Appropriate Work Attire?

[Chibearsv]

We've recently completed a purchase/merger with another company and something came up that I've never encountered before, so I figured I'd reach out to the forum for opinions.  One of the key senior managers of the company we are purchasing wears a kilt.  Not a once in a while, for special occasions kilt, but an every day kilt.  Varying colors or plaids depending on the day I suppose.

Is a kilt appropriate every day work attire?  And I ask that question from the perspective that we are generally a casually dressed company. 

He's skilled in his work, but my employees don't take him seriously.  We've had meetings with our managers and with vendors where the room can hardly contain itself when he walks in and especially when he walks out.  I'm worried that my vendors and other business associates will continue to react poorly.  It's not difficult for me to tell my current employees to grow up, but I can't do that with my other business relationships. 

I'm sure I can't tell this guy that his attire is inappropriate without violating some labor law, not to mention that I don't necessarily find it inappropriate.  I'm also afraid now that if we don't have a standard of some sort, something really off the wall might be the next person in the room.  Normally I wouldn't care what someone wears but the reactions here are bad.  Any advice?

[ChicagoRob]

In my honest opinion it sounds like you could provide some clear leadership to your staff here.

I get the clothing is culturally abnormal but to allow your staff to snicker.. side smile, etc when another employee leaves I think is the bigger issue.

I think it is very possible for you to connect and “lead” your vendors over the issue as well.

I don’t think telling them to knock it off isn’t the way.. asking them to help you lead your own staff in accepting something that isn’t the same as their own perspective is the way I’d handle that.

If you allow the laugher behind your employees back to get out of hand it could become a large issue for the company and you personally.

[Nevrknow]

1 minute ago, ChicagoRob said:

In my honest opinion it sounds like you could provide some clear leadership to your staff here.

I get the clothing is culturally abnormal but to allow your staff to snicker.. side smile, etc when another employee leaves I think is the bigger issue.

I think it is very possible for you to connect and “lead” your vendors over the issue as well.

I don’t think telling them to knock it off isn’t the way.. asking them to help you lead your own staff in accepting something that isn’t the same as their own perspective is the way I’d handle that.

If you allow the laugher behind your employees back to get out of hand it could become a large issue for the company and you personally.

Nailed it. Try to (subtly) incorporate it into the other spoken/unspoken etiquette expected from the others. Shouldn't take long after a few " the look that causes one to reflect on one's actions".

Yea, I have that look and it seems to be very effective. 😬

[Chibearsv]

37 minutes ago, ChicagoRob said:

I don’t think telling them to knock it off isn’t the way..

Maybe I paraphrased the “knock it off” too much. I know how to manage the employees and coworkers through this, and I’m not too concerned about them. It’s just a strange spot to be in when very old school bankers are giving us the side eye. 

[DaBoot]

I’ve worked with multiple employees that have worn tilts.for years . It’s different, which is a distraction in the workplace. And people never get over it, no matter how you want to train the team to deal with it. It affects productivity. 
I would implement a mandatory pants attire in the workplace. This should solve the problem. ( my workplace has a mandatory pant’s policy)

[Fuzz AI]

Do you allow shorts as work attire? Are women allowed to wear skirts/dresses? Is there a possible OHS issue (eg chance of injury to bare legs, or possibly catching the kilt in equipment)? Is your office in the Scottish Highlands? Is the guy Scottish?

[Chibearsv]

19 minutes ago, Fuzz said:

Do you allow shorts as work attire? Are women allowed to wear skirts/dresses? Is there a possible OHS issue (eg chance of injury to bare legs, or possibly catching the kilt in equipment)? Is your office in the Scottish Highlands? Is the guy Scottish?

Yes, yes, no, no, no, no

[NSXCIGAR]

[Ford2112]

This was his work attire. 

 

[BrightonCorgi]

Workplace handbook needs a revision.

