Dress Code

The_Valeyard

Hey all,

Just came up in conversation yesterday evening. One school had voted in a dress code for members of staff. Some of the staff are up in arms over this as there current attire is now deemed unacceptable. How can the school actually enforce this upon staff members and is it even legal or common practice? Found the whole thing bizarre.

seavill

Maybe I'm wrong but can't see how it would be illegal.
How many jobs are there out there with dress codes or uniforms.
From Gardai to tesco. What's the difference

mariaalice

I know a young Irish science teacher, teaching in the UK he is a bearded jeans and converses wearer, in the school he is required to wear proper shoes and a shirt and tie , when I went to school the teachers wore the bat cloak and were very formally dressed. Expecting a teacher to be professionally attired is reasonable.

The_Valeyard

Say person A wears outfit or style for years, it's suddenly not allowed?

I'm still waiting to hear back from him about it later today.

Seems also more focused against male teachers, Jeans, denim not allowed but female staff can wear the white jeans?

Like unsaid, find it bizarre. Wasn't there a case recently where a woman won the right not to wear high heels to work

Squall Leonhart

The_Valeyard wrote: »

Hey all,

Just came up in conversation yesterday evening. One school had voted in a dress code for members of staff. Some of the staff are up in arms over this as there current attire is now deemed unacceptable. How can the school actually enforce this upon staff members and is it even legal or common practice? Found the whole thing bizarre.

Teachers, up in arms? Get outta here! If their current attire is deemed unacceptable, then they'll just need to wear different clothing. I work in an office, and I have a dress code imposed on me which I abide by. I don't like it, but it's what the job requires.

What changes were made that made what current staff had been wearing unacceptable?

Musketeer4

In ideal world we wouldn't need defined dress codes for professional jobs and people would have the cop on to dress appropriately, eg reasonably smart-casual for teaching. But as with everything else, its the piss takers who end up being the reason these things are brought in, feckers with flip flops and big manky jesus beards.

For instance where I work theres a couple of fellas around the office wearing sandals day in day out. Ffs, I don't want to be staring straight into your big scummy toenails every time I go to pass you on the stairs.

Squall Leonhart

Musketeer4 wrote: »

In ideal world we wouldn't need defined dress codes for professional jobs and people would have the cop on to dress appropriately, eg reasonably smart-casual for teaching. But as with everything else, its the piss takers who end up being the reason these things are brought in, feckers with flip flops and big manky jesus beards.

For instance where I work theres a couple of fellas around the office wearing sandals day in day out. Ffs, I don't want to be staring straight into your big scummy toenails every time I go to pass you on the stairs.

+1 to this. Reasonable people will assess their work environment and wear appropriate clothing. I can't believe this isn't obvious to some people.

I don't necessarily agree with the beard part, if a beard is grown then that's fine, just keep it washed and groomed. Beards can be worn very smartly.

aunt aggie

Hey OP what items of clothes were deemed unacceptable??

When I worked in the UK, teachers couldn't wear flip flops, jeans and had to cover any tattoos. That's just what I remember, there were probably a few other rules.

bobbysands81

Squall Leonhart wrote: »

Teachers, up in arms? Get outta here! If their current attire is deemed unacceptable, then they'll just need to wear different clothing. I work in an office, and I have a dress code imposed on me which I abide by. I don't like it, but it's what the job requires.

What changes were made that made what current staff had been wearing unacceptable?

Just cos it happens to you doesn't mean it has to happen to everyone else.

I'd prefer my kids to be taught by people who wear what they want and who feel good about themselves. Education should teach freedom of thought not conformity and subservience changing a rule for no valid reason.

If someone is dressing inappropriately then why can't management deal with this issue rather than punishing all teachers?

Also the sexism that might be prevalent here bothers me as a parent... the male teachers should start wearing white jeans and see what happens.

afkasurfjunkie

White jeans are allowed? On women but not men? It's the least flattering Jean out there. Looks awful on about 95% of the population.

evolving_doors

If you want to be seen as a ' professional' then what does ' professional ' look like.
Sneakers / hoodie / ripped jeans.. ? Would it be ok if you went to solicitor / doctor / dentist with casual weekend clothing?

I remember a young teacher going into class with a pink hoodie with the playboy bunny logo! I tried explaining what playboy bunnies were but it just didn't register.!!!

Smart casual all the way. Be hip/cool/relaxed in your own time. Dress the part.

The_Valeyard

Seems wearing Jeans with shirts and ties are the issue (perfectly fine up until now)

Squall Leonhart

The_Valeyard wrote:

Seems wearing Jeans with shirts and ties are the issue (perfectly fine up until now)

Jeans and shirt... yup, that works, pants and shirt and tie, yup. Jeans with a shirt and tie???

TheDriver

Professional setting so you dress accordingly. We expect kids to dress to certain expectations so why not teachers?
Nowadays, once it is expensive then its acceptable to teachers from what I can see-Tommy jeans are ok, Dunne's jeans are not??

The_Valeyard

Jeans on men are a no-no, even if they are wearing shirts, shoes, ties, etc.

Its the jeans from what he told me today. Think he is debating getting the union involved which could be an over reaction.

