HR - What's acceptable dress in the office during a heatwave?

I work for myself, so thankfully gone are the days when I've been told that I'd not dressed "appropriately". (I don't think they liked the fact that I wore flat shoes and didn't follow the crowd in wearing clippy cloppy high heels). In all honesty as long as somebody is dressed safely for the work they do (work boots, mop cap to cover hair etc) I'd much rather that they're feeling comfortable in the heat and able to focus on the job that they're doing. There are always going to be some people that look better in a strappy top than others, but it doesn't stop their ability to do their job - and probably, in the heat, actually helps.

Inclusivity, Diversity and Equality can be so much further reaching than just those outlined under employment law, the Equality Act and Protected Characteristics. Businesses that are truly committed to EDI need to think outside of the box when it comes to creating a truly inclusive culture. So where do we stand on the way our employees dress? Where do we draw the line between self-expression and individuality, and workplace appropriateness/suitability? Throw in a heatwave and you potentially have yourself a HR nightmare on your hands. Working from home being so much more commonplace, do we think expectations should change if you’re attending work in person or logging on via computer? And how would a colleague feel sweltering in a shirt in a hot office, while your other colleague is at home in their garden in a strappy top on the same meeting? A one size fits all approach will never work in this scenario, so where does that leave us when creating guidelines for our employees? The best approach will always be to determine why there could potentially be an issue raised. Is it because something is offensive? Is it because it makes someone else uncomfortable? Would you be giving the same feedback to someone of the opposite sex? Having guidance in place that includes words like “comfortable, sensible and appropriate” leaves room for interpretation by employees on how they wish to dress, as well as the opportunity to deal with those who may fall outside of these guidelines from time to time whenever is needed. Policing the masses with strict, and sometimes outdated, dress codes will generally only result in employees feeling belittled, stifled and ultimately disengaged with you as their employer. Guidance is key – allowing employees to feel empowered and encouraged to make their own decisions when it comes to how they dress for work will result in a more colourful, inclusive and relaxed environment for your employees.

A difficult line to tread, as some people can take offence at things that are complete non-events to others. While theoretically the dress code is an agreed element when signing an employment contract, it cannot cover for two more extreme weather events for which climate instability is responsible. Doing something as simple as ensuring air con works is all very well, but we know that this requires additional energy use, as does the use of personal fans - with the added complication of the likelihood of supporting further viral contamination, which is now something we understand so much better. The health of staff should be the ONLY consideration.