[STICKIED] Community Question Post #39 - GIVING MIMI A RUN 4 HER MONEY

[theidolhands]

Each week we post a new question for the members of the community to answer! As usual, if you have a question you'd like to see answered by the community, leave it in a comment on this post.

theidolhands asks: Can you recall a time that someone dressed truly unprofessionally or outlandish? What was done? What's the dress code at your place of work?

Comments

[velvetalchemist]

8 years ago our store moved to a larger location, and our smaller store went into liquidation. Most of the old staff were transferred to the new location to help set the place up and receive extra training for dealing with a larger store. This meant we had to hire on temp workers to man the small store. There was nothing different about the work. The temps were still expected to dress and behave professionally, to learn register/cutting counter and to promote our brand in a positive way. The majority of the temps gave no damns as they believed they were there to cash people out and that's it. One girl in particular was a challenge. I only worked with her for a day before I was transferred to the new store, and on that day she chose to eschew the dress code (white shirt with collar and sleeves, khakis, black or white athletic or dress shoes, company apron) and arrive in gray sweats and flip-flops. She also brought along two of her boyfriends who followed her around for the first part of her shift, AND after one of them brought her

[theidolhands]

We made it clear we expected professionalism and sent her home to change... no idea if she ever came back that day. It was almost comical, looking back on it. I didn't know if she was just that ballsy or just that full of herself...

And a warning, you got to issue those right away, then you have more grounds for dismissing them.

But yeah, I think it's more stupidity than ballsy, but I've always wondered the same thing. Plus it makes the people who do dress/act correctly feel stupid for bothering if the person isn't made an example of.

[kharmii]

LOL, all the time. The city carriers have a uniform, but the rurals can wear all their own clothes. We had an uptight supervisor a while back who made a rule that we had to wear shorts that were no more than six inches above the knee because a lot of people (including me) were wearing short shorts on the 90+ degree days. We all had the body for it, so who cares? Everyone used to bag on this sixty year old woman who wore short shorts, but she had the body for it too.

Personally, I think it's crazy our post office employs several people who wear long pants all year round, even on 90+ degree days. One lady always wears all black, which would be hell in summer. I read somewhere black attracts mosquitos and absorbs heat. Then there's the guy who wears track pants every day. One would think that would be more inappropriate than short shorts. The worst is the lady who keeps her hair short so everyone can see her elaborate neck tattoos.

[theidolhands]

They might have things they want to hide, bad veins or so forth. When I lived in Florida, fair skin was treated like a sin against God. I wore a lot of pants even when I exercised in that humidity -- avoided all the ridicule.

Mosquitos are attracted to heat (and carbon dioxide which we exhale), some people naturally have higher body temps than others or exhale more (especially if they're heavier), so there is prob truth to that about black attracting mosquitos since it would normally keep a person warmer.

Neck tats on people who aren't former gang members or prison inmates just screams POSER. I'll make a slight exception if you work in a very artistic field and are supporting yourself nonetheless (or just have great taste in tattoos and ran out of places to put them); it's a newer way to try to be edgy, like when I got multiple ear piercings in the 80's.

[kharmii]

I get along with that lady because one can have an intelligent conversation with her, and she seems to be raising some down to earth children. She does, however, come across poserish in ways, like the tats and how she often tells everyone how bisexual she is, how she finds the Kardashians hot, etc.

-Found out recently some tattoo artists are uncomfortable or will refuse to do hand or neck tats. Even they think they should be covered up if needed.

I have pale skin too, but that's all the more reason to wear tank tops and short shorts. If I'm going to be out in the sun all day, might as well get an even burn. Yeesh, I wouldn't want to be anywhere near Florida this time of year.

[theidolhands]

Good points and I've had ppl like that where you don't get certain aspects of them, but you still get along. That's cool!

[taeraresh]

We had to send a cashier home once. Hardware store, so lots of sharp and heavy stuff around, and she showed up wearing the shortest shorts imaginable, and not a lot else. She blew up at the manager when she was told to go home and change, too.

[theidolhands]

She blew up at the manager when she was told to go home and change, too.

Oh goody, TWO things to write her up for!

[mikadosok]

this is from several years ago, when I worked at a turkey manufacturing plant. I was in the first section where the newly dead turkeys came in and we basically vivisected them. Normally, we would wear jeans, boots (lots of standing water) a tshirt, over that we had smocks, aprons and whatever protective gear needed. (kevlar gloves, regular gloves, face protection, arm sleeves...whatever)
This one lady decided to wear a nice dress, she did have the boots, and off course, the smock and apron covered everything. Still...you're working around newly dead turkeys. They aren't impressed by nice clothing, jewelry, make up and perfume. She actually looked like she was going out on a nice date. She didn't last long.

[theidolhands]

I was waiting for that last sentence. Ha, ha, ha.

These are all excellent stories.

I recall so many assholes that needed to break the dress codes. I realize dress codes can be stupid and oppressive, but when you see the ridiculous liberties and total lack of common sense some people have...you become grateful they exist.

Ladies showing me their thongs all day gets tiresome. Men walking around looking like complete slobs because tucking or buttoning a shirt is more than they can bear. Just, so much dumb stuff.

I admit though, once when I worked in a place that had no dress code, myself and an African-American friend enjoyed doing this "twinsie" thing; plus it was a fashion store, so we could get pretty campy -- it livened up a boring job. But we didn't do anything that kept us from working hard or might blind our fellow workers.

[kitszoo]

I work in the IT section of the home office of a major retailer. As such, our dress code is suited for customer-facing retail ... which is something none of us do. So our dress code is rather stiff/formal for an IT shop.

Person 1: Every day wears slacks and a shirt and sneakers, usually stained and/or ripped. When asked by management to follow the dress code, she announces it's f*****n stupid and she ain't doing it.

Person 2: Wears 6" shoes and form fitting dresses suited for a night out clubbin.

Person 3: Showed up in a very nice blouse and appropriate shoes ... and a skirt that barely covered her "hoo-ha".

Yeah, our dress code sucks but ... really ...

[theidolhands]

Way too many people seem not to know the difference between night wear and day wear, like lady...why not add sequins and a fur to that costume?

Can't believe you have to look at that clown farm every day. Hey! Take a pic and blur out the faces some time.

Joking.

Kind of.

[kitszoo]

LOL Yeah. It's ... fun. To say the least. The one that shows up in rips, stains, and sneakers? Yeah, on my team. Why doesn't my manager do something about it? Oh, she flaked out and quit just before she was fired for gross incompetence.

And people wonder why I'd look elsewhere ...

Pictures might be difficult as we're in one of those everyone loves everybody open office bull****. So no way to discretely snap a pic ... or in my lingo, no place to hide in case of an office shooter.

[theidolhands]

Bluh.

Welp, alternatively you could snap one at a party with their full knowledge and use that (pretending it's only for them). :P