“No jeans, T-shirts & slippers in office” ; Government issues order over ‘dress code’ !!!

The Government has levied a prohibition on wearing T-shirts and jeans by the employees in the state secretariat and government offices in Maharashtra. The state government has administered an order on Friday, asking its employees and contractual staff to arrive at offices wearing proper formal clothes.

The Maharashtra Government order read, “Maharashtra Government asks State Government employees and contractual staff to not wear jeans or t-shirt in the Secretariat and Government offices; instructs them to wear appropriate formal clothes, to appear professional.”All government employees must wear khadi clothes at least on Fridays to facilitate the usage of handspun, a circular issued on 8 December stated.

“It has been observed that several officials/staff (mainly contractual staff and advisers engaged for government work) do not wear attire suitable for government employees. Hence, the image of government staff gets sullied among people,” it added.

• The circular also stated that people desire “good behavior and personality” from all government officials and employees.
• If the dress of officials and employees is inappropriate and messy, it also has an indirect effect on their work,” the circular added.
• Women employees can wear sarees, salwar or churidar kurtas, trouser pants, and shirts along with dupattas if necessary, the order stated.
• Men can wear shirts and “pants or trouser pants”.
• Clothes with deep colors and weird embroidery patterns or pictures should not be worn. Similarly, employees and staff should not wear jeans and t-shirts in offices,” the circular said.
• Also, women employees should wear chappals, sandals or shoes and men employees should wear shoes or sandals, it said.

Dress codes in other states:

• The Bihar Government had administered a dress code for all its employees, evidently to ensure discipline and office etiquette. “Officials and employees are found coming in casuals which is against the office culture and office decorum,” the said.
• The Tamil Nadu Government had also told its employees to avoid informal clothes and wear dresses that mirror Indian and Tamil culture. “Women will have to wear sari/salwar kameez/churidar with dupatta while they are on government duty, men will have wear shirts with formal pants/veshti (dhoti) or any other Indian traditional dress,” the state govt said.
• The Rajasthan labor department, had in June 2018, prohibited its employees from wearing jeans and T-shirts.
• In 2013, the Karnataka Government had also oriented a dress code for its employees. While female employees were banned from attending office work by wearing skirts, T-shirts, and pants, Male employees were told to not wear T-shirts.
• The Himachal Pradesh Government had in August 2017, administered an order specifying a dress code for all its employees to assure that they are appropriately dressed in formal, descent, and straight clothes, specifically during court appearances and also while attending office.