Simply put: yes, Laurel Ridge does have employee dress guidelines. The Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM) provides the following guidance on personal appearance, "As an employee of the Commonwealth, you should come to work dressed and groomed appropriately for your working conditions. Your agency may apply more specific requirements for dress and grooming based on their business needs".
Laurel Ridge has a culture which includes business casual dress with jeans permitted on Fridays. Business casual dress may be defined in general terms as including slacks or khakis; dresses or skirts; dress shirts or blouses; open-collar, knit or polo shirts; blazers or sweaters; and loafers or shoes that cover all or most of the foot.
Not all employees work in air conditioned or heated offices at Laurel Ridge, and when considering dress, each employee must consider their workday. Laurel Ridge trusts its employees to know how to exercise good judgment in choosing appropriate clothing for the workday. For example: if you are responsible for welcoming students outside on new student orientation day which may be very warm, consider sensible shoes and a polo with lighter material.
Below, you will find further guidance on acceptable and unacceptable business casual workplace attire. If an employee is not sure if their clothing meets Laurel Ridge business casual dress guidelines, they should consult with their supervisor or their HR consultant prior to wearing the questionable attire to work.
To provide employees assistance, guidelines for appropriate dress are outlined below:
1. Attire should be clean, neat and appropriate to the workday.
2. Employees are expected to practice good personal hygiene.
3. Dresses or skirts; must be knee-length or longer.
4. Heavily scented lotions, perfumes and colognes should generally be avoided, as some people have scent allergies and sensitivities. Where specific disability-related reasonable accommodations have been put into place, use of such products may be formally restricted.
Inappropriate Work Attire: Some examples of inappropriate or unprofessional work attire are listed below. This list is not intended to be exhaustive.
1. Garments that are dirty, wrinkled, ripped or faded.
2. Logos and other wording on clothing must be appropriate for the workplace and not offensive.
3. Sleepwear/loungewear; including slippers.
4. Beachwear, including flip flops.
5. Clothing that is tight or exposes an excessive amount of skin (this includes tops that expose the midriff).
6. Shorts are not appropriate for business casual workdays, but may be reasonable for certain tasks, such as recreational outdoor activities.
7. Exercise gear is generally not appropriate, but may be worn when participating in wellness, recreational or other outdoor activities.
On the topic of dress codes, check out this one minute video from LInkedIn Learning about perception of others dress in the workplace.
References
Department of Human Resource Management. (n.d.). Employee handbook. Retrieved May 7, 2024, from https://www.dhrm.virginia.gov/docs/default-source/hr/manuals/employeehandbook.pdf?sfvrsn=6