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How does a man in a professional (yet relatively small) office environment handle this?

 

The quick and dirty...

 

1) I am NOT the office manager. I have spoken with the office manager. She doesn't see much of an issue. She's far too casual for my taste.

 

2) Woman A is 20 years old, extremely smart and extremely attractive. She wears tights (no skirt) in a professional environment and I don't feel it's appropriate. She does have a great body and on some level I don't mind, but objectively speaking it's just not appropriate.

 

3) Woman B is 45ish and wears torn jeans and blouses that show off her many tattoos. I am not anti-tattoo at all, but some of our clients are conservative, and really it's more an issue of her torn jeans. They don't give a professional vibe at all. I mention her age because I think she should know better.

 

4) I am one of only two men in the office. I wear a suit or else I wear business casual. The other women wear business casual attire.

 

All this being said, no clients have actually complained (to my knowledge) and the office manager said no one else had complained to her.

 

Should I let this drop?

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Unless there's a dress code published in the employee manual, dress as you see fit and move on. How distracting women are via their dress is entirely within the purview and control of those being distracted. Distraction is a choice.

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Michelle ma Belle
Unless there's a dress code published in the employee manual, dress as you see fit and move on. How distracting women are via their dress is entirely within the purview and control of those being distracted. Distraction is a choice.

 

I second this.

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Unless there's a dress code published in the employee manual, dress as you see fit and move on. How distracting women are via their dress is entirely within the purview and control of those being distracted. Distraction is a choice.

 

 

I'd love to see the reaction if workplace sexual harassment was handled in the same manner. Isn't "discomfort" in the eye of the beholder...? :confused:

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Well, this isn't workplace sexual harassment so the argument is invalid. If not prohibited in their employment agreement, the OP can wear any clothes he chooses to work and other people can be as distracted as they choose to be. If they choose to attempt to exert social or political pressure and damage him as a result, that's actionable, as is the reverse. In our industry, women wear distracting clothes all the time and the parade of men through the office is legendary. Life goes on.

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There is a huge difference between "I don't like your sexual innuendos" and "I don't like that blouse you're wearing." It's amazing that some feign not understanding the difference, even when laws are pretty clear about it.

 

 

OP, you've done what you can do...you've mentioned something you see as an issue to a supervisor (and the person in charge of enforcing office/workplace policy) and they've deemed it not worthy of focus/correction.

 

Reads like - if it bothers you that much - you should be finding another place of employ.

 

Best of luck to you...

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How does a man in a professional (yet relatively small) office environment handle this?

 

Treat them professionally.

 

The tights are likely leggings. Young women wear them as pants. No, it's not career wear, but if her job doesn't require career wear then what's the problem?

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The owners decide what image and environment they want. I’ve gone into beautiful expensive offices where the professionals and staff dress like surfers or cocktail hostesses and to simple or low-rent offices where the people dress in business clothes. The atmosphere in an office influences the types of clients you attract and retain. I see it as part of PR and image. Some don’t.

 

I moved from a place where people dressed in business clothes daily and easily to a place where Key West attire seems the norm. I spend a lot of time off-balance now. :laugh:

 

If you aren’t comfortable with the owners' decision on this, I guess the solution is to find or create a business that fits your sensibilities and the image and atmosphere you want to be associated with.

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There is a huge difference between "I don't like your sexual innuendos" and "I don't like that blouse you're wearing." It's amazing that some feign not understanding the difference, even when laws are pretty clear about it.

 

 

OP, you've done what you can do...you've mentioned something you see as an issue to a supervisor (and the person in charge of enforcing office/workplace policy) and they've deemed it not worthy of focus/correction.

 

Reads like - if it bothers you that much - you should be finding another place of employ.

 

Best of luck to you...

 

 

Well actually I'm above the office manager. I bring all the money in and the owner would fire every last person here and bring in a fleet of robots before firing me.

