only. Otherwise the office would be too casual.

If blue jeans are so bad, then how is it that Fridays are usually just as productive as Monday-Thursday? People haven't forgotten how to work on Fridays. If employees are diligently working, and everyone is making money, the public should care less. Customers care about quality of product, not quality of dressed employees.

*Shirts must be tucked in at all times, for safety reasons.

A boss once told a co-worker of mine that "The bottom of your shirt could get stuck on a doorknob, causing a fall & a lawsuit". How believable is this?

* Sandals must be worn with pantyhose.

Pantyhose does not create professionalism. Professionalism starts when you treat a customer exactly how you want to be treated. With that in mind, are customers not willing to call into a call center to discuss their account because employees have bare toes? Even in a corporate setting, people still see your toes, sheer pantyhose or not. Besides, style magazine cringe at this combination! Let the employees have some form of dignity!

*For health & safety reasons, thong sandals are not allowed.

How is it a sandal which shows just as much foot, would not be a health concern. However, once there is a piece of fabric between two toes, red flags go up across Corporate America. Besides, if it was a "health code", then why is it that going barefoot is not a health code violation (as discussed before on this site)?

As far as safety goes, a thong sandal should be safer than high heels, and platform shoes. Besides, when sitting at your desk or office cubicle, how much danger can be prevented if wearing Birkenstock sandals instead? Even for the argument of needing to negotiate stairs in case of a fire, a thong sandal would not make sufficient difference. Besides, as humans we are taught to walk & be calm - NOT to run and panic.

*No open toe/back shoes, in case something falls on your foot.

In a data entry job, an office manager told this to an employee: "We don't allow open toe shoes in here, just in case a desk or a big file cabinet falls on your foot". This file cabinet takes at least three people to budge it a few inches! If a desk was to topple over on you, more than your foot would be in pain. In a phone room, there is not enough concern for injury to disallow people wearing sandals. Keep in mind that these are same jobs that have injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome (repetitive typing) and back injuries. Why is it back braces are not a requirement for telemarketing jobs?

As far as backless shoes go, there usually is not enough evidence to suggest that people wearing these are injury-prone. It has been said that people trip over themselves when wearing them. Does anyone have a list of injuries that suggest this is a plague? People do not get tripped wearing tennis shoes? If clogs were such a health hazard, there would be "No clogs allowed, per State Code NRS128.37" signs up at every mall, store, or anywhere someone would walk.

Or, maybe we should all ride in wheelchairs.