Mikefitzs

Jeans are for branding cattle not kids :-) No, not for teaching. I'm all for wear what you want, but when dressed smart you command a certain level of respect as the one in charge. Pants or chinos with shirt with a jumper in the winter(tie is personal choice).

TheDriver

The union won't want to get involved in crusades or someone making a point on 50/50 issue

spurious

Really couldn't care less what colleagues wore as long as I wasn't seeing too much of anyone's various bits and bobs and whatever they had on was not a danger/offensive to anyone.

gaiscioch

It has invariably been with great reluctance that I've worn a tie. At weddings and interviews I've removed them asap. I had thought they are clumsy relics of the 19th-century - especially at meal times or doing anything practical - but it seems the neck ties of today are actually longer than ties were before WW 2 (because trousers were worn higher up then).

In an old school of mine the older teachers were wearing black gowns until the 1970s and it was a major issue when then younger female staff insisted upon wearing trousers around the same time, an issue those teachers never failed to tell us about when recounting the management versus staff wars over the decades. Should we return to those days out of a misguided conception of what's "professional"?

Personally, and I'm not imposing this on anybody, I like the smart casual look. A nice jacket, shirt, slacks and comfortable shoes. University teaching staff generally carry it off well without it being deemed "unprofessional" never mind being told they should wear lounge suits "because people in offices wear them". That is sufficiently respectable and professional to all concerned in teaching. For me, the greater freedom in things sartorial has always been a huge part of the attraction of teaching, a symbol of independence. These types trying to impose their fashion preferences on everybody else should be given short shrift and any attempt to force this in school staff rooms will fail spectacularly. (an attempt by our principal to specify a tie as part of staff dress code was quickly dropped after the most heated exchange in memory and "professional attire" was instead chosen as the wording. The vast majority of male staff here, particularly the established teachers, do not wear a tie.)

maynooth_rules

The_Valeyard wrote: »

Jeans on men are a no-no, even if they are wearing shirts, shoes, ties, etc.

Its the jeans from what he told me today. Think he is debating getting the union involved which could be an over reaction.

I'm intrigued as to why you said jeans on a men are a no no? Do you think they are acceptable on female staff?

I only ever wear jeans on probably the last day before Xmas and summer. I do treat those two days as dress down days.

MrJones1973

In our school influx of younger staff has lead to deterioration in standards. Jeans,hoodies,runners ,plaid shirts ,tee shirts etc. I would love a code because I have found my own dress code going downhill a bit
I think the dress code is ultimately up to the BOM. I think staff voting on what other staff wear is wrong . It has to be said that there are more important aspects to a teacher than what he or she wears. [B]You might be very well dressed but be a crap teacher or dress like a dodgy dvd salesman and be excellent.

judeboy101

A dress code is fine if enforced. I've yet to see a school or institution that didn't bend it for the sake of some medical reason or multiculturalism. I would tell any male teacher forced to adhere to a dress code to challenge it by Turing up in a conservative female dress for work a claim to be gender fluid see how the BOM likes them apples ��

The_Valeyard

maynooth_rules wrote: »

I'm intrigued as to why you said jeans on a men are a no no? Do you think they are acceptable on female staff?

I only ever wear jeans on probably the last day before Xmas and summer. I do treat those two days as dress down days.

I've no idea why tbh. I've no problem with jeans on anyone teaching.

evolving_doors

The_Valeyard wrote: »

I've no idea why tbh. I've no problem with jeans on anyone teaching.

Out of interest, would you mind if you had a consultation with a surgeon before an operation and they showed up with a hoodie and jeans?

The_Valeyard

Gebgbegb wrote: »

Out of interest, would you mind if you had a consultation with a surgeon before an operation and they showed up with a hoodie and jeans?

Once they were qualified and competent I wouldn't see an issue.

Corkgirl18

I've worked in a school before where jeans were banned for both sexes teaching.
While I don't think wearing jeans affect your ability to teach and don't think they should be banned, I think we've bigger problems in the education system to spend too much time dwelling on it.

evolving_doors

The_Valeyard wrote: »

Once they were qualified and competent I wouldn't see an issue.

Ya that's fine, we all have our line I suppose.
How about the consultant showed up with dreds, face tatood and pierced? Still wouldn't put you off?

seamus

Horses for courses I guess. If someone was teaching 5th or 6th years covered in tattoos with swear words and piercings as well as a tshirt with a naked woman on it, I wouldn't really care.

But if he went next door to teach the first years wearing the same thing, then you've got a problem.

Jeans are always a weird one. I see no issue with anyone wearing jeans in any environment, but many people from older generations consider them to be ultra-casual. I'd be more focussed on what someone wears on the upper body when it comes to assessing how casually they're dressed.

2RockMountain

The_Valeyard wrote: »

Think he is debating getting the union involved which could be an over reaction.

How did something manage to get 'voted' by the school WITHOUT the union being involved? Union reps should be all over this.

Teyla Emmagan

I can't even imagine the state they're in at the the moment if this was deemed necessary.

evolving_doors

2RockMountain wrote: »

How did something manage to get 'voted' by the school WITHOUT the union being involved? Union reps should be all over this.

I'd say the union wouldn't touch it unless a good number of teachers objected... and even at that there would probably have to be a disciplinary case instigated to kick things off.