Something for the weekend: Employee dress codes can vary greatly, from a branded uniform to more smart-casual wear. It is quite often stated in the job onboarding process what attire is deemed acceptable, as was the case with a US-based entrepreneur who fired an employee for repeatedly wearing a hoodie despite it being against the rules.
In an online video that has gone viral, Wisconsin-based entrepreneur Stacy Tuschl details an incident that took place nearly a decade ago. Her former employee was informed about the dress code rule during onboarding, which included not wearing hoodies during Zoom calls. However, the employee continued to ignore this, which led to a manager discussion and, ultimately, dismissal.
Tuschl said the incident taught her a lot and that she would do the same thing again should the situation arise.
The post gained several thousand likes and hundreds of comments. Some supported Tuschl’s stance, while others believed the punishment was too harsh.
One user said: “You didn’t fire her for a hoodie, you fired her for lack of professionalism and resourcefulness”, while another stated: “At first I was like, over a hoodie what the!!! [sic] But the rules were apparently clearly outlined. So at this point it was just ignorance.”
A third said: “I like that about you because I had a co-worker that would constantly be two to three hours late, every single day. We all had to make up for her loss.”
Meanwhile, a fourth asked: “Why are you so happy and proud to share that you fire people so quick?”
Another user discussed a similar incident they experienced, stating: “They are always shocked. Got one that joined her first call for onboarding wearing her pajamas [sic] and hair bonnet. I was shook. [She also] told me she did not need to use her laptop and her phone was enough. The employment lasted for less than five hours, she was a red banner employee.”
While workplace attire has become more casual for many, it is never ideal to dismiss an organisation’s dress code, even if employees are remote workers!
