Dive Brief:

• Summer is in full swing, and an article at Huffington Post examines whether or not it's HR's place to remind its employees of the dress code policy.
• The article notes that a "seasonal update to the dress code policy" from the HR department of a global tax and audit firm emailed to all employees said: "Now that summer weather is upon us, we'd like to take this opportunity to remind you of our summer dress code. Please be advised that the following are not allowed in the office: tank tops, sundresses, shorts, flip-flops, exercise clothes ..."
• The article then says that "mired in bureaucracy and grounded in negative assumptions about people, leaders create policies like this every day that destroy workplace trust and demean capable adults."

Dive Insight:

While bad policies demean and demoralize workforces, good policies can add necessary structure to an organization - especially helpful when the organization is growing or undergoing major change, writes Sue Bingham, founder and principal of HPWP Consulting. Many policies are required by law, she writes, such as workplace safety or overtime regulations. But the best policies communicate the organization's values and high expectations for its team members.

Innovative employers should be focused on consistency and fairness. If an employee does something that's not in the best interest of the company or fellow employees, a good employer will make the assumption that a responsible adult will want to resolve the problem. A policy that then treats people with respect is followed.

Employees will meet your expectations when you give them the power to do so, she writes. Rigid HR policies that don't allow for special considerations restrict their freedom to excel and will produce resentment, especially among high performers.