Dress code and appearance policy

An employer can set standards of dress and appearance, and most of the trouble comes from standards that apply differently to men and women, that stop someone wearing an item their religion requires, that ignore a disability or a pregnancy, or that charge staff for a uniform in a way the minimum wage rules do not allow. The policy has to set the standard the business wants, justify the parts that need justifying, allow the adjustments the law requires, and avoid the judgements about tattoos and hair that tribunals have stopped accepting. I draft the policy for the employer as part of the handbook and core policies for a fixed fee of £995, delivered in five working days.

Who this is for

Employers in England and Wales with customer-facing staff, uniforms or professional standards of appearance, and employers whose dress code has not been looked at since it was written.

What matters in a dress code and appearance policy

What an employer may require and why

An employer may set reasonable standards of dress and appearance for its business (professional dress for client-facing roles, uniforms for identification, standards for safety and hygiene), and the policy should state the standard, the roles it applies to, the reason for it, and the manager's role in applying it consistently; the government's guidance on dress codes and sex discrimination and the Equality and Human Rights Commission's guidance set the framework, and a policy that cannot explain why a requirement exists is one that will not survive a challenge.

Sex, religion and the requirements that discriminate

Requirements that bear more heavily on one sex (high heels, make-up, skirts, specific hairstyles for women with no equivalent for men) are direct or indirect sex discrimination under the Equality Act 2010 unless justified, and a dress code should set equivalent standards for men and women rather than identical ones or gendered ones; requirements that prevent an employee wearing an item of religious dress or a religious symbol (a headscarf, a turban, a cross, a kara) are indirect religious discrimination unless the employer can justify them, which health and safety can and corporate image rarely does; the policy should permit religious dress and symbols subject only to justified safety and hygiene limits.

Disability, pregnancy and the adjustments a dress code must allow

The duty to make reasonable adjustments under section 20 of the Equality Act 2010 applies to a dress code (footwear for an employee with a mobility impairment, clothing for a skin condition, adjustments for an employee whose disability affects their appearance), and a dress code should not disadvantage a pregnant employee (uniform sizing, footwear, temperature) or an employee undergoing gender reassignment, who should be able to dress in accordance with their gender identity; the policy should say that adjustments are considered on request and that the manager does not refuse them without HR's involvement.

Health, safety and hygiene as the justification that holds

Where the dress code is driven by safety (protective footwear, no loose clothing near machinery, tied-back hair, no jewellery in food preparation under the Food Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013, personal protective equipment under the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992), the policy should say so and should apply the requirement to everyone in the role regardless of sex or religion, with the employer providing the equipment under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974; safety and hygiene justifications hold where image justifications fail, and the policy should separate the two.

Uniforms, costs and the minimum wage

Where the employer requires a uniform it should provide it, because a deduction from pay or a payment by the worker for a uniform the employer requires reduces pay for minimum wage purposes under the National Minimum Wage Regulations 2015 and takes a worker on the minimum wage below it, and because deductions need the written consent section 13 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 requires in any event; the policy should state what is provided, the obligation to wear and care for it, its return on leaving, and the position on items the employee chooses to buy (their own cost, their own choice within the standard).

Tattoos, piercings, hair and the judgements that date

The policy should take a position on visible tattoos, piercings and hairstyles that reflects the business's actual needs rather than assumptions about customers: a blanket ban on visible tattoos is lawful in principle but narrows recruitment and looks dated, and rules on hair that bear on race (restrictions on afro hair, braids or locs) are indirect race discrimination unless justified and the Equality and Human Rights Commission has published guidance on hair discrimination in schools that employers should read across; the policy should state what is acceptable in terms of neatness and safety and should leave personal style alone where the business does not need to regulate it.

What it costs

Staff handbook and core policies, £995. Five working days.

Employment contract, £595. One template you can reuse for a grade of staff. Five working days.

Buying online forms the engagement on payment. The scope is what the employment contracts and handbooks page describes, you accept the Terms of Service at checkout, and I email you within four working hours to get started. If you would rather ask something first, email me.

What you get

• A bespoke contract drafted for how you employ people
• Restrictive covenants drafted at a scope a court will uphold
• Confidentiality and intellectual property provisions that put ownership where it belongs
• The statutory particulars, so the document does the job section 1 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 requires it to do
• Flexibility clauses where you genuinely need them, drafted to survive challenge
• Core policies: disciplinary, grievance, sickness absence, equal opportunities, data protection and, increasingly, AI use
• One round of amendments

What is not included

• Acting for employees
• Employment tribunal representation
• Payroll, pensions auto-enrolment and tax
• Immigration and sponsor licence work
• Day to day HR handling, disciplinaries, grievances and redundancy processes

Questions I am often asked

Can we require women to wear make-up and heels?

You cannot. Requirements that apply to one sex and not the other are discrimination unless justified, and image does not justify them. The policy sets equivalent standards for everyone.

Can we stop an employee wearing a headscarf in a customer-facing role?

Only with a justification that holds, which corporate image rarely does and safety or hygiene sometimes does. The policy permits religious dress and symbols subject only to justified limits.

Do we have to pay for uniforms?

If the employer requires a uniform, charging the worker for it reduces pay for minimum wage purposes and needs written consent. The policy provides the uniform and states the obligations that go with it.

Related guidance and services

• Employment contracts and handbooks, £995, the service this page describes
• Consultancy and contractor agreements, £595
• Employment contract for a receptionist
• Equality and diversity policy

This page is general guidance for businesses in England and Wales, not advice on your own circumstances. Last reviewed: October 2026. Email geoffrey@caesar.co.uk.