What a topic to liven up the New Year!

Apart from the living history museum where period costume is really a 
"must" and active rail museums where loco driver,  firemen and station 
staff need to be appropriately dressed, surely the question of dress is 
one that should be referred to the staff:

   1. Should there be a staff uniform? Day-today and for formal occasions?
   2. What are the elements for:  i). men and ii) women?
   3. Washable or suitable for dry cleaning?
   4. Should a hat/cap be worn?
   5. Footware?
   6. Protective clothing for dirty jobs?
   7. Name tags (legible)?
   8. Then let the staff make recommendations about:

        * Design, including colour.
        * Number. I suggest two sets should be issued, to be returned on
          or before leaving. If not returned then the cost should be a
          legitimate charge against salary.
        * Who pays? The Management Committee might set an upper limit as
          a guide, perhaps.
        * Responsibility for washing/dry cleaning. This should be a
          personal one, but a small allowance might be desirable.

    In my opinion staff who have contact with the public, in particular,
    need to maintain a certain standard of dress. A clean uniform is the
    best way of achieving this. If staff decide that uniforms are
    unacceptable, then they should still be expected to attain a
    reasonable standard of presentation.

    An interesting issue is whether the director and line managers
    should be expected to conform with a uniform policy. (Sorry about
    the pun.)

    Desmond Kennard
    Principal Consultant
    Museums in the making
    Hill Top, NSW
    Australia
    Museums in the making

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