Employer Dress Codes - Can You Be Sued For "Appearance Discrimination"?

Duration: 60 minutes

What is considered acceptable in terms of attire and appearance in the workplace? Tattoos? Nose rings? Short skirts? Flip flops? Different workplaces tolerate different forms of dress as long as it is deemed “appropriate.” But what is “appropriate,” and is it discrimination if an employer prohibits body piercings and/or even tattoos? What about clothing, hair styles or facial hair that confirms with one’s religious beliefs? Can you have different standards for different employees?

As the population becomes more diverse, the typical accommodations for certain forms of dress are no longer a simple matter. In addition to addressing this issue, in this 60-minute interactive webinar, our speaker will also present case scenarios and tips on how to create an effective dress/grooming policy.

Program Highlights:

• What are the practical issues with adopting a dress/grooming policy in the workplace? Should you ever send an employee home?
• What are the legal issues? What about mandated dress for certain occupations? Can men have one dress code while women have another?
• How should employers treat “personal forms of expression” such as piercings, hair styles and tattoos?
• Do you have to worry about gender, religious or other forms of discrimination when enforcing dress codes?
• How do you get your managers to enforce stated policies as well?

Attendees Who Will Benefit From This Webinar Include:

• Human Resource Professionals
• Managers and Supervisors
• Recruitment Professionals
• Employment Consultants
• Corporate Counsel

Joseph L. Beachboard
Joseph L. Beachboard, a shareholder with law firm of Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C., is a nationally recognized expert on employment law. In addition to assisting employers with workplace law issues, Mr. Beachboard serves as the chair of the firm?s Client Service Committee. In this capacity, Mr. Beachboard oversees the client service, marketing, and business development activities of the firm?s 400 attorneys in 33 offices across the country. Mr. Beachboard speaks regularly before human resource, personnel and employer groups on cutting edge employment law topics at programs held across the United States. He is frequently quoted in several publications, including the Los Angeles Times, Sacramento Bee, HR Magazine, National Law Journal, HR Executive, Workforce, HR Manager?s Legal Reporter, San Diego Union Tribune, and Las Vegas Review Journal. Articles written by Mr. Beachboard have been published in the Los Angeles Daily Journal, Los Angeles Business Journal, HR Advisor, Nashville Business Journal and The Tennessean. Mr. Beachboard is a founding member and Executive Director of the Management Labor and Employment Roundtable. The Roundtable is a national, invitation only, organization of management labor and employment lawyers.