The education department in Bihar has become the centre of the recurrent debate surrounding casual clothing after it asked staffers not to wear jeans and T-shirts in the office saying the practice goes against the culture at workplace. In an order issued on Wednesday, the director of administration of Bihar’s education department has taken exception to employees coming to offices in casuals.
“It has been noticed that officials and employees of the department are coming to offices in attires which are contrary to the office culture. Wearing casuals in the office by officials or other employees is against the work culture in the office.
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“Therefore, all officials and employees should come to education department offices in formal dresses only. No casual dresses, especially jeans and T-shirts, are allowed in the offices of the education department with immediate effect,” reads the order accessed by news agency PTI.
Decorum Debate
The question of allowing casual clothing at workplaces emerges from the debate of whether or not wearing jeans and t-shirts is acceptable by society while performing official duties.
In 2019, the Bihar government had banned wearing jeans and T-shirts in the state secretariat, irrespective of the employees' ranks. The aim was to maintain "office decorum" and the government had asked employees of the state secretariat to wear simple, comfortable and light-coloured outfits in the office.
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In April this year, the district magistrate of Saran district in Bihar barred all government employees from wearing jeans and T-shirts. They were asked to wear formal dresses and carry identity cards in offices.
Bihar government’s circular comes a month after the Assam government announced a dress code for its school teachers, banning t-shirts, jeans and churidars in office. The Assam government said that many teachers did not dress in a way “acceptable by public at large”.
The notice also clarified the need to dress in “clean, modest and decent clothes” and in sober colours that “should not look flashy”.
Similar steps have been taken by government departments in other parts of the country, including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra and others.
