Employee Handbook

Section 3 — EMPLOYEE RELATIONS

As representatives of the City, employees are expected to maintain the highest standards of personal cleanliness and present a neat and professional appearance at all times. Employees are also expected to present themselves in attire that is appropriate to the nature of work they have planned for the day. Therefore, employees are expected to dress for work according to generally accepted casual business standards, if working in an office setting; generally accepted work clothes appropriate for their assigned position; or in uniform, if required for their position. Clothing should be neat and clean and fit appropriately. Clothing should not create a health/safety concern or contain language, logos, pictures, etc. of an offensive nature.

In most cases, employees can rely on their judgment in selecting attire. If an employee has any questions about the appropriateness of a particular piece of clothing, they should check with their supervisor. An inappropriately dressed employee may be subject to disciplinary action and/or sent home, on their own time, to change to appropriate attire.

If an employee needs a reasonable accommodation, they need to request this by informing their supervisor or a member of the Human Resources team. (See also Section 3.1, Americans with Disability Act (ADA)).

Acceptable Attire

1. Acceptable attire may include, but is not limited to, the following:  dresses, skirts, blouses, sweaters, dress pants, slacks, jeans, suits, polo shirts, golf shirts, dress shirts, neckties, jackets and blazers. Appropriate footwear must be worn at all times which may include, but is not limited to: dress shoes, loafers, dressy boots, flats and open toed shoes, high or mid-heeled shoes or sandals, clean athletic footwear/tennis shoes, mules or open back shoes.

2. Acceptable work attire for employees performing manual labor, field work, etc. shall be designated by the department director and may include City issued work pants, shirts, jackets, and/or an appropriate combination of personal and City issued clothing appropriate for each employee’s assigned position. Appropriate footwear must be worn at all times.  (See also Section 8.3, Personal Protective Equipment for additional information.)

3. Employees required to wear uniforms for their assigned positions, may only wear uniforms approved by their department director.

4. Department directors may determine that there are times when staff need to wear more formal attire if they are representing the City/department.

Unacceptable Attire

1. Unacceptable attire may include, but is not limited to, the following:  ripped, frayed, worn out jeans, sweat pants, shorts, sweat shirts, spandex clothing, exercise wear, crop tops, undergarments worn as outer garments, and worn out or soiled clothing. Inappropriate footwear may include, but is not limited to: flip flops, slides, or beach shoes.

2. Unacceptable uniforms and work attire for employees performing manual labor, field work, etc. may include, but is not limited to, the following:  uniforms or work clothing not approved by the City, uniforms which do not fit properly, and uniforms and work clothes which are worn out or soiled.