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Are You Dressed to Impress or for Trouble?

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adressOffice dress codes have always been a hot topic, especially for women.

One of the concerns is that there may be a double standard on expectations for how women dress over what men wear.

Sometimes this double standard seems to be spelled out while other times it may be implied through comments by co-workers and supervisors. It’s often difficult for women to know what is appropriate and acceptable.

Controversial Topic for Many

Salary.com conducted a survey about dress codes and how they affect the workplace.

Many of the respondents felt that often dress codes were never strictly enforced and weren’t part of the company’s policy. Instead, they were put in place by supervisors or department managers and at random.

The survey also showed that many employees believe that their office’s policy on attire is too lenient.

When companies are too permissive, things can go too far.

A professional dress code not only enhances the company’s image, employees often act more professional.

This survey also showed the issue with some employees “getting away” with wearing what was considered inappropriate attire.

One of the issues with establishing a dress code policy is that there are more fashion choices for women than for men. It can be difficult to address every type of clothing and either prohibit it or set up specific guidelines.

Another problem is that some offices actually encourage provocative dress to capture the attention of clients.

One example is in some medical facilities where cosmetic procedures are performed.

Dressing and looking like the “after” photo can encourage those who are contemplating some type of procedure.

How to Address the Double Standard

Businesses that do not have a dress code policy should seriously think about establishing one.

However, if they choose to do so, they need to offer clear-cut guidelines. How employees dress can reflect on the company, which is why the rules should be designed to enhance the image of the business.

Monitoring is another area where some businesses must improve.

Every employee must be subject to discipline if he or she is not willing to follow the dress code. Supervisors and managers must be educated in the dress code and their roles. They cannot look the other way on certain people while calling out others.

In many cases, managers may have to educate employees on how to dress appropriately.

For instance, the Faded Glory Women’s Bree’s Solid Planet Jersey Maxi Dress, which is sold at major retailers like Walmart, would be appropriate clothing to wear in warmer weather with a sweater or shrug on top. A blazer would make it look more professional.

The choices people make in how they dress are often personal to them.

When dictating what is allowed and what is prohibited and enforcing those policies make sure to remain professional so that the employee recognizes that it is not a personal attack on the person.

This is a controversial area and businesses must tread carefully when dealing with the issues that occur.

The one rule that must be followed is that men and women must be treated equally with no double standard.

As a business owner/manager or employee, what are the dress code rules (if any) at your company?

Photo credit: Image courtesy of Ambro at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

About the Author: Joyce Morse is an author who writes on a variety of topics, including HR and small business.

Has Sexual Harassment Ever Impacted Your Ability to Do a Job?

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For most female workers, sexual harassment and their paths will never cross. For some, however it is an all-too frequent reminder there is still a ways to go in society, relating to treating women with respect at work.

While sexual harassment cases against men on the job do occur, the abundance of cases involves female workers being the targeted victims.

Simply put, sexual harassment is defined as any unwelcome sexual advance or conduct at the workplace that leads to an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment.

According to information for the year 2010 from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), employers who were unable to protect themselves from sexual harassment claims filed with the agency recovered damages with settlements accumulating more than $48.4 million.

If you’re unsure exactly of what sexual harassment in the workplace constitutes, note that it can take on a number of different forms, including:

  • Offensive and belittling comments directed one’s way;
  • Imagery around the office depicting women in offensive clothing or poses;
  • Outright hostility from another co-worker just because one is female;
  • An actual sexual assault on workplace property.

In the event you feel like you’ve been the victim of sexual harassment in the workplace but did not react, there are several steps to take. They include:

  • Deal one-on-one with the individual and tell them their actions are offensive and need to stop;
  • Go to a manager and explain the situation, providing as much detail as possible to back up claims;
  • Should the manager not be of assistance, go to his or her superior and continue on up until concerns are properly addressed;
  • Don’t fear for the loss of the job by reporting the alleged perpetrator. Everyone has protections in place regarding reporting such instances, although it is natural to wonder if it could lead to issues with job security;
  • All along the way, be sure to document each and every inappropriate confrontation with the individual who has been the aggressor. This is critical so that it can demonstrated to a court that all efforts were made to stop these actions should the matter end up with a lawsuit;
  • Should the higher-ups in the office not handle the matter, seek outside assistance from an agency set to deal with sexual harassment in the workplace.