 

Anyways, I brought it up to her and expected her to resolve it and she didn't. Technically I can go over her head and tell them to dress professionally. I just don't know if it's the hill I want to die on.

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Wear a series of shirts with pictures of scantily clad women on them.

 

There will be a dress code by the end of the week, even if you land a satellite on a comet.

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Treat them professionally.

 

The tights are likely leggings. Young women wear them as pants. No, it's not career wear, but if her job doesn't require career wear then what's the problem?

 

 

I do treat them professionally. And I actually like them both very much. I am basically "second in command" after the owner, who is rarely here.

 

I've thought about updating the employee manual, which is pretty basic and needs to be updated to address the growth the company has experienced.

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Wear a series of shirts with pictures of scantily clad women on them.

 

There will be a dress code by the end of the week, even if you land a satellite on a comet.

 

 

Haha! I do have a few offensive t-shirts in my closet....Femaie Body Inspector (FBI)

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GunslingerRoland

Women can get away with dressing much less professionally than men. It's not really fair.

 

But then again, I'm a heterosexual man, and I like scantily clad women, so to call the issue a first world problem would be an overstatement.

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it all depends on how serious HR is about reinforcing the work code. It's not you job to tell people what to wear. Unless you bring your clients to the office and unless those 2 ladies have to come meet your clients to close those businesses, I don't see why you would care about what they wear.

 

If those women do their job properly, maybe the tights and the tight skirts are the key ingredient.

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it all depends on how serious HR is about reinforcing the work code. It's not you job to tell people what to wear. Unless you bring your clients to the office and unless those 2 ladies have to come meet your clients to close those businesses, I don't see why you would care about what they wear.

 

If those women do their job properly, maybe the tights and the tight skirts are the key ingredient.

 

That's the point. I do bring clients in here. These two women interact with my clients. And they both work under me. I brought in the office manager because I thought it was her job to address it. She didn't think it was a big deal. I still disagree, but I'm not losing sleep over it. It's just very unprofessional for me to be in suit and tie explaining something to a client and then the 20-year-old comes over and brings me a document and she's wearing tights and tennis shoes. I'm surprised more people don't see the issue.

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Well actually I'm above the office manager. I bring all the money in and the owner would fire every last person here and bring in a fleet of robots before firing me.

 

Anyways, I brought it up to her and expected her to resolve it and she didn't. Technically I can go over her head and tell them to dress professionally. I just don't know if it's the hill I want to die on.

 

 

Well, then, I'm confused. If you're above the Office Manager (who's 'too casual for your personal tastes') and you've brought a legitimate issue to her attention and she failed to handle it appropriately, then you either have to reprimand her or fire her for not doing her job.

 

This, of course, assumes there is a written policy on workplace attire.

 

If there's not, then you - as being above the Office Manager - either need to implement a Proper Workplace Attire Code or place the Office Manager in charge of creating/implementing it.

 

 

IF you feel it's a 'hill worth dying over'. Personally, I hire people based on their abilities to be productive and to effectively handle customers...the same customers who keep coming back without a word of complaint about how some people are dressed.

 

 

 

Good luck with your decision, OP...

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Ohhh trashy young women wear leggings as pants. Just can't imagine someone in their right mind to show up at work with leggings and short top :D Leggings/tights pair with tunic at very least... and are still not the best office attire.

 

 

 

 

Treat them professionally.

 

The tights are likely leggings. Young women wear them as pants. No, it's not career wear, but if her job doesn't require career wear then what's the problem?

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well, if the girl comes and brings you a paper, she can get away with it, she's your "delivery boy".

 

If those women are in your team, however, at the negotiation table and talking business with your clients - as opposed to bringing in coffee - to a meeting that you are running, you could tell them - "hey July, we have a client meeting tomorrow, would you terribly mind wearing business attire, as they are old school? thanks a lot!"

