
Japanese firms ‘ban glasses’ on female staff
These supposedly include retailers reportedly saying that glasses-wearing female shop assistants gave a ‘cold impression’ to customers while those who work in the beauty sector are preventing people from seeing their make-up properly. As you can imagine, this is causing quite a row, blowing up on social media over the last few days in Japan with the hashtag ‘glasses are forbidden’ a popular addition to many posts.Do we need ‘proper’ dress codes again?
I am a strong supporter of firms setting a dress code for their employees, but, for me, this is pure and simple discrimination and a way of running a business that was out of date decades ago.Have things gone too casual?
Thankfully, we have come a long way from the pin-striped suit and bowler hat that was the staple uniform for many business people in the 1970s, but perhaps things have gone a little too far with jeans and T-shirts becoming as common a sight in many offices as a suited and booted workforce. All manner of businesses have flirted with the trend of letting staff dress down to supposedly boost productivity, influenced by the chino wearing tech firms from the West Coast of America, but there are sectors that should have a stricter dress code.Does dress affect mindset?
That, of course, includes my business where both our engineers and our office-based staff have a uniform that reflects our corporate image, but also our respect for the company and our customers.It’s not always about how you’re seen, but how you act
That’s because I believe that being in uniform, or indeed any smart business attire, focuses the mind. I think casual dress leads to a casual approach to work, which no business can afford, especially in the current economic climate. A relaxed attitude to dress leads to a relaxed attitude to business and can only have a negative impact on performance. Wearing company-branded clothes or smart business dress puts people in the right frame of mind to the jobs well, taking pride in themselves and their work. I may come across old fashioned to some, but nowhere near the dinosaurs in Japan, I might add! However, as we enter the next chapter of the country’s story of uncertainty, we need to be well prepared for what’s ahead and with smart dress comes smart thinking, which is something all businesses will need in the coming months!Share this story