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San Jose Public Library’s employees are representatives of the City of San Jose and our customers expect their experience with Library Department staff to be professional and business-like. Our employees should project an appropriate and professional image for our customers, potential employees, and community visitors. Business casual attire is the required work attire for employees of the San Jose Public Library. Using the guidelines contained herein, employees are asked to use their best judgment in considering what is and what is not appropriate attire. If you experience uncertainty about acceptable business casual attire for work, please ask your supervisor or your Human Resources staff.
Clothing must be clean, neat, free of stains, odor, rips or tears.
The following are guidelines to help define business casual attire. This does not intend to be an all encompassing list of attire that is not acceptable and exceptions to this will be handled on a case by case basis (such as employees working in non-public areas).
Business casual attire does not include items such as:
- Sweatpants, exercise pants, bib overalls, and leggings as pants. Shorts should only be worn in non-public areas.
- T-shirts with words, slogans, phrases, pictures, etc. of a racial, sexual, or political nature, or which would create a violation of any other City Policy (Discrimination and Harassment Policy, Workplace Violence Policy, etc.)
- Thongs /flip-flops, slippers. Open-toed shoes are considered a danger for staff who are shelving or handling heavy materials and should be avoided.
- Clothing that reveals your stomach or your undergarment.
- Clothing that reveals too much of your back or chest.
Conclusion
These guidelines are provided as a tool to provide employees, supervisors and management with guidelines as to what may or may not be appropriate dress in the Library Department.
If an employee is wearing something that doesn’t follow these guidelines, a supervisor should address it privately on a case by case basis, e.g., if an employee is wearing a t-shirt with potentially offensive language, the supervisor can speak to the employee privately and say that the particular shirt is not considered appropriate business casual attire.
Applicable Personnel/Departments
SJPL Employees
Approval(s)
Distributions
INTRANET
History & Dates
Category of Policy & WBS#: Administration/ Operations,Auxiliary Services,Collection Management,Facilities,Special Services,Technical Services,User Services
Author(s): Ned Himmel, Assistant City Librarian
Authorized by: Ned Himmel
Date Written: April 11, 2008
Date Effective: June 25, 2008
Date(s) of Revision(s):