Amazing how well that worked. For now, anyway.

So, the first work day after this email from the agency, the main violators of the dress code showed up in long pants and shirts with collars. Many of them still looked like they slept in those close and could blend seamlessly with the homeless population of Washington, but they were making an effort. I put the over-under on when they quit making the effort and go back to gym shorts and such at two weeks.

Maybe somebody finally noticed that people aren't paying much attention to the dress code

As I have mentioned before, folks on this project have been a little lax about the dress code. Based on an email we got Friday, it would appear the agency has finally noticed that a fair number of people have been showing up for work in whatever they slept in:

I would also like to remind everyone that our space is both a review facility and a business office. You were all told that acceptable office attire is business casual. On Fridays you may dress down to jeans but on no weekdays are you to wear shorts, crop tops or other clothing that would be outside the business casual range.

We'll see if this makes any difference.

Temps who wonder why firms and agencies don't trust us need to just stop. Now.

The project I am on is OK. Not great, just OK. We should start getting overtime soon, but until then, just OK. We started a week ago Monday, and another group started Thursday. We are allowed to get 40 hours in 4 days while we have no overtime, which is what makes this project OK. That is not the point of this post.

The majority of the male contract attorneys are living proof of why temps are not regarded as professionals, or even particularly trustworthy. Practically everyone who started Thursday, and a significant number of people who started at the beginning of the project, dress like they are headed to or from the beach or the gym. Many of the rest look like they are homeless. This is on a project where the dress code is ostensibly "business casual." That dress code supposedly doesn't even allow nice jeans. Forget that shit.

The women seem to be dressing professionally. The men? Not even close. Gym shorts, tee shirts, torn-up jeans, whatever. They look like the guy on the corner this morning who shouted at me, "Hey, Jack Nicholson? Got any spare change?" For the record, I don't look even a little like Jack Nicholson, young or old. I was wearing sunglasses. I guess that is enough of a resemblance for your average homeless guy. Many of who appear to be on my current project.

So, my message to temps in this town is, stop wondering why you get no respect. Too many of your fellow temps prove you don't deserve it.

I have suggested before that it is stupid to make temps wear suits on the first day of a project. It is. It is not, however, stupid to expect temps to dress like professionals. More importantly, if the dress code states that the requirement is business casual, then you should dress that way. The fact that the agency isn't enforcing it reflects poorly on the agency. No need to make things reflect poorly on you, and temps in general. I am, apparently, the Lone Ranger on this issue.

I guess we weren't dressing for success

In the last couple days, things have been getting really funky around here. What with the garbage fiasco, the disappearance of a project manager, the email debacle and being made to beg for batches to review, things around this project more and more resemble a goat-roping more than anything else. Apparently, the agency decided too many people were dressed for a goat-roping and cracked the whip, sending this email:

Good morning,We are writing to provide you with a reminder of our dress code policy. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.We appreciate you attention to this guideline.
Dress Attire: Professional business attire at work sites is required unless a different dress code is specified. Business casual dress is acceptable at TrustPoint International offices and work sites, unless you are informed otherwise. Acceptable business casual attire includes button down and polo shirts, sweaters, slacks which include corduroy and khaki pants and other professional business attire. **Please note: Jeans are acceptable for your project.
Inappropriate worksite attire includes: t-shirts, jogging suits, sweatshirts, sweatpants, yoga pants, shorts of any kind, flip flops or sneakers.

I don't actually have much argument with the dress code set forth here. I've been technically meeting the code, although the boat shoes I wear to work everyday, while compliant with the code, are far nastier than a lot of the sneakers folks were wearing that are not compliant. Actually, I think most folks are ignoring the sneakers edict. I've suggested that, if challenged, they counter that their shoes are not "sneakers" but rather are cross-trainers, running shoes or whatever else, but not "sneakers." Not sure how that will fly, but folks are still wearing "sneakers," whatever those are.


The weather turning cold has pretty much done away with the shorts and flip-flops problem. However, one aspect of the code was, I think, aimed at a particular person. This person never wore anything but track-suit pants and a tee-shirt. That's right, we're talking about Headphones Boy, Captain Wake and Bake himself. Rumor has it that "someone" spoke to him a couple times about his dress, both before and after the email came out. While a number of people who had been favoring tee shirts a lot promptly changed their ways and located somewhere in their closets shirts with collars. Not so Headphones Boy. Nope. He just fucking quit.


Honestly, there isn't much the law firm or the temp agency could do to make me quit a gig like this -- probably going to last another year, 20 hours a week of overtime for as far as the eye can see. Those kinds of projects just don't come along very often, so I'll put up with some serious shit to keep one. Not sure if Headphones Boy is a seriously principled slack-ass bum or just crazy. But I do know one thing: fucker quit.