 

you're not their boss and it's not within your responsibility or job description to tell them what to wear. So actually, you'd have to be all nice and polite and ask them the above as a favor. You can't "make" them change clothes, as you are not HR or the business owner. And even if that means less business - maybe allowing employees to express themselves through close is important to the company - securing a decent inclusive place can sometimes be more important that more cash... yeah, that is possible.

 

Anyway, my suggestion would be to play nice or drop it...

 

OP, you seem to display some slight control tendencies that you may want to keep your eye on. This is not about risking to be fired, this is about being a decent human being and a bearable work colleague.

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What you described is unprofessional at best for a corporate setting? Can you tell more about the type of work setting that you're at? Omg 45 yo with torn jeans...

 

Unless there is a dress code though reinforced, I don't think you can do anything. Just brush it off as one of these things that people do...

 

Remark to what you've wrote: "extremely attractive" is a weird way to describe a professional woman. The very last think that I'd personally do, thinking about male/female coworkers, is to rank their attractiveness. Professional looks though: yes.

 

How does a man in a professional (yet relatively small) office environment handle this?

 

The quick and dirty...

 

1) I am NOT the office manager. I have spoken with the office manager. She doesn't see much of an issue. She's far too casual for my taste.

 

2) Woman A is 20 years old, extremely smart and extremely attractive. She wears tights (no skirt) in a professional environment and I don't feel it's appropriate. She does have a great body and on some level I don't mind, but objectively speaking it's just not appropriate.

 

3) Woman B is 45ish and wears torn jeans and blouses that show off her many tattoos. I am not anti-tattoo at all, but some of our clients are conservative, and really it's more an issue of her torn jeans. They don't give a professional vibe at all. I mention her age because I think she should know better.

 

4) I am one of only two men in the office. I wear a suit or else I wear business casual. The other women wear business casual attire.

 

All this being said, no clients have actually complained (to my knowledge) and the office manager said no one else had complained to her.

 

Should I let this drop?

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I do treat them professionally. And I actually like them both very much. I am basically "second in command" after the owner, who is rarely here.

 

I've thought about updating the employee manual, which is pretty basic and needs to be updated to address the growth the company has experienced.

 

If it's your call, I would recommend focusing on "professional" dress, and leave out any mention of "distracting" outfits. It's about looking professional, not how her body looks in the clothes.

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What industry is this OP?

 

I agree with others, you need a manual with a dress code. I have never worked in a office where jeans were acceptable, let alone ones with holes.

 

Business casual usually means no jeans, no T shirts, no exposed shoulders, no short skirts etc etc. Tights don't make the cut either.

 

Once clear guidelines are in place - it will be easier to enforce the rules.

 

And its not just about "being distracting", proper dress shows attention to detail, it reflects a professional attitude - it shows your clients that you mean business... and aren't just hangin' with your friends.

 

While I prefer to dress casual (hey its comfy!) I enjoy the respect that dressing professionally commands.

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Please. You are a small office that consists of only a few employees. There is no HR, no real handbook and this is some hole in the wall shop. And you are ego tripping. :laugh:

 

If you are distracted, control your eyes. If you want to raise the professionalism in the office, then suggest that they hire an HR professional.

 

If you really felt you had as much power as you seem to tout here you would have already said something to the owner about "taking on" this issue.

 

Please. Leggings. :rolleyes::laugh:

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If they report to you then just establish your expectations with them.

 

Unless of course, they don't report to you?

 

Then deal with it with the person they DO report to.

 

I work as a consultant and I have seen every dress code around. Plenty where ripped jeans would be considered en pointe!

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Ohhh trashy young women wear leggings as pants. Just can't imagine someone in their right mind to show up at work with leggings and short top :D Leggings/tights pair with tunic at very least... and are still not the best office attire.

 

When I drop my child off at elementary school, I see young teachers walking in wearing leggings as pants every day. Society has accepted leggings as pants. No, it's not professional attire, but not all jobs require professional attire.

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