2DgjycO

Start the year with new a job at a company that cares, like Dow Jones bit.ly/2DgjycO We need gender neutral dress codes in the workplace. If you dont yet agree with that statement, look no farther than a 55-page presentation given to women executives at Ernst Young in a June 2018 training. pThe presentation, which made headlines last month when an offended participant a href=https//www.huffpost.com/entry/women-ernst-young-how-to-dress-act-around-men_n_5da721eee4b002e33e78606a target=_blankleaked it to the Huffington Post/a, reinforced gendered stereotypes of how women should dress and present themselves at work. Some highlights, which are actually lowlights in terms of equality in the workforce/pul class=ee-ul ee-ulliA list of appearance blunders for women to avoid, including no-nos like too-short skirts, plunging necklines, bottle blonde, flashy jewelry/liliOutfit and grooming suggestions to minimize distractions from your skills sic set like good haircut , manicured nails, and well-cut attire/liliAdvice on how to dress dont flaunt your body sexuality scrambles the mind/li/ulpThe women, there to invest in their professional development, were not learning how to be better leaders or combat sexist stereotypes at work, but instead were being lectured to about what to wear and how to groom themselves./ppWhile the presentation wasnt the official EampY dress code, it does highlight bias and assumptions made around gender that women have to manage. And this particular training focused only on the male-female binary. Employees who identify as transgender or nonbinary might feel even more burdened by dress code policies based on gender. /ppImagine how much more productive all employees, regardless of gender, could be, if they werent focused on avoiding dress code policing./ppTraditional gender-based dress codes can also discriminate on the basis of race. Many grooming guidelines for women, including rules on acceptable haircuts, are extra bu rdens for black employees, particularly those who want to wear their hair in natural styles. a href=https//daily.jstor.org/how-natural-black-hair-at-work-became-a-civil-rights-issue/ target=_blankIn 2010, Chastity Jones got a job offer/a to be a customer service representative from Catastrophe Management Solutionsbut the offer was contingent on her cutting off her locs. When she refused, the company took back the job offer, and when she sued, with the help of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, she schwefellost her case in 2013 and again in 2016, when her appeal was dismissed. /ppAnd beyond forcing women of color to maintain their hair in a way thats deemed acceptable, gender-based dress codes can also discriminate against people of certain religions. Employees whose faiths keep them from cutting their hair or necessitate that they wear certain clothing (including head coverings) shouldnt be forced to adapt their beliefs to what their employer deems professionally appropria te for a woman at work./ppThe possibility for gender-, race-, and faith-based discrimination posed by prescriptive employee dress codes has a href=https//www.hrc.org/resources/workplace-dress-codes-and-transgender-employees target=_blankled the Human Rights Campaign to recommend/a that if an employer has a dress code, it should modify it to avoid gender stereotypes and enforce it consistently. Requiring men to wear suits and women to wear skirts or dresses, while legal, is based on gender stereotypes. Alternatively, codes that require attire professionally appropriate to the office or unit in which an employee works are gender-neutral./ph3Okay, So Gender Neutral Dress Codes Sound Good. What Do They Look Like?/h3pIn their simplest (which, in my opinion, also means best) form, gender neutral dress codes at the workplace can take the form of General Motors dress policy. When now-CEO Mary Barra was VP of global menschengerecht resources for the automotive giant, a href=https//qz.com/wor k/1242801/gms-dress-code-is-only-two-words/ target=_blankshe replaced their 10-page dress code with two words/a Dress appropriately. /ppIn the article linked above, the author explains why Barras dress code works so well She avoided assumptions, instead choosing to trust her employees judgment, which in turn empowered all employees and was particularly impactful for women. /ppFor workplaces that need more specificity about what employees can wear, HR should follow in the footsteps of other institutions that have successfully adopted gender-neutral dress codes. Namely, high schools./ppAfter a wave of protests, social media outrage, and thoughtful advocating, a href=https//www.dispatch.com/news/20180919/more-schools-revamping-sexist-dress-codes target=_blankseveral schools have revamped their dress codes/a, which tended to put undue burden on female students. New guidelines apply to all students, regardless of their gender. Instead of specifying the length of skirts versus shorts or t he width of a cami strap versus a tank top, a href=https//www.usatoday.com/story/life/parenting/2019/07/15/gender-neutral-dress-code-gets-approval-roanoke-virginia-school-district/1734009001/ target=_blanka Virginia high schools new gender-neutral dress code/a simply defines what must be covered clothing must cover areas from one armpit across to the other armpit, down to approximately three to four inches in length to the upper thighs./ppstrongWhat does that look like at work?/strong /ppSpell out specific dress code rules by article of clothing, not by gender, use non-gendered pronouns, and make sure that any grooming guidelines could apply to anyone. Dont place burdens on anyone based on their gender, and try to empower employees to manage their own appearance in accordance with professional expectations./ppFor business casual workplaces, try this, a href=https//www.forbes.com/sites/forbeshumanresourcescouncil/2018/09/28/gender-based-dress-codes-human-resources-diversity-and-legal -impact/355d9f064f53 target=_blankadapted from Forbes/a Employees should dress in business casual attire, which could include casual slacks and skirts, collared shirts, blouses, or sweaters. Inappropriate attire includes sportswear, jeans, and unkempt clothing, among other options. Please exercise good judgment./ppFor business formal workplaces, you could use the following Traditional business attire, including dresses, suits, and pantsuits, is required for external meetings with clients or prospects. Employees should use discretion on other occasions and are expected to demonstrate good judgment. /ppAnd for casual workplaces, which are on the risea href=http//blog.indeed.com/2019/08/20/casual-dress-in-workplace/ target=_blankaccording to Indeed/a, 50% of companies allow employees to dress casually every day, as of 2019go with something simple, like this, a href=https//www.thebalancecareers.com/simple-sample-dress-codes-for-business-attire-1917931 target=_blankadapted from The Balan ce/a Dress comfortably for work, but please do not wear anything that could offend your coworkers or make them feel uncomfortable. That includes clothing with profanity, hate speech, or exclusionary language. Your clothing, while casual, should show common sense and professionalism./ppNo matter the level of formality your dress code needs to define, make sure youre thinking from the perspective of all employeescurrent as well as futureand creating an environment where they can thrive./pp----/ppstrongWant to share these tips with your company? /strongShow them this handy one-page guide on creating a gender neutral dress code/p p class=shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image img alt=Gender Neutral Dress Code Guide class=rm-shortcode data-rm-shortcode-id=UGVL4K1574631551 data-rm-shortcode-name=rebelmouse-image data-runner-src=https//assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjEwMDE3Ni9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZX hwaXJlc19hdCI6MTU3NDc2NjEyMX0.5akget5uOA_9aHMcPUxY1YM_Zn2w2Yhcj7m_HSCqg7I/img.jpg?width=980 id=a14b6 type=lazy-image/ /ppbr//p