[brutusthebuckeye]

3 hours ago, chasy said:

The fact that he isn’t Scottish is wild. I was picturing a proud Scot - in which case I’d likely allow it. But as a non-Scot it’s a bit more odd. Honestly not sure what I’d do.

Total weirdo. 
 

Tell him to wear pants because he’s a distraction and people laugh at him behind his back. 

[Jack]

Well, it’s simply an attention grab.  I agree with revising the employee handbook regarding dress and if he gets smart and changes gender on paper then there are a myriad of ways to make him decide to comply or leave the firm - all of which would survive the inevitable lawsuit.

This will take a couple of years with warnings and grace periods and HR discussions.

Note:  I edited this after rereading it this morning.  I was unduly harsh in my suggestions.  If he is performing well then hopefully the novelty will pass eventually.  If he’s not performing to the standards then there are likely mechanisms in place already to manage that.

 

Edited September 8, 2023 by Jack
Sobered up

[Bijan]

Meanwhile local school board here:

https://nypost.com/2023/03/02/kayla-lemieux-canadian-teacher-with-size-z-prosthetic-breasts-on-paid-leave/

[Chibearsv]

Wow....just wow.  🙄  And he/she/they is getting exactly what they want, attention. 

Same in my situation.  I just don't understand it in any case.  I got attention and promotion by performing well and out-working my peers.  I'm not sure what this sort of attention brings as a benefit.  Thankfully, retirement is coming soon for me.  I'll hand the reins to the next generation to deal with it.

[Namisgr11]

My wife worked with a guy that despite not being from Scotland wore a kilt every day.  The co-workers all got used to it pretty quickly, and it became a non-issue.  As for 'customers', this was at a University library, and so the students were as a whole open minded and there were never any issues with them either significant enough to have reached the ears of kilt-man's co-workers.

Live and let live, and all.  But if the employee is a customer-facing one and any customer complains about it, then banning the kilt makes perfect sense.

[PigFish]

... in Canada they have their teacher... In the US we have 'it' working (before their arrest for theft of women's clothes at the airport) at the White House.

Someone help me with the correct pronoun for nutcase!

 

ouse.

[Namisgr11]

Eh, don't care, doesn't affect me, and not bothered.  It's a great big and wide world out there, filled with all kinds of people.  ALL kinds.

[TheFullMontecristo]

[Chas.Alpha]

10 to 1 says he's already reached out to a civil liberties lawyer in anticipation of your actions.😔

[Chibearsv]

1 hour ago, Namisgr11 said:

Eh, don't care, doesn't affect me, and not bothered.  It's a great big and wide world out there, filled with all kinds of people.  ALL kinds.

I agree right up until I'm told that I'm required to care or until someone screams at me about how they have a right to be acknowledged.

[BrightonCorgi]

If the office has AC, ban "shorts" along with kilts for men in the revised dress code standards.  Cannot say you singled him out.

[Namisgr11]

2 hours ago, Chibearsv said:

I agree right up until I'm told that I'm required to care or until someone screams at me about how they have a right to be acknowledged.

If you mean treating everyone with respect, then that's a laudable attribute.  As for attention seeking, I agree with you that it doesn't require attention giving.

[Fireball]

Make pants required maybe? Or full length skirts?

Just be wary, a guy who wears a kilt everyday and is NOT Scottish is looking for attention and probably waiting for someone to tell him he can’t wear it.

[dominattorney]

Start coming to work in a dress.

In seriousness, the kilt guy is just a kilt guy. There's plenty of them. There's one at my B&M. Everyone thinks it's weird but No one says anything to the guy. I'm more surprised your other employees haven't gotten over it by now. If he's good at his job just be happy because plenty of pants guys are not good at anything. 

[BoliDan]

I'd say no if he is in client facing position. As tech/data guy id probably get away with it, because I'm hidden away in the dungeon behind security coded doors and the only people that swing by my office are other people at the company. But, all of our client facing have two casual dress days a week. Saturday and Sunday. Eccentricities can go far with some, but others might be weirded out, never know.