Asante relaxes its dress code a little bit more

Times change, and so do people. To reflect the changing workforce, Asante has updated its dress code to allow a variety of hair colors and blue jeans on special occasions.

Under the revised policy, hair can be any color as long as it’s clean, neatly trimmed and “professional in appearance.” Under the old policy, only colored highlights were allowed. Likewise, leaders are now allowed to approve casual days in which employees can wear blue or black denim jeans. These days may include celebrations in addition to the annual Miracle Jeans Day or on work days that involve cleaning, moving or other activity that could damage dress clothes. Jeans must still be clean and free of holes or rips.

It is the second time in nearly four years that Asante has loosened its dress code, which has been in place since 1993. In 2017, the system took a significant step forward by allowing visible tattoos and nose piercings. The change came in part because Asante was turning away qualified job applicants because of tattoos and piercings. Asante later developed a recruiting campaign that celebrates the uniqueness of every employee on and off the job. Its slogan: “Everything you are means everything to us.”

“Asante supports and appreciates its diverse workforce,” said Alicia Lorenz, director of HR administration and employee relations. “We want to give employees the opportunity to express their individuality.”

The revised dress code takes effect on June 1.

The rest of the dress code remains intact. No open-toed shoes, sweatpants, shorts or tank tops. T-shirts are allowed only if they’re part of a uniform. Rules also apply to strong fragrances, tobacco odor and employee badge placement (above the belt).

Asante’s dress code applies to all employees, although departments may have further regulations based on infection prevention, patient or employee safety concerns. You can find the revised policy on myAsanteNET.

The overriding principle,” the policy states, “is that employees are expected to dress appropriately for the type of work they perform and to meet the expectations of Asante’s customers.”

Questions? Contact Alicia Lorenz.