New prohibitions part of company's revised dress standards
Woolworths Australia has begun prohibiting employees from wearing Indigenous or LGBTQI+ stickers on their badges under the company's revised dress code, according to reports.
The revised code, first reported by 7News, bars employees from adding stickers to their badges in a bid to keep them "clean and tidy."
"Our team and customers would like to know who you are. Display your name badge on top of the handy green dots on your garments. Keep your name badge clean and tidy. No stickers are to be added to your badge," read the memo, as obtained by 7News.
Reports, however, noted that the changes are "preferred dress code" and are not meant to be absolute rules.
7News.com.au said it understands that the company is asking name badges to be rid of stickers so names are clearly shown.
Other uniform changes
Other changes in the company's Dress Standards guidelines include limiting the permitted tops to Woolworths black polo shirt, or simply a plain black polo.
The company is also prohibiting ripped pants, gym leggings, or other bottoms with visible brand logos.
"Black or dark coloured pants, skirts, and knee-length shorts are perfect," the memo read.
Hoodies and outerwear with other brand logos are also prohibited, according to the reported memo, which advised employees to use the green Woolworths jacket if they want to layer up.
The memo, dated on February 19, said the recent changes to the dress code follows team feedback and store visits carried out by the company.
"We have recently observed instances of poor dress standards that may pose a potential food safety risk and/or injury in our stores," the memo said.
Resetting the dress standards
According to the memo, new posters will be sent to stores in the coming weeks to help "reset the dress standards" across outlets.
"I would like your support to ensure store managers and group managers are having conversations with team members regarding the dress standard guidelines, and ensuring our team are looking professional at all times," the memo read.
