When Rosemary Onody began her career as a letter carrier in New York, she aspired to be in a management position someday. She learned to observe how the managers and supervisors dressed in her unit – good and not so good.
Fast forward 26 years. Onody now runs her own unit, South Creek Station, in Orlando. When she arrives to work, all eyes are on her. "When I walk through those doors, employees acknowledge me. I'm the manager of the office. I must set the tone and expectations for everyone to follow. Being dressed professionally goes a long way," she explains.
According to Salary.com, 55 percent of workplaces have some
dress code, and the Postal Service is no exception. Orlando Postmaster Diane
Tindle requires her management team to dress professionally. "As a leader,
each supervisor or manager may have to meet with a customer, community leader,
or postal executive on any day at any time," she says. "If we dress
professionally every day, we will always positively represent our brand."
USPS postal management style includes tie and button-down
shirt, slacks, and no jeans for men. For women, appropriate blouse, slacks, or
knee-length skirt. No high heeled shoes, sleeveless, see-thru, or low-cut
blouses.
"The most important thing about a dress code is you only have one time to make a first impression. You only get one shot at it. You always want to look your best," agrees Orlando Sand Lake Manager, Customer Services Keith Perry, a 22-year postal veteran and retired Marine.
"When a customer sees you, they should be able to identify you as the person they need to talk to. You look the part; you dress the part," he says. "You always want to distinguish yourself, and dressing the part makes you easily recognizable to customers."
According to the Employee and Labor Relations Manual (ELM),
postal employees are responsible for being correctly dressed for duty. They are
expected to maintain high standards of appearance, representing the best
tradition of service and efficiency while performing their official duties.
"I started as a city carrier. I used to take a lot of pride when I wore my uniform, which was always nicely pressed, pleated, and clean because we are representing the Postal Service as a whole," said Onody. "We have to represent the brand. And the way you dress says a lot about the person and the organization. We have to make sure we maintain that image."
Orlando Sand Lake Station Manager, Customer Services Keith Perry (right) and Supervisor, Customer Services Gregory Helms (left) sport a clean, neat professional appearance, an important step in making a good first impression.
