 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Contents on this page were published in the April, 1993 edition of the Washington Free Press.
WFP, 1463 E. Republican #178, Seattle, WA -USA, 98112. -- WAfreepress@gmail.com
Copyright © 1993 WFP Collective, Inc.
Then, a second woman, Sharon Brecko, started wearing pants. But with all the hubbub surrounding Carter's firing, Brecko was allowed to keep her job and Carter was reinstated - with back pay, according to newspaper accounts. "We are very pleased to put this behind us," a Penney's spokesperson was quoted as saying.
But the National Organization for Women isn't letting the issue drop; New Jersey NOW is asking other chapters to pressure Penney's stores around the country to drop their no-pants rules.
If this sounds like something that couldn't happen in Seattle, we've got news for you. Seafirst Bank has a similar prohibition. While Penney's may have had as a defense the fact that Carter had contact with customers, Seafirst has no excuse.
For example, workers in the bank's "consumer lending center" at the Seafirst Columbia Center must abide to a lengthy list of do's and don'ts. Most of the workers, however, are desk-bound data processors who input loan information, and who have absolutely no contact with banking customers, a Seafirst spokesperson said. Among the rules:
Women must wear a dress, skirt, or pair of dress slacks, stockings and dress shoes. Forbidden are sweats, denim, cords, dockers, "casual" knit pants, sun dresses, skirts or dresses more than 3 inches above the knee, and "clothing that clings or is sheer."
Men must wear slacks with a shirt and tie, a sweater and tie, or a turtleneck, and dress shoes. Among the no-nos are cords, denim, dockers, sweats and sandals.
On weekends and holidays - with these workers safely behind locked bank doors - Seafirst executives feel comfortable allowing them to wear such "casual attire" as dockers, cords and "clean" tennis shoes, just as long as their clothing is "clean and neat," has no stains, rips, tears or holes, or is not "suggestive."
To borrow a line from Dave Barry, we swear we are not making this up.
Here is our favorite provision of this department's "Standards of Dress": "We prefer to discuss a questionable item of apparel with you before you wear it."
We can hear it now. "Boss? I have this nice blouse that I want to wear to work. But when I turn a certain way, it ... well ...uh ... hmm ... let's just say that it sort of brings out my profile. Can I wear it? Huh? Can I? ..."
Seafirst spokesperson Sheri Pollock seemed to think that it's not the dress code that influences employees to look sharp, it's environmental factors. "If somebody was wearing jeans and a T-shirt at the Columbia Center, it probably wouldn't be appropriate," she said. "You would certainly look out of place."
Pollack said it's up to the manager of each department to decide how employees in their area should dress, adding that "our people might dress differently downtown than they would in a branch office in a rural community."
The head of the consumer lending center, who wrote that department's dress code, did not return a phone call to tell us, among other things, whether an employee has ever rebelled against the policy.
If you are having to work under ridiculous rules like these, or if you know of any other corporate silliness going on in your midst, please send us a copy of your company's personnel manual or any other embarrassing company rules and regulations. Or give us a call.
|
|
|
|
|