HR 300 - Attire and Grooming

Policy

CWI strives to maintain a workplace environment that functions well and is free from unnecessary distractions.  As part of that effort, the College requires employees to maintain a neat and clean appearance that is appropriate for the workplace setting and for the work being performed. To that end, managers may determine and enforce guidelines for workplace-appropriate attire and grooming for their areas.  As representatives of CWI, employees are encouraged to utilize this policy as a guideline and to always use their best judgement according to environmental circumstances.

Certain employees may be required to meet special dress, grooming and hygiene standards, such as wearing uniforms or protective clothing, depending on the nature of their job. Uniforms and protective clothing may be required for certain positions and may be provided to employees by CWI.

At the discretion of the department manager, in special circumstances, such as during unusually hot or cold weather, or on special occasions, employees may be permitted to dress in a more casual fashion than is normally required. On these occasions, staff members are still expected to present a neat appearance and are not permitted to wear ripped, frayed or disheveled clothing or athletic wear. Likewise, tight, revealing or otherwise workplace-inappropriate dress is not permitted.

Typically employees are able to wear relaxed attire while at work unless otherwise required by their manager.  The following list is a guideline of appropriate and inappropriate attire under CWI’s relaxed attire standards.  These are examples only. Managers may determine if an employee is dressed inappropriately for the workplace within this policy.

• Appropriate Relaxed Attire Examples
  • T-shirts (no graphics)
  • Polo shirts
  • Khakis
  • Denim jeans
  • Capri pants
  • Logo wear
  • Dresses or skirts
  • Sandals
  • Casual shoes including clean athletic shoes

• Inappropriate Relaxed Attire Examples
  • Flip-flops (beachwear)
  • Spaghetti straps, muscle shirts, halter tops
  • Leggings
  • Tight, see-through, backless, low cut tops or otherwise inappropriate clothing
  • Athletic wear including sweat pants, or yoga pants
  • Clothing that is ripped, frayed, stained or messy

Some situations may require business casual attire based on the situation.  Factors which may be considered in determining whether business casual attire is required include, but are not limited to the location and nature of the activity in which the employee is participating, the nature of the employee’s job and whether the employee’s interaction with the public dictates the use of more formal attire.  For specific expectations regarding when to dress in a business casual manner employees should speak with their manager. 

The following list is a guideline of appropriate and inappropriate attire under CWI’s business casual attire standards.  These are examples only.  Managers may determine if an employee is dressed inappropriately for the workplace within the policy.

• Appropriate Business Casual Attire Examples
  • Dress shirts
  • Blouses
  • Polo shirts
  • CWI logo wear
  • Casual slacks and trousers (must be clean and free of rips, tears and fraying; may not be excessively tight or revealing)
  • Skirts or Dresses
• Inappropriate Business Casual Attire Examples
  • T-shirts or shirts with inappropriate slogans or logos.  T-shirts may be approved for specific events only. 
  • Logo clothing (sports teams, cartoon characters, etc.) other than CWI logo wear
  • Spaghetti straps, muscle shirts, halter tops
  • Leggings
  • Tight, see-through, backless, low cut tops or otherwise inappropriate clothing
  • Athletic wear including sweat pants, or yoga pants
  • Denim jeans
  • Clothing that is ripped, frayed, stained or messy

CWI may limit natural or artificial scents that are or could be distracting or annoying to others. 

Violations of this policy can range from inappropriate clothing items to offensive perfumes and body odor.  

If an employee’s poor hygiene or use of too much perfume/cologne is an issue, the manager should discuss the problem with the employees in private and should point out the specific areas to be corrected. If the problem persists, managers should follow CWI’s normal corrective action process.

If a manager determines that an employee’s dress or appearance is not appropriate as provided in this policy, he or she may take corrective action and require the employee to leave the work area and make the necessary changes to comply with the policy. Employees who are directed to do so will be required to use vacation time or unpaid time off for such a purpose.