Today we have greater control over where and when we work.  As our businesses spread across the world and technology makes it easy to do our jobs from anywhere there’s wi-fi, more of us have the option to ‘go remote’.   Businesses whether large corporates or small to medium-sized businesses are getting better at allowing more flexible working practices helped by the recent flexible working legislation.   But are we any good at managing the virtual collaboration environment?

Whether you’re calling in from a home office every day or one of your team members occasionally logs in from the quiet car on a train, distance can make collaboration more difficult.  Remote work gives teams flexibility and options, but when you’re not face-to-face with colleagues, it’s difficult to set and manage expectations, deal with inevitable tech glitches, keep your people (and yourself) motivated and engaged, and infuse warmth and personality into the blunt communication tools you’re using.

Harvard have produced a series of guides called The Virtual Manager Collection which give you the solutions you need to be productive, whether you’re managing a team, a project, or just your own work.   The guide is a three-volume set and includes :

• Virtual Collaboration,
• Running Virtual Meetings, and
• Leading Virtual Teams.

The volumes cover a wide variety of tips and strategies such as:

• Getting your technology up and running—and keeping it there
• Building and maintaining relationships from afar
• Communicating well through a variety of media
• Running productive virtual meetings
• Setting and managing expectations for your work
• Leading geographically dispersed teams

If you would like to get further advice about how to manage a virtual team, work more effectively remotely or would simply like reassurance about your current employment practice, please get in touch.   Please also have a look previous blogs from Hafton on related matters:-

• How flexible are your working practices?  http://haftonconsultancy.com/flexible-working-practices/
• Making the case for organisational culture: http://haftonconsultancy.com/making-case-organisational-culture/

Back in 2016, a secretary at the global accountancy firm, PWC, was sent home from work after refusing to wear high heels in line with the company’s dress code.  It was a much publicised case.

Now, the Government Equalities Office have released their latest guidance on the issue of workplace dress codes entitled “Dress codes and sex discrimination – what you need to know”.

The guidance is a direct response to requests made earlier this year by both the Women and Equalities and Petitions Select Committees and provides best practice recommendations for enforcing dress code policies.

Amongst the main takeaways from the guidance is that whilst dress code policies remain lawful, they should not be constructed in a way that disadvantages one employee over another. Additionally, whilst dress codes for male and female employees do not have to be identical, the standards imposed should be equivalent and any less favourable treatment on account of gender runs the risk of direct discrimination. To mitigate the risk organisations are urged to avoid gender specific requirements altogether explaining that requiring female staff to wear high heels, make-up or have manicured nails is likely to be unlawful, providing there is no equivalent requirement for men.

Employers are also encouraged to consider if there is a valid business reason for enforcing a specific dress code and if this is truly required to achieve a legitimate business aim. For example, employers in formal settings who wish for their staff to dress smart can reasonably achieve this aim without requiring female employees to wear high heeled shoes.

In other notable points, the guidance recommends that dress codes should:

• Not be a source of harassment at the hands of colleagues of customers
• Take into account relevant health & safety requirements
• Allow for reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010
• Allow transgender staff to dress in line with their gender identity
• Allow flexibility around religious symbols and jewellery

Whilst this guidance does little to alter the laws surrounding dress codes, organisations would be wise to consider its recommendations that many commonly enforced requirements either ‘could’ or ‘may’ be considered unlawful should a case ever be taken to an employment tribunal.  Moreover, this guidance adds further weight to the governments ongoing efforts to address workplace inequality which includes gender pay gap reporting and the promotion of shared parental leave.

Please get in touch if you’d like to discuss issues around dress code or talk about any challenges you are facing. We’d be delighted to help you.