RPJ’s Helen D. (Heidi) Reavis Featured in HR Executive on Workplace Expression

RPJ’s Helen D. (Heidi) Reavis was recently featured in a new HR Executive article examining the legal and workplace implications of internal company regulations of expression and attire, with specific focus on Target’s updated and controversial corporate employee dress code.  The piece, Is Target’s New Dress Code Political?, comes after Target’s new CEO, Michael Fiddelke, “standardized” company dress code in a manner that, as a practical matter, grossly downplays diversity and stifles individuality, and creates a chill on expression generally.  Red shirts paired with blue jeans or khakis are the new corporate Target normal.

In her commentary, Reavis highlights how the significance of workplace attire, “particularly in these fraught times” where oral or written commentary may invite retribution, has become elevated.  Amid growing social polarization, what employees wear or display at work can become sources of workplace tension and possible grounds for discipline.  As Reavis notes, employers are generally permitted to “put company interests before individual outward expression” – however, commentary on individuals’ chosen expression can be fraught.

Reavis cautions employers to pay attention to laws on protected expression and still foster a tolerant and flexible company culture.  Employers should remain proactive in updating their policies and dress codes in order to avoid pitfalls and ensure regulations are reasonable, underscoring that “external events are not parked at the company door.”  Employers that deny flexibility of expression may find that their most creative and valued personnel choose to vote with their feet.

To read the full article, visit HR Executive’s website or click here.

This article is intended as a general discussion of these issues only and is not to be considered legal advice or relied upon. For more information, please contact RPJ Partner Helen D. “Heidi” Reavis who counsels clients in areas of corporate operations and management, employment matters and dispute resolution, and media and intellectual property law.