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BUSINESS ENGLISH · BUSINESS ISSUES · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

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CLOTHES
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1 Warm up

Match the following types of clothes to the photos.

business casual business formal button-down shirt open-toe shoes

oxford/dress shoes sandals three-piece suit trouser suit

1. 2. 3. 4.

5. 6. 7. 8.

Now in pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. Which of the above clothes do you wear for business?

2. Which of them should you wear in your company?
3. Which of them do you not need to wear in your company?

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2 Focus on vocabulary

Part A: Match the vocabulary to the definitions.

1. dress code (n) a. something that you think will happen

2. piercing (n) b. the act of making sure that people follow rules

3. acceptable (adj.) c. the ability to decide what to do in a particular situation

4. facial (adj.) d. any jewellery that needs a hole to be made in the skin of the
wearer
5. discretion (n) e. being allowed in a certain situation

6. expectation (n) f. artwork on the skin made with ink that cannot be removed easily

7. discipline (n) g. act in the way that is asked of you

8. tattoo (n) h. related to a person’s face

9. conform (v) i. a set of rules for what people should and shouldn’t wear in a
particular situation

Part B: Now complete the following sentences with the Part A word in brackets. You will need to
change the form of the word.

1. On Saturday, I’m going to go to a salon to have someone my ears for me. (piercing)

2. I don’t think that wearing a T-shirt at work meets the standards of which are
expected. (acceptable)

3. You can see that , he is quite similar to his father. (facial)

4. I’ll have a chat with her later about her shoes. (discretion)

5. The crowd fell silent when the CEO walked in. (expectation)

6. I understand that he’s going to be facing action as a result of his behaviour.

(discipline)

7. Don’t tell anyone, but I’m going to see a at the weekend. I’ve wanted to do this
for ages. (tattoo)

8. The rules aren’t strict in this company, but a certain amount of is expected. (conform)

Now quickly read through the article on page three and write the words from Part A in the correct
gaps (1-9). You may need to change the form of the word.

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3 Reading for gist

Quickly read through the texts below and decide which of the questions on page four are being
answered in each paragraph and write them as a subheading. You will not need all of the questions.

A. ___________________________________________

1
Having an official in a company is useful for three main reasons. Firstly, some jobs
require working in environments where the safety of staff may be at risk and they need to wear
certain clothes such as gloves, full-length trousers and different kinds of hats to protect them. If
employees are working with heavy objects, then clothing such as sandals are going to be dangerous
in that environment. Secondly, there’s the need for staff to be recognised as working for a particular
company. In this case, a uniform of some type is often needed. This could be a very particular type
of uniform, such as that worn by flight attendants or postal workers, or it maybe of the more casual
kind such as employees in fashion clothing shops who have to wear the store’s brand of clothing and
a name badge. Additionally, it can be helpful for employees when joining a company to have a guide
2
as to the of the company to help them make decisions. Some companies may prefer
a business casual approach, whereas employers operating in the legal profession and dealing directly
with clients may require office wear to be business formal.

B. ___________________________________________

3
It is generally seen as for employers to have a say in the way their employees dress,
as long as the issue is approached with care. For certain jobs, companies will be concerned about their
4 5
image and will ask that items such as are not worn while working, or that
6
are not visible. For men, it’s possible that some companies will prefer any hair to be
short. Of course, there are situations where the culture or religion of an employee can make these
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rules more difficult to follow and, in this case, they need to be subject to the of the
company they work for. Companies have found themselves in legal trouble for insisting on a dress
code that goes against the religious or cultural requirements of individuals.

C. ___________________________________________

If a manager feels that there is a problem with the way an employee is dressed, then the matter needs to
be handled privately as it can be a sensitive topic. This is where having a dress code that all employees
have access to can be very useful. The best approach is to explain what the problem is and how what
8
they are wearing doesn’t to the standards and give them a period of time to act. If
9
they don’t change, then there may be a need for which is where Human Resources
may need to become involved.
Sources: Personnel Today, BBC

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1. What should happen if there is an issue with an employee and the dress code?

2. In what situations should a dress code be changed?

3. Is it fair to decide what employees can and cannot wear?

4. Why is a dress code important?

5. Who should decide what the dress code is?

4 Reading comprehension

Complete the following summary with one, two or three words from the article on page three.

1
Dress codes are generally used for three main reasons. To begin with, some workers are
in their work environments and require protection. Companies also often have a need for the recognition
2
of their employees by customers and so will require of some description. This
is particularly common in retail and the airline industry. The final reason is that it allows staff to
3
about what they can wear and can actually be useful for new employees as a guide
for how to fit in with their new workplace.

4
Of course, the issue of what people wear is a very personal one and should be . Many
5
companies want to present an to their customers and choices such as tattoos and
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jewellery may not fit into that. However, care must be taken that rules do not cross
lines as companies have ended up in court as a result of that.

7
It’s important for managers to recognise the issue is with most people and focus
on the problem, not the person if an employee goes against the code. However, if there isn’t any
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improvement, then the matter needs to be referred to .

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5 Listening for gist

Listen to three people talking about dress codes and answer the questions.

Part A: Which speaker:

1. has a problem with what their colleagues say about their dress?

2. wears an item of clothing for religious reasons?

3. wears an item of clothing because they feel more comfortable?

Part B: Now answer the following questions. You may need to use a dictionary.

1. What is a hijab?

2. What does it mean if someone has a word with you?

3. What does it mean if you feel overdressed?

6 Talking point

In pairs, discuss the following questions.

1. What advice would you give to Speaker 1 in the listening exercise?

2. What advice would you give to Speaker 2 in the listening exercise?
3. What advice would you give to Speaker 3 in the listening exercise?
4. Is there a dress code in your company? What is it?
5. What clothes do you generally wear for work?
6. Do you have any tattoos? If not, would you get one? Why/why not? Are you allowed to show
them in your company? Why/why not?
7. Are piercings allowed in your company? Why/why not?
8. What kind of discipline would there be if you didn’t follow the dress code in your company?

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7 Extended activity/Homework

Imagine you have started your own company. Write a dress code that you would want your employees
to follow. Consider the following questions.

• What do you think is acceptable/unacceptable to wear at work?

• What are your reasons for this?
• What kind of image do you want your customers to have of you?
• What action will you take if employees don’t follow the dress code?
• Does your dress code allow for people of different cultures and religions? Are there any legal risks
with your code?

You should:

• write at least 150 words,

• check your grammar, spelling and punctuation.

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