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June 19, 2009

Well I'm Sure We'll All Breathe Easier Now

At least in one Florida city

A Florida city has written common sense into its employee dress code: Wear underwear to work.

The Brooksville city council recently approved a revised dress code as part of its effort to update existing policies.

The revision instructs employees to observe "strict personal hygiene," including the use of deodorant. It lists "the observable lack of undergarments and exposed undergarments" as "unacceptable attire."

It also prohibits clothing with foul language or messages promoting drug use, "sexually provocative" garments, halter tops and piercings anywhere except the ears.

Posted by Mr. Bingley at June 19, 2009 07:23 AM

Comments

One comment over there:

"I wonder how they will check exactly if you wore your panties today..."

I suppose the young men who like to wear shorts way below their waist exposing their underwear are now safe for work? If they're city workers, they're probably also civil service. Good Luck fighting that lawsuit.

I think the city that feels a law like this is a necessity is sad across the board. Sad that people think it's OK to wear whatever they want to work, sad that no one close to them has ever told them about personal hygiene, sad that the city didn't hire better people to begin with. Of course, they cost more. Thar's the rub, I suppose.

Posted by: Rob at June 19, 2009 10:30 AM

It makes me sad that they feel they have to do this. I'm sure there were folks "going commando" that they never knew about; it just takes one person pushing things over the edge and saying "You can't say anything to me because there's NO RULE ABOUT THIS" to get a whole bunch of new rules coming down on people's heads.

Sadly, I feel like this is the way our country is headed: because a few can't use common sense or can't meet some bare minimum of civility (and yes, I think bathing regularly is being civil to your co-workers), we get all kinds of new regulations and laws.

It's like the whole zero-tolerance thing. I'm SURE it got started some places because some idiot kid brought drugs or a knife to school and his or her idiot parents told the school district they couldn't punish their "little angel." So now girls carrying Motrin to help deal with PMS get strip-searched and little boys drawing WWII scenes with tanks and guns get sent for psychological evaluations.

Posted by: ricki at June 19, 2009 11:06 AM

I guess breathing easier in Brooksville depends on where your nose is. If they have employees who have to be told to shower and use deodorant then maybe they've got bigger problems.

Posted by: Gary from Jersey at June 19, 2009 01:15 PM

Way back when I was in Jr. High we all (well, the guys) had to wear jock straps in PE. So after changing, the boys lined up and pulled a strap from under our shorts so the teacher could check.

Oddly, in high school, I recall no such explicit rule. We certainly never had jock strap checks. Maybe they figured any guy dumb enough to do sports without wearing protection deserved what he got.

Posted by: Steve Skubinna at June 19, 2009 11:01 PM

Hey, it's Brooksville.
Can they wear them on their heads?

Posted by: Mockingbird at June 20, 2009 09:14 AM

What a sad commentary on our society today that a Florida city council felt compelled to put such rules in place.

Posted by: RebeccaH at June 21, 2009 12:11 PM

It's an even sadder commentary that the city council was not mocked right out of town for proposing them.

Posted by: Steve Skubinna at June 21, 2009 11:20 PM