20-40-60 Etiquette-Proper Office Attire?

QUESTION: A woman in our office, who sits at the front desk and greets customers, wears very low cut blouses.  The customers are obviously distracted.  Shouldn’t the management say something to her about proper office attire?

CALLIE’S ANSWER: I can see this being very distracting. I would not say something directly to the girl if you feel uncomfortable doing so. Another option is to tell management that there needs to be another reminder about office attire.

Remember, she might have no idea how her clothes are distracting you or others. Then again, she might know exactly what she is doing. AWKWARD!

LILLIE-BETH’S ANSWER: Yes, it’s up to managers to set the guidelines for proper attire in the office. If they haven’t said anything to her already, then maybe they don’t see your coworkers’ low-cut blouses as a problem or haven’t paid attention.

If they are offending customers, you can privately tell the managers about your concerns — that you’ve noticed the revealing tops are disturbing some of the customers and let the higher-ups handle the situation. Keep your comments focused on the concerns for the customers’ well being and the reputation of the business itself, and don’t make personal statements about your coworker’s trashy taste in clothes or anything like that. If you are the only one offended by the revealing blouses, then you’ll have to decide whether it’s a battle worth fighting or simply a situation that you keep quiet in order to keep peace in the work place.