On-call employee reprimanded for her work clothing, even though her boss's wife wears the same outfits to the office: 'She complains to her husband about me needing to cover up'

Are dress codes an outdated relic or a necessary standard?

Dress codes are often a sensitive topic. Whether within schools or at the office, there's usually a certain standard of "respectable" attire expected, especially when we're all trying to stay focused on our academics or job tasks, surrounded by others trying to do the same.

Maybe we can attend Zoom meetings without our pants on, but the office… not so much.

The thing is, dress codes are only unproblematic when everyone sticks to them and there's no visible hypocrisy floating around the office. So what happens when a boss doesn't address an outfit issue directly, but instead sends a message through a friend to reprimand you about what you're wearing?

For context: your role is on-call, which means you have limited time (or none) to go home and change before work. So, what's the correct move here? Do you stay ready in your full work outfit all day, just in case you get called into work, or risk the consequences of your boho-coded, floral crop top that might be putting your job in jeopardy?

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