Human Resources Policy: Dress code NUR 492 Human Resources Policy: Dress code A discussion on dress code for health care institutions and human resource professionals is an ongoing concern right now. The argument centers on whether it is better to don a professional image rather than a more casual one for the company’s employees. According to research (Peluchette, 2007), employees who are assigned to Human Resource Development play a vital role in sustaining a company’s culture to develop the human assets and keep the edge over the competition. The degree of self esteem of the entire staff is influenced largely by the human resource group. So the question remains; for mutual benefit, will it be the professional or casual dress code?

Introduction: Dress Code During the early 1900’s health care professionals especially nurses followed a strict dress code, everything must be white. They wear a dress, cap and a hose. These days, it depends more on the organization and there are varieties as well as leniency. It now falls to the Human Resource professional to ensure that both the health care employees and the patients are satisfied with the way their health workers are dressed. During the early 1900’s health care professionals especially nurses followed a strict dress code, everything must be white. They wear a dress, cap and a hose. These days, it depends more on the organization and there are varieties as well as leniency. It now falls to the Human Resource professional to ensure that both the health care employees and the patients are satisfied with the way their health workers are dressed.

Dress Code Evolution There is a radical change in the garb of the nurses for the past 100 years. Studies show that the manner in which nurses are dressed greatly affects both their work performance and their confidence in dealing with their patients. There is a link between the ways that nurses feel about themselves and the way they go about their tasks. This is the same principle that makes a person think that if they are well dressed, people around them look at them in a better light. Or that they appear more intelligent if they are wearing eyeglasses. Although this is not essentially true, the belief prevails. If you evaluate the pictures above, it clearly shows that the modern nurse is a much happier and contented one than their predecessor.

Human Resources Role A poll taken from human resource managers shows that implementing a more casual dress code increased employee morale leading to increased productivity. Human resource managers must make these dress code policies and fight to enforce them. A survey done with Human Resource managers indicated that employee morale and productivity are positively affected by a more casual dress code. The sense of strict power being wielded towards the health care professionals is lessened just by implementing a casual dress code. This has an effect of boosting the confidence of the employees. The struggle of the Human Resource managers lies on being able to implement these new dress code policies. The difficulty is in striking a balance between what will keep the employees content and still not compromise the patients’ happiness. The dress code should work not just for one part of the organization but for all and satisfaction is never a guarantee. Employees will always look for loopholes and something to gripe about no matter what dress code is implemented by the company. This is the tricky job of the HR managers and their staff, to get the majority of the employees to adhere to the dress code. Now, isn’t that a challenge?

Dress Code and Performance Can dress code influence an employee’s job performance? Can dress attire be used to make your status known? Dress code affects performance right? Absolutely! Would it indicate rank in an organization? Yes! In fact it is a common practice to determine the hierarchy by the way the employees are dressed. Therefore, it also affects the way the members of the organization think about themselves and their place in it. The status conscious companies make their employees wear a dress code based on their position. The higher the rank is, the more formal the attire. This practice has often made people use the dress code to their benefit. Nowadays, companies have started implementing a more casual dress code which in turn helps them drive customer satisfaction. For instance, there are companies that make employees wear the thing which work to an advantage since the employees feel more confident in dealing with customers. They feel as if everyone is equal and it goes a long way towards improving their performance.

NSMC Dress Code Policy Use of make-up and perfumes/colognes should be kept to a minimum Hygiene is very important so false fingernails are not allowed for those that have direct contact with patients. It is imperative that length of fingernails be apt for the position being handled. Cleanliness is of course expected. Hairstyles and hair colors should be in accordance with a professional work setting and not severely radical. This goes together with jeans and tops which means no torn or tattered jeans and midriffs are not allowed. Tattoos should not be visible if possible and jewelries and piercings should not be an impediment to the job. It is imperative to wear appropriate footwear with socks and stockings. All employees are required to wear identification badges with the name and picture clearly visible while on duty (state law). Only the department director or HR Director can approve wearing of pins or buttons. Departments have discretion to implement a more stringent or detailed dress policies depending on the needs of the department (HealthONE Policy & Procedure: Personal Appearance and Dress, 2004). (HealthONE Policy & Procedure: Personal Appearance and Dress, 2004) NSMC Dress Code Policy Use of make-up and perfumes/colognes should be kept to a minimum Hygiene is very important so false fingernails are not allowed for those that have direct contact with patients. It is imperative that length of fingernails be apt for the position being handled. Cleanliness is of course expected. Hairstyles and hair colors should be in accordance with a professional work setting and not severely radical. This goes together with jeans and tops which means no torn or tattered jeans and midriffs are not allowed. Tattoos should not be visible if possible and jewelries and piercings should not be an impediment to the job. It is imperative to wear appropriate footwear with socks and stockings. Health care professionals are expected to always portray themselves in a confident manner and the policies above take that into consideration. These are all rational and practical policies but employees are still having a hard time complying with it. This means the HR Managers have their work cut out for them.

