Office of Internal Communications
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July 22, 2004 BUSINESS CASUAL ATTIRE IN EFFECT FOR REST OF SUMMER
In an effort to make the University of Houston a more comfortable place to work, administrators have, for the first time, approved guidelines allowing business casual attire through the end of August. “Let’s face it, it’s hot out there,” said Robert Herrington, assistant vice president for human resources. “We want our employees to be comfortable, but we also want to provide some guidance as to what’s appropriate.” Business casual attire for men includes collared shirts, slacks and sports coats when the occasion dictates. For women, business casual attire includes slacks, skirts and pantsuits where appropriate. Jeans are acceptable for both men and women if approved by the employee’s department. But just how casual is “casual”? Generally speaking, employees should not wear shorts, T-shirts, gym wear and logo clothing, other than shirts bearing the UH logo. Appropriate footwear includes most shoes and sandals, but not flip-flops. Herrington said that it is up to each department to decide which clothing items are appropriate. “I saw an employee wearing a nice summer dress, but she had on flip-flops with it,” Herrington said. “I don’t believe that’s appropriate work attire. Sandals would have been fine.” Each department is responsible for adhering to acceptable standards of professional dress. Herrington said that some employees might need to dress more professionally than others because of their ongoing contact with officials and/or the general public. Managers will dictate when a coat and tie is necessary for conducting business on- and off-campus. Herrington said the business casual attire guidelines would be implemented in May next year. Do’s and don’ts are listed on the Department of Human Resources’ Web site, www.uh.edu/hr. For more information, please call the Department of Human Resources at (713) 743-5774. By Leticia Vasquez |
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