‘Office dress code: How much liberty should be given?’

Editor,PLEASE ALLOW me to comment on the article, “Office dress code: How much liberty should be given?” which was published in yesterday’s issue of The New Times.Gone are the days when people had to follow dress codes which were at times primitive. I think all that matters is that one is decent and comfortable at the workplace without making others uncomfortable. No research has proven that suits and neckties, or any other dress code, increases one’s productivity. Instead, in most instances, it has only been known to cause some to be uncomfortable and be in a rush to leave work. One point that the writer probably left out is hairstyles and piercings. The youth are being more experimental and are trying out different styles only to be victimised by their employers. I personally don’t see anything wrong with a man showing up to work in decent dreadlocks or long hair – as long as it is well maintained. It is time we open up and let people express themselves through their attires and not lock their creativity by shoving dress codes and styles down their throats. As highlighted somewhere in the article, some of the most successful people have defied what was expected of them in terms of dress code – they had other bigger things to deal with than worrying if their coat matches their ties and shirt. Remember Steve Jobs of Apple? He always wore the same turtlenecks and faded blue jeans, but that didn’t stop him from being the CEO of the most valuable tech company in the world.Well I know that some employees have been known to abuse the freedom they are accorded by wearing clothes that are on the extreme. Some go to work in clothes that can be considered provocative and distractive and others by just being shabby.I think it is only through responsibility of employees that that can be tamed; people need to know that freedom comes with responsibility. If you cannot be responsible with the freedom you have been given, that is what may cause your employers to slap you with conditions like dress codes.Society also needs to redefine what can be considered as decent and presentable. It is unfair that some brilliant minds are dismissed as jokers for being casual. Yussuf Kamanzi, Nairobi

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‘Office dress code: How much liberty should be given?’