Dress and Appearance

Our business is customer service, and our customers will rightly judge us on our appearance and behaviour. Our guests and customer’s expectations are extremely high. You create the first impression and therefore it is important that your appearance is professional at all times. The way you present yourself is a measure of our image, it is therefore important that you are appropriately dressed and look smart at all times whilst on duty.

Uniforms will be provided to the majority of colleagues and you have a personal responsibility in relation to your uniform. If you have been provided with a uniform/protective clothing, it must be worn. It also remains the property of the hotel. Failure to return such items on request in a clean, reasonable condition may result in deduction from wages to cover the cost of replacing such items.

Failure to comply with the dress code may result in action under our disciplinary procedure.

Uniform Standards

Maintaining

It is your responsibility to ensure your uniform is clean and pressed for every shift. For hygiene reasons, if you deal with food preparation in your role, your uniform may be laundered by the hotel. Items will be exchanged once they become unusable through fair wear and tear.

Damaged/Lost items of Uniform

You take full responsibility of any items of uniform issued to you. The cost of any loss will be borne by you. If the uniform is damaged while on duty, you should report this to your Line Manager. All uniforms should be returned laundered upon leaving the hotel.

Returning Uniform after Leaving

If you fail to return Company uniform on leaving or the uniform is not of a reasonable standard upon return (reasonable wear and tear is considered), the relevant uniform costs may be deducted from your final pay.

Dress code for Training Courses and Meetings

Unless otherwise stated, dress code for training courses is always ‘smart casual’. Smart jeans may be permitted but you should refer to your joining instructions.

Unless advised otherwise, the dress code for meetings is ‘Business Wear’.

Name Badge

You will be provided with a name badge that must be worn at all times. This should be positioned on the left-hand side of the top part of your uniform in a readable position.

If your name badge is damaged or misplaced, you must inform your Line Manager as soon as possible. There is a £5 charge for a replacement name badge. On leaving employment, you should return all badges or a charge of £5 per badge will be deducted from your final salary.

Grooming Standards

Personal Hygiene

Personal hygiene is your responsibility for the consideration of both guests and fellow colleagues. Catering team members must adhere to Food Hygiene Regulations at all times. Any breach will result in disciplinary action.

A recommendation of how to maintain a good level of personal hygiene would be through:

Regular bathing / showering
Use of deodorant
Good oral hygiene
Non overpowering fragrances
Non overpowering smell of cigarette smoke
Hands must be washed after smoking, taking breaks and visiting the bathroom.

Hair

Hair should be kept clean, neatly presented and arranged in an attractive and professional style. Any extreme look/hair colour, which detracts from our professional image is not permitted. Hair that is longer than shoulder length must be neatly tied back.

Facial Hair

Facial hair must be well trimmed and groomed, otherwise clean shaven at all times. Facial stubble is not permitted. If you wish to grow facial hair, this must be done outside of working hours.

Glasses/Contact Lenses

Glasses must be of business-like appearance, plain or unframed and of moderate size and design. Contact lenses must be clear with a natural eye colour.

Jewellery, Piercings and Tattoos

Jewellery must not be excessive or unconventional. If you work within the Food and Beverage department, earrings must not dangle or be looped. Bracelets and anklets should not be worn. A maximum of one earring may be worn in each ear. Any other body piercings which are visible when in uniform, including tongue piercings, are not permitted. Tattoos must not be visible when in uniform.

Fingernails

Fingernails should be kept short, clean and tidy. Clear, natural and pale coloured nail varnish may be worn with the exception of colleagues working in the food departments. False nails are not permitted in any Food and Beverage department.

Makeup

Makeup may be worn and should be subtle and enhance natural features. Bright coloured makeup, for example, bright lipstick is not acceptable.

Tights, Stockings, Socks and Shoes

Tights or stockings should be worn if wearing skirts. They should be in natural colours or black and in keeping with the rest of your uniform.

Socks should be plain and must not be brightly coloured or white.

Shoes should be in keeping with the rest of the uniform, with a closed toe and suitably formal for business attire. Thick rubber soles, casual footwear, athletic shoes and sandals are not permitted. Boots may only be worn under trousers. Shoes/boots should not have excessively high heels and should be clean and maintained in good repair.

Shirtsleeves

Long sleeved shirts may not be worn rolled up unless it’s the specific design of the shirt. Short sleeved shirts and blouses can be worn as an alternative.

Religious and Cultural Dress

You may wear appropriate religious and cultural dress (including jewellery, clerical collars, head scarves, skullcaps and turbans) unless it creates a health and safety/food safety risk to you or any other person or otherwise breaches this policy.

You can gain further information and guidance on cultural and religious dress in the workplace from your Line Manager.

Pens

If you are required to carry a pen, it should be clean, hotel branded, presentable and be blue or black ink. No more than one pen should be visible and should be kept in a pocket.

Smoking

Use the designated smoking areas when wearing uniform, hands should be washed and breath freshened after smoking. The Company does not permit colleagues smoking in chef whites.

Commercial Hub and Richmond

If you are based in the Commercial Hub/ Richmond Head Office, you must adhere to the following dress code, as well as any of the grooming standards above which are not specific to uniform.

Acceptable attire is smart trousers/skirt/dress with a coordinating shirt/blouse.

As an exception to the above formal dress requirements, you may wear casual clothing to work every Friday, unless advised otherwise by your manager and subject to business requirements, e.g. when you are in contact with customers. Clothing must be neat, clean and in a good state of repair.

Certain clothing items that are not permitted at work at any time are:

Leggings or scruffy/torn trousers;
Micro - or very short skirts;
Low cut t-shirts, blouses and transparent clothing;
Shorts;
Sports clothing, for example tracksuits and football shirts;
Sweatshirts or t-shirts with slogans or symbols that could cause offence;
Excessive or unconventional jewellery.

If you disregard these rules, you will be subject to disciplinary action. In serious cases, where your appearance is, in the Company’s view, unacceptable, you will be requested to return home to change. In these circumstances, you will not be paid for the duration of your absence from work.