When You Say an Employee Must Wear a Tie, Do You Specify Where?

I saw this thread today on Reddit titled “Can someone explain to me why I must wear khakis a tie, and uncomfortable shoes to write code?” Here’s more on the question:

My company’s parent company just hired a new CEO. One of his first acts was to completely nix casual Fridays, ban T-shirts and jeans, and make ties and non-laced shoes mandatory for men.

I don’t understand corporate culture at all. I just want to come to work, write code in a comfortable, relaxed environment, and go home at the end of the day feeling like I accomplished something. Apparently, this kind of thinking is subversive and counterproductive in a “professional” environment.

Someone explain to me why I’m wrong.

A couple of commenters came up with a great plan:

Wear a bow tie, I’m also a fellow CS and whenever I’m forced to wear that garbage I choose wild and extravagant colors. My favorite ensemble is a pink dress shirt, black pants with pink dress shoes and to go with it; a yellow bow tie. Once the higher ups start discriminating clothes based on color is when you file for racism, sexual harassment and negligence.

Other than that, get a better job.

also, wear the tie or bow tie around the top of your head, rambo-style.

force them to stipulate where on your body you’re allowed to wear the tie. then the next day, after they’ve stated that you must wear a tie around your neck come in with four tied around your neck, one around your left wrist, and another one tied around your head…rambo-style.
continue to push the limits of absurdity while sticking to the letter of the law until they fire you.

then sue

Awesome. How specific is your dress code? When you say that a skirt must “come to the knee,” do you specify that it must start at the waist?

The dress code at our shop is, “Wear clothes.” It works. (Although we do have dress up days. You can see examples here, here, here, here and here.)