Effective November 14, 2013

Business Casual Attire Expectations

It is the objective of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to establish business casual expectations which allow employees to work comfortably in the workplace on a daily basis. Yet employees still need to project a professional image for customers, clients, and visitors. Business casual dress is the standard for the agency and applies to all employees working in the Oliver Hill Building, Division of Consolidated Lab Building, Regional Laboratories/Office, Field Offices, and satellite offices where employees are performing routine office duties. These expectations do not apply to those employees who are issued a . A more formal business dress is required when attending meetings with General Assembly members, in the Governor's or Secretary's Office, with other agencies' leadership, and other professional organizations.

Because all casual is not suitable for the office, these guidelines will help employees determine what is appropriate to wear to work. Clothing that works well for the beach, yard work, dance clubs, exercise seSSions, and sports contests may not be appropriate for a professional appearance at work.

Clothing that reveals too much cleavage, back, chest, stomach or your under garments is not appropriate for a place of business, even in a business casual setting.

Even in a business casual work environment, clothing should be clean, pressed and never wrinkled. Torn, dirty, or frayed clothing is unacceptable. All seams must be finished. Any clothing that has words (except for a university, college or the agency logo on a polo or otherwise nice excluding t- or sweatshirts), terms, or pictures that may be offensive to other employees is unacceptable. Sports team names on clothing are generally unacceptable.

Guide to Business Casual Dressing for Work This is a general overview of appropriate business casual attire. Items that are not appropriate for the office are listed, too. Neither list is all-inclusive and both are open to change. The list indicates what is generally acceptable as business casual attire and what is generally not acceptable as business casual attire.

No dress related guidelines can cover all contingencies, so employees must exert a certain amount of judgment in their choice of clothing to wear to work. If uncertainty about acceptable, professional business casual attire for work exists, supervisors and Human Resources staff can offer guidance.

Jeans/Slacks/Pants Slacks that are similar to "Dockers" (khakis), wool pants, dressy capris, and other nice looking casual pants are acceptable. are acceptable as long as they are in good condition, not ripped or torn, and clean. Inappropriate pants include , exercise pants, Bermuda , pajama pants, shorts, , , jeggings, and any spandex or other form-fitting pants such as those worn for athletic wear.

Skirts, , and Skirted Casual dresses and , and skirts that are split at or below the knee are acceptable. Dress and length should be at a length at which you can sit comfortably in public. Short, tight skirts or dresses are inappropriate for work. Mini-skirts, , sun dresses, beach dresses, and spaghetti-strap dresses are

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inappropriate for the office. An otherwise bare-shouldered dress is acceptable only if worn with a cover­ up such as a , or another (which is not to be removed while in the office).

Shirts, Tops, , and Casual shirts, blouses and tops, dress shirts, , button-downs, oxfords, golf-type shirts, and turtlenecks, and the like, are acceptable attire for work. Most jackets or sport jackets are also acceptable attire for the office. Inappropriate attire for work includes tank tops; sweatshirts; midriff tops; shirts with potentially offensive words, terms, logos (except for university, college or agency logo), pictures, cartoons, or slogans; halter-tops; tops with bare shoulders; and t-shirts unless worn under another , shirt, jacket, or dress.

Shoes and Loafers, oxfords, clogs, , flats, dress heels, and deck-type (i.e. "top-siders") are acceptable for work as is comfort style shoes without being athletic in nature. Wearing no or is acceptable in warm weather if the style permits. , walking shoes or any other type of athletic shoe, work , , flip-flops, and are not acceptable in the office. Closed toe shoes may be required in certain situations where safety is a concern.

Jewelry, Makeup, Perfume, and Cologne These items should be in good taste, with limited visible body piercing. Remember, that some employees are allergic to the chemicals in perfumes and make-up, so wear these substances with restraint.

Hats and Head Covering Normally, are not appropriate in the office. Head covers that are required for religious purposes or to honor cultural tradition are allowed.

Additional Clarifying Points:

• All clothing should be clean, wrinkle free and not worn-out, torn, frayed, stained, dirty, faded, discolored, patched, ripped, or missing buttons.

• Clothes w ith offensive slogans or pictures, e.g. profanity and nude or semi-nude pictures, offensive gestures, suggestive cartoons are not acceptable.

• Camouflage and athletic apparel including, but not limited to, hunting clothes, spandex and Iycra garments such as biking shorts, warm-up or athletic pants, sweatpants, sweatshirts, jogging or track suits, or athletic apparel with t eam logos are never acceptable.

• Clothing must not create a distraction. All clothing, especially jeans, must be consistent with the expectations for a business casual environment and not attract undue attention or serve as a distraction to others. It must also be appropriate to type of work being performed and take into account the expectations of any customers served .

• Generally, em ployees meeting with clients should dress using the sa me standard as the client with whom they are meeting. For example, if khakis and a is standard wear at process ing plant or extension office, VDACS employees should not wear jeans.

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• Revealing or skin-tight shirts, pants, etc. are not acceptable, in addition to low cut tops or those that show a bare stomach or shoulders.

This list is not all-inclusive and if employees are unsure if a particular item of clothing is acceptable, then choosing something else or checking with a supervisor or the HRO is advisable. For special circumstances, it may be necessary to make exceptions to these criteria. These situations should have the approval of the Program Manager and Oivision Director. VDACS' goal is that our employees project a professional appearance. If employees have meetings where professional business attire is needed, then that is what they should wear instead of dressing in a more casual manner.

Failure to adhere to these expectations may result in a verbal warning up to formal disciplinary action including requiring the employee to leave the work site until they are dresse d in an appropriate manner.

Employees conducting field activities should dress for the job, but still follow the expectations listed above. For exam ple, work boots may be acceptable for field work. Field employees should also ensure their attire meets safety regulations.

Please understand that the Agency's business casual dress code is a privilege and as employees, we all need to use good judgment in exercising this privilege to avoid returning to a more formal environment. As always, feel free to call the HRO for additional guidance on this and other Agency policies and procedures.

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