The first steps in beginning an internship involve getting comfortable at your agency and becoming familiar with the culture of the office and the work. Human services agencies vary widely in their approach to working with clients. Many agencies that work with youth embrace a more casual culture in order to put clients at ease. Some governmental agencies still follow a very formal and professional business culture. Some have policies that pertain only to the clothing of employees, while some agencies also have expectations for how their clients present themselves. Following are some tips and guidelines to help you develop confidence as you begin your fieldwork.

Looking the Part

Most placement sites will have a dress code of one type or another. During your interview or orientation, take time to observe how others in the office are dressed. This can help guide you as you plan ahead. If you have already interviewed, you can ask your supervisor what is expected and then observe your colleagues during your first few days on the job.

Modern dress codes can feel like a minefield—many agencies that work with youth encourage a casual style of dress, including jeans. Outreach workers often have to dress for both the weather and possible grimy environments. On the other end of the scale, some settings require that interns and employees avoid specific clothing. For example, a local youth correctional facility does not allow jeans or certain articles of clothing in gang-related colors.

In the past, dress codes have been used to discriminate against interns or employees by categorizing them as “not a good fit”—a phrase that often meant “doesn’t look like us.” Recently, workplaces have been paying more attention to how their dress code impacts their workers and their appearance in the community. The US Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC) has set laws around what type of business practices are allowed when it comes to employees’ attire. In general, employers must use a standard that applies equally to all workers within certain job categories. For example, if an employer allows casual clothing, it would be illegal to then not allow clothing representing a specific ethnic region. Employees can also ask for accommodations for religious reasons as well as disability. Unless accommodating this request poses a hardship (which can be defined differently), the employer must comply. For example, if the working conditions require respirators, a religious exemption for facial hair may cause safety issues. Unless a safe alternative exists to allow for the employee’s facial hair can be found, it may be disallowed.

Another example of the changing world of business attire is body art. Many employers previously had strict policies about piercings and tattoos. However, as these expressions have become more commonplace, many workplaces have loosened these restrictions, if not eliminated them altogether. As shown in Figure 2.1 a and b, different workplaces may have different policies.

Your best resource on questions regarding dress code would be speaking to your supervisor and/or a representative of human resources if you have concerns. The sooner you can get your questions answered, the more comfortable you will feel about your choices. For example, is it okay to wear a “Black Lives Matter” T-shirt? If the agency is very casual, this may be no problem. However, many agencies have policies against shirts with any statements on them. But if other slogans or statements are allowed, then the content should not be a problem.

One intern was completing their training with a local community corrections agency. Since prisoners in that location were allowed to wear jeans, employees and interns were prohibited from wearing any type of denim clothing. The intern wore black jeans on the last day of training. When questioned, the intern stated that they thought the pants were okay because they were black. The intern was dismissed immediately and let go from the agency. By not taking the guidelines seriously, they lost the opportunity to complete their internship.

Dress codes are subject to certain federal policies and guidelines meant to help agencies develop standard practices and also to protect employees from prejudice. The EEOC outlines the limits on dress codes as follows:

In general, an employer may establish a dress code which applies to all employees or employees within certain job categories. However, there are a few possible exceptions.

While an employer may require all workers to follow a uniform dress code even if the dress code conflicts with some workers’ ethnic beliefs or practices, a dress code must not treat some employees less favorably because of their national origin. For example, a dress code that prohibits certain kinds of ethnic dress, such as traditional African or East Indian attire, but otherwise permits casual dress would treat some employees less favorably because of their national origin.

Moreover, if the dress code conflicts with an employee’s religious practices and the employee requests an accommodation, the employer must modify the dress code or permit an exception to the dress code unless doing so would result in undue hardship.

Similarly, if an employee requests an accommodation to the dress code because of his disability, the employer must modify the dress code or permit an exception to the dress code, unless doing so would result in undue hardship. (EEOC, n.d.)

There recently has been more attention paid to the unintended consequences of dress codes. Another section of the EEOC website addresses common concerns about religious discrimination in the workplace. Regarding dress codes, the EEOC (n.d.) states, “Absent undue hardship, religious discrimination may be found where an employer fails to accommodate the employee’s religious dress or grooming practices.” There is growing awareness that “traditional business dress” reflects the habits and styles of the majority White culture. It is hard to state that an agency is embracing diversity when the dress code does not acknowledge individual differences. Many agencies are updating their dress codes to reflect a better understanding of this.

In Focus: Race-Based Hair Discrimination and the CROWN Act

In addition to the confusion around interpreting dress codes, a history of racism and sexism has informed how dress codes have been applied. The CROWN Act began as a grassroots effort to protect Black women who choose to wear natural hairstyles. CROWN stands for “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair.” The act specifically bans discrimination based on natural and/or traditional hairstyles, including characteristics like hair texture and “protective” hairstyles such as braids, locs (sometimes known as dreadlocks), bantu knots, and twists. Some of these hairstyles are shown in Figure 2.2.

Oregon is one of 23 states that have already passed some version of the CROWN Act, while it is being proposed in many more. At the federal level, the CROWN Act passed the US House of Representatives on March 18, 2022. The act was blocked in the Senate in December of that same year. Some Republicans have refused to support it, claiming that hairstyles are already covered in current antidiscrimination law. However, many courts have defined discrimination in a narrow way that does not include hairstyles.

Walking Through the Door Licenses and Attributions

“Walking Through the Door” by Yvonne M. Smith LCSW is licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Figure 2.1 Photo (a) by Christina @ wocintechchat.com and photo (b) by Austin Distel are licensed under the Unsplash License.

“In Focus: Race-Based Hair Discrimination and the CROWN Act” by Yvonne M. Smith LCSW is licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Figure 2.2a Beautiful Afro-American girl with Nubian Knots hair style by BlueNile Photography is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Figure 2.2b #Dreadlocks #weave by Bob Duran is licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Figure 2.2c Natural hair by @photosbyphab is licensed under CC0.