Dear Tell All: I’m a manager in a Madison company that has no official dress code. Still, common sense and common courtesy suggest that employees shouldn’t wear flip-flops to work, right? Unfortunately, they do, including several people I supervise. I’m trying to figure out how to handle the situation.
Even without a dress code, our office is a fairly intense and competitive place. My unit doesn’t really interact with the public or external organizations, but our colleagues who do wear formal clothes. Since I started there last fall, I’ve tried to set the tone for my charges with business-casual attire (a tie with no jacket), and for the most part they followed my lead throughout the cold-weather months. When summer hit, however, out came the flip-flops for both men and women.
I find this inappropriate, not to mention gross. The office isn’t a beach, and I don’t want to look at people’s bare feet all day long. It’s distracting to see them wiggling their toes or kicking off their dirty thongs at a business meeting.
I want to put an end to it, but I’m worried about coming off as an uptight jerk. Can you suggest a course of action?
Laced-Up
Dear Laced-Up: You’re right to worry about coming off as an uptight jerk. That’s exactly what you sound like.
In the absence of a company dress code, you have no authority to make the outrageous demand that your employees change their shoes. You could always petition upper management for a new rule, but that might get you tarred and feathered, especially during a hot summer.
You asked for a suggestion, so here you go: lighten up. If your office is an intense and competitive place, it must be a relief to your employees that they can dress comfortably. This may be news to you, Laced-Up, but most people outside of Victorian England consider it a blessing to have no dress code.
You said nothing about the quality of your employees’ work, so I assume it’s up to snuff. You’re the one I worry about in that regard: Why are you spending all day staring at people’s toes rather than focusing on business? Flip-flops aren’t the problem here—it’s your unhealthy obsession with them.
Keep your eyes to yourself, loosen your tie, and for God’s sake, try to enjoy the rest of the Madison summer.
Do you have a question about life or love in Madison?
Write Tell All, 100 State St., Madison, WI 53703. Or email tell all@isthmus.com
