In a first in the public sector space, SBI has issues a directive to guide the etiquettes and manners of its employees. In a communication to all its employees, the human resources department of SBI said: “In order to ensure an acceptable level of decorum in work place is maintained, all employees should adhere to a model dress code.”
Every employee is expected to behave like the brand ambassador of the bank. Not only are they supposed to be polite to clients, as was expected conventionally, now their appearance will also determine their loyalty to the bank.
Image Credit: economictimes
The circular also asked staff to wear clean shoes and not slippers and said that “T-Shirts, Jeans and sneakers/sports shoes etc. should not be part of attire.’ Senior male staff in the administrative offices have been asked to wear ‘smart formals’ or ‘smart semi-formals’ and a tie while meeting customers. For senior female employees in the administrative offices, the circular mandated formal Indian or western wear.
It had grooming suggestions too. SBI employees will no longer be able to follow No Shave Novembers, nor impress females with hot Farhan Akhter looks. They will have to wear same colour for shoes and belts, matching socks for trousers, plain ties for check shirts and ties with designs for plain shirts, suits should be from the same fabric length, and “shirt sleeve should exceed the suit/blazer sleeve length by half an inch”.
The tips on social etiquette included a strong injunction against belching, especially “when in a meeting or among others; it is highly irritating.” It also advised the staff against “slipping into common language in a formal meeting”. But the employees have still not been handed a dossier for acceptable words to be used in a formal meeting.
This is just an instance of bureaucratic pedantics that guide public sector space sometimes. When the letter is followed without the spirit of the word, pretentious protocol guides the day.
Read Also: #WaterCooler Moment: All You Need To Know About H1-B Visa
