Whether the problem is an administrative assistant who shows too much cleavage or a mail room employee whose baggy pants reveal too much of his boxer shorts, employees who dress too revealingly distract co-workers and convey an unprofessional image to customers. In the absence of a written company dress code, address these employees individually and help them develop professional dress habits.

1.

Talk to the employee privately. Don't embarrass her in front of customers or co-workers. Pull her aside in a private meeting and tell her exactly what is wrong with her clothing. Don't make personal attacks, merely discuss how the clothing in question affects her job.

2.

Address the problem sooner rather than later. If someone wears mini-dresses to work for months before being told the clothes are inappropriate, you lessen the effect of your message.

3.

Ask the employee to come up with a solution to the problem. This puts the responsibility on the employee to think about what attire is professional and appropriate. The solution could be a simple one, such as wearing pants instead of a skirt, wearing a camisole under a low-cut top, or wearing a belt with baggy pants.

4.

Be matter of fact, not personal. Don't make personal remarks, about the size of anyone's body parts, their personal attractiveness or anything else that might be considered personal or intrusive. Talk about workplace standards, the image the company is trying to project and practical considerations for doing the job.

5.

Correct future mistakes right away. Send the employee home to change if necessary.

6.

Establish written guidelines for appropriate dress. Distribute the policy to current employees and make the guidelines part of the new-employee orientation. If problems arise in the future, you can point to the guidelines and ask the employee to abide by them.