• by Beverly Weinstein , June 16, 2009

It's not the beach, it's not a club, and it's certainly not a car wash. It's an office. These are the words that more than one senior-level executive used in recounting the challenge of keeping Gen Y employees in appropriate attire during the summer months.

Times have certainly changed since Sigourney Weaver gave "Working Girl" Melanie Griffith a little talk about her office appearance. We're talking bigger problems than "rethinking the jewelry."

As East Coast temperatures steadily climb, senior managers say it's their texting, tweeting and flip-flop-wearing employees -- many of whom are starting their first corporate jobs -- who unbutton a few too many buttons and raise those hemlines. So how do those in leadership positions deal with the issue of how much is too much?

"The Conversation"

Broaching the subject with young guys is easier; most of the men I asked steered clear when it came to talking to young women on the issue of "inappropriate" female attire. The one exception I found called his wife for advice before he delivered the news to an under-clad employee at his company's annual off-site.

The most common default to handle this somewhat sensitive subject is to turn to a younger, but still more senior, female in the department. Conversations are straightforward and generally include what's expected in terms of office attire and the potential negative impression of an office fashion faux pas.

HR departments have also been enlisted to either have "the talk" or offer advice on an appropriate approach.

Keep Them Cool

There were some unique techniques to avoiding the issue of overexposure. "We keep the AC cranked all summer. Trust me, everyone around here is wrapped in layers of clothing," one senior female executive told me with a wry laugh. "And yes, every summer, the guys come to me and plead to have the temperatures turned down a few notches. Never happens!" Problem eliminated, although not the greenest solution.

More Guidelines For New Grads

An informal call to some Gen Y employees revealed that they are being better informed on how to navigate dress codes by college career centers. (Rutgers, for example, provides dress-for-success advice to its graduates). Some corporations also offer advice on employee Web sites.

A Different Kind of "Working Girl"

Generally, once an employee is off the clock, what they decide to wear is strictly up to them. Are there exceptions? Not usually, but I did find one particularly amusing instance where that wasn't the case. It seems a young female account executive worked nights as a pole dancer. When clients became customers and someone delivered a video to her boss, out-of-the-office attire was no longer out of bounds. "I had to give her an ultimatum; you're either a pole dancer or an account executive." She chose her night job. "It was probably a bad long-term decision. I think AE's have a longer career span," he concluded with a shrug.

(Go to DearBev.com for a link to the Melanie Griffith/Sigourney Weaver classic conversation from "Working Girl.")