At the end of the day, your employer is held responsible for the workplace actions of each and every worker under its employ.

To let sexual harassment actions go unpunished is not only a crime, but a slap in the face to the many hard-working women (and men in those cases who are harassed by women on the job) who simply want to show up day in and day out and do their jobs.

As a career woman, have you ever encountered sexual harassment along the way? If so, what did you do about it?

Photo credit: singlemindedwomen.com

Dave Thomas, who covers among other items business proposals and small business loans, writes extensively for Business.com, an online resource destination for businesses of all sizes to research, find, and compare the products and services they need to run their businesses.

 

Are Women Getting a Fair Shake in the Workplace?

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A co-worker and his wife recently brought three new lives into the world – triplets – two boys and a girl.

After all the congratulatory remarks were passed along, I stopped for a minute to wonder how the trio would be treated a couple of decades now when they go out into the working world. Trust me; their parents are likely asking can we at least enjoy them as little ones for a bit longer?

Will this young girl and millions like her find a working environment that is warm and receptive down the road or will it be cold and intimidating?

Challenges for Women at Work

While many young females are not stepping into 9 to 5 situations just yet, that day will come for millions of them and lead to an age old question, do they get treated differently than their male counterparts in the workplace?

As many successful women have worked their way up the corporate ladder, many others find themselves being left behind, whether it is salaries compared to men, opportunities for advancement or just plain respectability from their male counterparts.

As a woman in the workplace, have you found yourself the victim of?

  • A lesser salary than a male counterpart doing the same work;
  • Getting passed over for advancement opportunities;
  • Verbal or physical harassment.

While there are rules in place that are supposed to protect women against harassment on the job, the salary and advancement issues are two items that women have little power to fight. As even some males discover along the way, office politics can play a big role on who gets raises and the opportunities to move up the corporate ladder.

According to a recent study from CareerBuilder, 38 percent of female workers indicated they believe they are paid less than their male counterparts sporting the same skill set and experience. The study goes on to note that 39 percent of women employees think men have additional advancement opportunities within their companies, a jump of 13 percent from 2008.

Other interesting tidbits from the survey include:

  • 45 percent of males note they make $50,000 or more, with 24 percent of females claiming the same;
  • 10 percent of males make $100,000 or more compared to only 3 percent of females;
  • 30 percent of males note they are in a management role compared to 21 percent of females;
  • 36 percent of females claim that males receive more kudos for their achievements within the organization than they do.

One interesting fact from the survey was the responses males and females gave to what bothers them most with in the workplace.

Men noted that women oftentimes gossip or are too emotional or sensitive, while women claim men can be arrogant, make inappropriate comments or don’t take women at work serious.

Interestingly enough, not a lot of men claimed that women use their beauty to advance their careers along. Oftentimes, an attractive woman in the workplace must overcome misconceptions that she used her looks, flirting skills or charm to work her way up the corporate ladder.

For those men who assume that some women in their office rose up the corporate ranks with anything other than their intelligence, keep in mind that many of these same women are holding down two full-time jobs – employee and mother.

Harassment on the Job

One of the biggest challenges women face in the workplace is harassment, oftentimes in a sexual manner.

A recent AOL Jobs Survey pointed out that one in six employees has dealt with harassment on the job. Nearly 50 percent of women are more apt to report it, compared to 21 percent of men.

For those women harassed on the job, which are oftentimes females working in blue collar type jobs, the issues can include: Unwanted jokes or offensive language, inappropriate touching or other contact with a male co-worker, being asked out on dates, and being subjected to suggestive pictures or objects.

According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), in 2010, more than 11,700 charges were brought by workers against co-workers or bosses (83.6 percent from women).

While lower pay, fewer opportunities for advancement and sexual harassment issues do persist, many women have overcome these and other obstacles to work their way up the corporate ladder.

To their credit, they overcame the naysayers who for years thought that women could be nothing more than secretaries and/or administrative assistants.

And for those males who think the secretary is a worthless position, who do you think gives the outside world its first impression of your company, handles myriad of duties and oftentimes holds the business together?

Women continue to make positive strides in the workplace, a workplace whose scenery has changed for the better in the eyes of many women and men.

Photo credit: kristisiegel.com

Dave Thomas is an expert writer on items like online marketing and is based in San Diego, California. He writes extensively for an online resource that provides expert advice on purchasing and outsourcing decisions for small business owners and entrepreneurs at Resource Nation.