Navigating Dress Code Rules in Hotels: What Actions Can HR Take When Staff Deviate?

Sir, I want to know the correct law about dress code in the hospitality (hotel) industry.

In our hotel, we have some rules about the uniform. For the ladies' staff, they are not supposed to wear a second or third stud, no nose ring (they can wear a small nose stud), no nail polish, and their hair must be in a bun with basic makeup. For male staff, they should have short hair, no stud, clean shave, and they can have mustaches.

If staff do not follow these rules, as a training coordinator in HR, what actions can I take?

In the service industries like hospitality or airlines, heavy emphasis is laid on grooming and deportment. Employees receive proper training on these subjects. However, if you wish to take action for not adhering to the standards of the hotel, then you may conduct training and obtain an undertaking from the employee confirming their understanding of the hotel's grooming policies and their liability for disciplinary action if not adhered to.

During the actual execution, if you find that an employee's grooming does not meet the standard, you may write a letter to HR regarding violations of the grooming standards and let them take necessary action. If you report directly to the General Manager of the hotel, you may send a weekly grooming report to him/her, and the handling of such cases becomes his/her prerogative.

As a training coordinator, you can audit the operations, but taking disciplinary action is beyond your purview.

Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar

I don't think that any law applicable to the hotel industry, other than the State Catering Establishments Act, deals with the dress and grooming code for hospitality industry employees. Therefore, every industry can have its own code, and the restrictions, if any specified therein, should be reasonable. Any violation in this regard can be marked as an act of misconduct in the service regulations to ensure effective compliance by the employees.

Implementation Challenges in Dress Code Compliance

The problem appears to be laxity in implementation. This happens when minor aberrations are overlooked, leading to further breaches as the norms become more intensive. Another contributory cause could be the attitude of the top management. Are they role models, or do they also have the attitude of 'Chalta Hai'? If so, then the issue is not superficial but serious, meriting a much deeper look and corrective action.

Role of the Training Coordinator

As a Training Coordinator, it is necessary that you lay a firm foundation of the expected behavior, but somehow the message is not getting across. Perhaps you may opt for some role play or video emphasizing the adverse reaction of the customer to a poorly dressed or behaved staff. The traditional method of imparting instructions may not work as the real need is a change in attitude.