Chief Grievance Officer: Kevin McPhail
Chair: Don Currie
Members: Mandeep Mahanger, Harpinder Sandhu, Donna Murray

Policy Grievance – Dress Code
We claim the employer has violated the Collective Agreement by allowing some offices to institute a ban on wearing blue jeans at work. We feel the employer has not proven that blue jeans are detrimental to the business especially when they are worn in many offices across the province.

We request the managers of work sites which have a no blue jeans policy publicly rescind it and conform to the corporate Workplace Attire policy.

Status: This grievance was arbitrated on June 10 and 11 in Kelowna with summations heard on June 19 in Vancouver. The decision was released on July 9.

The result was an immediate rescinding of the Kelowna policy of no blue jeans and shorts. The arbitrator ruled that the Kelowna policy banning blue jeans and shorts was not a reasonable exercise of management rights. As such, the policy was overturned and staff in Kelowna are free to wear blue jeans or shorts as long as they conform to the corporate dress code policy.

Members should be aware that this decision does not give individuals the right to wear whatever they want. Profession dress is still expected. Members in all offices are expected to use their own discretion and dress professionally as per the corporate policy.