Finding the Perfect Balance Human Resource professionals must keep employees and patients happy. Nurses do not want to feel as if their identity is being taken away. Patients often complain that they cannot separate doctors from nurses from secretaries. The need for HR professionals to implement a dress code stems from the fact that employees who should have the judgment to dress correctly are still missing out on it. Health care professionals have to deal with patients who expect a certain degree of decorum. These patients want to be able to determine who they are talking to; be it a nurse, a doctor or a secretary. That is why they prefer a dress code that will allow them to make that determination. However, health care professionals feel that a strict dress code does not give them control and personality. The right balance and combination must be found by the HR professionals and encourage the employees to strictly adhere to it.

Designated Uniform Colors Department-specific uniform colors HealthONE designated holidays Black, white, or gray undershirts ONLY Do designated uniform colors take away employee’s individuality? In an attempt to drive customer satisfaction and ensure patient safety, NSMC enforced a color coded uniform in January 2010. These are for both inpatient and outpatient care. The patients are given brochures with illustrations that show the uniform and colors of each patient care area. It shows the difference between each department like nursing assistants in galaxy blue, olive green for techs, and wine colored uniforms for laboratory staff. Patients are able to easily recognize their caregivers (HealthONE Policy & Procedure: Personal Appearance and Dress, 2009). There are special uniforms that are allowed only for specific and designated HealthONE holidays (New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day) (HealthONE Policy & Procedure: Personal Appearance and Dress, 2009). Employees are allowed to wear these seven days up to and including the actual holiday. There is also an option to wear shirts under the scrub tops such as black, white, or gray t-shirts, long or short-sleeved (HealthONE Policy & Procedure: Personal Appearance and Dress, 2011). There is still an argument that needs to be settled. Will the health care professionals’ right to individuality be taken away by these color coded uniforms? Does it play an essential part in preserving a professional work environment? (HealthONE Policy & Procedure: Personal Appearance and Dress, 2009)

Disciplinary Action Supervisor has the discretion to ask an employee to go home and change if it’s deemed that they are improperly attired. There will be no compensation in cases such as these for the time spent away from work. There will be a corresponding disciplinary action for the infractions. Now comes the really hard part, implementation. The supervisor is given the right to ask an employee to go home and change, wash or do any other action that is deemed necessary should the employee report for work but not comply with the dress code. There will be no compensation for this time away from work (HealthONE Policy & Procedure: Personal Appearance and Dress, 2011). The employee will be served a disciplinary action and it will be included in the annual performance evaluation. The severity of the disciplinary action will depend on the effect that the action has caused. Since being sent home and spending time away from work directly affects the company as well as the other nurses which has to cover up for the employee, it will be considered when the discussion for annual raise is due. It may result to a decrease of the percentage of increase in pay. (HealthONE Policy & Procedure: Personal Appearance and Dress, 2011)

Conclusion There is a drastic change in the dress code for nurses over the last decade. Performance and morale are greatly and positively impacted by the casual dress code. There should be a way for patients to determine who are the doctors, nurses or assistants. The concentration is to have a safe environment for the patients and this is the aim of a facility mandated dress code. Although the company is aware that a casual dress code will definitely have a positive effect on nurses’ performance and confidence, there are instances wherein good judgment of employees does not prevail. It is of course part of a company’s consideration to allow the nurses to make their choices in the color and style of uniforms to give leeway on employee satisfaction but they also have to take into account that the patients prefer to have a way to make a distinction between the doctors, nurses and assistants. The outcome is that the concentration as far as dress code goes will be towards presenting a more secure setting for the patients.

References   HealthONE Policy & Procedure. (2004, 2009, 2011). Personal appearance and dress. Retrieved from HealthONE Intranet P&Ps. Madwar, S. (2011). No scrubs. No shoes. No serving. CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal, 183(11), E703-E704. doi:10.1503/cmaj.109- 3883  Peluchette, J. V., & Karl, K. (2007). The impact of workplace attire on employee self-perceptions. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 18(3), 345-360.