The Best Advice I Ever Heard From a Career Coach

The Best Advice I Ever Heard From a Career Coach The Best Advice I Ever Heard From a Career Coach Im often asked for job search advice, and perhaps the No. 1 request I receive is, What kind of job should I look for?As a coach, most of the time, I answer this question and other client questions with a question of my own Why?Most of us have more than enough people in our lives offering their opinions, whether we want them to or not.My goal is not to be one of those people. Im of the belief that we already have many of the answers we seek. We simply ask others when we want confirmation secretly, of course.Thats not an absolute truth, but more times than not, this is the case.So back to the job search question. I proceed to ask the rolle totell me about the thing they would do for free. I want them to tell me what theyre really passionate about.Usually, thats not the answer they want, but it creates a necessary conversation that a job seeker might otherwise avoid. Its a conversatio n about values.What is your core belief? Whats the real reason you want a job in the first place? Is it the money?Nope.Is it the title?Nope.Although some would argue that point, the truth is muchdeeper than this. Lets take a college degree, for example. If you have one, why did you pursue it in the first place? Was it to get the degree?Nope. Not really.Was it for the discipline of completing the program? Absolutely not. (If so, we need to talk)No, you pursued that degree becauseof the things to which it would give you access.Hopefully, you see where Im going with this. Your core belief is the common denominator behindall of what you do.Uncovering Your Core BeliefsI met with a young man not long ago who was interested in pursuing a career in residential real estate. I asked him why he chose real estate. He said it was because of the money.I said I didnt believe him. I told him that wasnt the real reason. I asked if he was committed to real estate. His answer was, Yes. He said theres the possibility of making good money. I agreed, but didnt believe it was about the money.Within a few minutes, as I continued to ask probing questions, wegot to the real reason. This young manwanted to create a lifestyle for his family where he would be able to send his children to the best schools, offer his wife the option of choosing her own career, and take family vacations. He wanted freedom and flexibility. Thatswhat he was committed to providing for his family. Real estate was simply the vehicle.When I asked if it had to be real estate, he said it didnt have to be.Whats thePoint? First, you need to get clear on what youre truly committed to. More than likely, the job is merely the vehicle. Being gainfully employed is important, but a job ismuch more than that. Being intentional aboutthe bigger picture may give you the wherewithal to choose more powerfully.Are you choosing something that will simply pay the bills? If so, understand thats what your job is for just paying the b illsIs it for the opportunity to hone your skills,be challenged, and expand your knowledge? Then youre laying planks on the path to the values to whichyoure ultimately committed.Whats your (life) plan? Instead of looking at a job or occupation as a separate issue, you should incorporate your profession fully into your life.Whether you are an employee or own abusiness, most of your waking moments will bespent working. Why not spend that time doing something you enjoy?As has been said many times before, if you choose a job you love, and you will never work a day in your life.That sounds pretty good to me.Reginald Jackson is an executive and leadership coach and the founder ofJoyful Satisfaction Coaching.