by Doug Anderson

Graphics and Commercial Art

Shortly after he started work as the new print room manager, Jon called employees together and said that in view of the unprofessional appearance of some of the staff, employees henceforth would be required to wear suitable clothing on the job. The manager gave no policy specifics, but simply told employees to use common sense in their dress.

A few weeks later, a pressman showed up for work wearing a pair of knee-length shorts. Upon viewing the pressman's shorts, the manager called him into the office and told him that he would have to go home and change into long pants. The pressman did as he was told, and was then docked for the missed time on the job because he refused to make up the time by working through breaks.

Questions:

Should the employee be reimbursed for the lost pay?

Is the dress standard fair?

Is the dress standard necessary?

Could the manager have handled the situation differently or better?

What is the dress standard?

What is suitable clothing?