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DRESS FOR SUCCESS ET'S FACE IT, regardless of people telling us not to "judge a book by its cover," we're all human and tend to form opinions based on first impressions. Even under the best intentions, it's difficult not to develop assumptions about a place of business by looking at how employees present themselves. By setting clear employee appearance policies, you'll ensure your facility portrays the message you want visitors to receive. Follow these nine tips for addressing employee dress and hygiene in a way that makes sense for your business: 1. It's never too late to start. Whether you have a dress code in place now or not, it's never too late to establish one, or revise the current policy. As with any new or revised practice, communi- cation is key if you want employees to follow suit. Make sure to provide ample notification of the new policy and com- municate expectations in several differ- ent modes. Of course it's always good to provide official policies to employees in writing, but you may want to consider also sharing the information in a live or recorded meeting. Just make sure employ- ees sign an acknowledgement of the poli- cies so that you can come back to that if misunderstanding is later claimed. 2. What's most important? When creating a dress code policy, it's crucial to think of the job functions your employ- ees perform. For example, you may have maintenance staff who routinely take care of the ice in your rink while also attend- ing to facility repairs. In this case, it may be reasonable for staff to wear jeans and t-shirts. On the other hand, you may pre- fer employees who interact with customers wear pants or slacks that aren't made of denim. It's perfectly fine to vary dress code by position, as long as employees under- stand the expectation. Start your policy process by thinking through what's impor- tant for each position and then develop guidelines that match individual functions. 3. One size fits all. In a world where equal treatment is critical, employers should avoid dividing dress code policies into gender categories, unless it is abso- lutely necessary. Keep protocols under the general heading of "Dress Code Policies," instead of separating men and women. Making policies that encompass both genders helps to avoid any claims of gen- der bias or discrimination. For example, a policy may state that employees should wear clean, non-ripped pants that aren't overly fitted. By keeping the statement general, as opposed to including specific articles like "skinny jeans" or "jeggings," which could be interpreted as gender- specific, you'll accomplish two things. First, you'll avoid gender discrimination and second, the more broad description supports more consistent interpretation. 4. Uniformity. Unlike an office setting, the rink environment lends itself more easily to a setting where uniforms might be appropriate. Whether it's a polo with the rink's logo and dark-colored pants or another version of an outfit all employ- ees should wear, uniforms take the guess work out of dress codes. Since everyone is expected to dress the same, subjectiv- ity is eliminated and violations are easier to spot and address. If uniforms are the direction you want to go, think through expectations on whether you will pro- vide the clothing for staff or they will be required to purchase on their own. You'll want to brush up on your state's laws in this area to ensure you follow legal guidelines. Federal rules state employ- ers may deduct payment for uniforms from employee paychecks as long as the employee is aware and the deduction doesn't reduce the person's wage to below minimum standard. USICERINKS.COM NOVEMBER.DECEMBER.2018 / 27 9 tips for creating employee dress code and personal hygiene policies // by KARA DESCHENES L WHEN CREATING A DRESS CODE POLICY, IT'S CRUCIAL TO THINK OF THE JOB FUNCTIONS YOUR EMPLOYEES PERFORM.