CASUAL FRIDAYS

Feb 2006: I stated my opinion on the new guy earlier but as for Crosby....Glad he's gone and we'll just have to wait and see now.  But I do agree with some of the comments..

I guess I won't make a snap judgement on this one but his [McDonough] first OFFICIAL ORDER  has been to cancel casual fridays.  There were so many complaints about this though that they changed it to allow "business" casual on Fridays (exludes wearing denim) and business dress Monday through Thursday (meaning men must wear suit pants, formal shirt and ties - women wear dress, skirt and blouse or slacks and blouse). 

Laura Bedard - deputy secretary, actually sent an email saying she was "SHOCKED" at the number of emails and calls she received regarding this issue. Wake Up lady, the small folks don't have many perks and you just took away our biggest one!

Now I don't have a problem with this as I dress professionally every day, but the way folks dress is not the DOC's biggest problem.  I don't think I'd have started out my reign by pissing off the entire administrative staff.  I assume the security staff will be next. Maybe they will have to wear their class "A" uniforms instead of the BDU's and polo shirts. 

Professional????   Dressing professional does not make one professional...Just look at Ted Bundy. He wore suits and ties all the time. Then again I suppose he was a professional wasn't he?   A professional killer!

As far as I'm concerned this is not a smart move to start off with.  Helllllooo....clothing is not the issue Mr. Secretary.  A quote from him, "professionalism will be rewarded"  yeah right!!!!  We'll see what his next move is...I'll keep you posted.
 ~A Staff Member

I agree with you that the clothes do not entirely make the man. We have witnessed that fact in the department with street thugs incognito in the uniform of officers. However clothes often have a subtle influence on a person's mood and behavior.

I remember my days in the corporate world.  Casual Fridays lifted my mood and somehow made the weekend seem to come sooner.  We all looked forward to it. I also remember we were a little less professional on those days, chatting more, maybe taking work a little less seriously. Clothes do subtlety change the attitude and it can be good for us.

However, although I see staff's viewpoint, I also understand the interim secretary's desire to elevate the department into the professional world where it should always have been, both inside and out. I'm assuming he is trying to create this air of professionalism in every manner possible.  Which, of course, is all I've ever asked of the FDOC.

If it upsets staff so much, I hope Casual Friday's are reinstated, but if not, business casual is not so bad. We get used to what we live and work with and soon it will be habit. It's so much better to get used to professionalism on the job than to accept a substandard situation as status quo. 

If James McDonough returns ethics and professionalism to the department every employee will benefit in many ways, the two most important being your job safety and the way the public views you. But Secretary McDonough needs your cooperation to make it happen.

Casual Friday is such a minor thing compared to the benefits to be reaped from working in a professional department, that I have to suggest we give James McDonough a chance to prove his words, "Professionalism will be rewarded." Otherwise you'll end up with just another 'Good Ol' Boy' who might let you wear jeans to work, but who will drag the department down even more. And that's not safe for anyone.

Kay Lee
kaylee1@charter.net

Employees prevail in DOC's 'Denim-gate'
http://gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060221/LOCAL/60221001/1078/news&template=printart
Gainesville Sun
Article published Feb 21, 2006

The new head of the state prison system saw one of his first maneuvers shot down by employees Monday morning.

Interim Secretary Jim McDonough, a retired Army colonel, took over the Department of Corrections a week ago under orders from Gov. Jeb Bush to restore a system besieged by allegations of cronyism and wrongdoing for months. In weekend interviews, McDonough said he wanted the department - which is the target of state and federal criminal investigations - to be known for its "honor, integrity, professionalism, civility, pride and decency."

At 9:50 a.m. Monday, Deputy Secretary Laura Bedard sent out an e-mail message canceling "casual Fridays." It only took Bedard 35 minutes to realize that canceling casual Fridays had hit a wall of resistance.

Department spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger said the idea behind canceling casual Friday was part of an overall effort.

"The department is trying to inspire professionalism," Plessinger said.

For several years employees have been allowed to dress casually on Fridays if they were making contributions by payroll deduction to the Corrections Foundation. The foundation is an in-house charitable system that allows prison employees to make donations to help other prison employees in times of great need, for example following a house fire or catastrophic illness.

Bedard apparently heard plenty about casual Fridays immediately after she sent her directive canceling it. Bedard's second e-mail to employees, posted at 10:25 a.m., read in part, "I am shocked at the flurry of e-mails and phone calls regarding the cancellation of casual days. As I have indicated to others, I hope you give out of a sense of charity and not just to wear jeans on Friday."

Apparently Bedard's second e-mail did little to staunch the incoming wave of e-mails and phone calls from the department's more than 77,000 employees.

At 1:32 p.m., Chief of Staff Mike Hanna sent out an e-mail to all employees waving a white flag.

"After hearing from many of you regarding our cancellation of causal day and listening to your concerns, a decision has been made to continue casual day on Fridays, however, we would like to take this opportunity to define what is considered professional business attire for Monday through Thursday and what is considered proper attire for 'Casual Day' on Fridays," Hanna wrote.

The e-mail went on to detail what would be allowed, such as ties for men Monday through Thursday and polo shirts on Friday with any type of denim slacks, trousers or jeans prohibited on all days.

Employees who contacted The Sun said they did not want to give their names because they were concerned about the security of their jobs under the new administration. The prison workers referred to the series of e-mails as "Denim-gate" and said they were surprised that clothing became one of the first topics addressed by the department.

"For heaven's sake, we have people who were put on the payroll and never did any work," said one woman. "It would seem those matters would be a lot more important that what the rest of us who show up and work are wearing."

Karen Voyles can be reached at (352) 486-5058 or voylesk@gvillesun.com.

PUBLIC OPINION ON EMPLOYEE'S REACTION TO CASUAL FRIDAY

"It's good to know what their top priorities are. Mark Twain said clothes don't make the man, but I agree there should be a minimum standard, something like what they permit visitors to wear.  Florida DOC employees are welcome to transfer north to NY where there is no dress code for state employees - and where denim and sweats, top and bottom, are routine office attire."

"I can't believe they have a chance to create a safer, more professional work environment and they're going to balk the man who could do it on something so foolish as 'casual fridays'.

"I'm starting to believe those people don't know what they want... They gripe about being called guards then turn around and act like guards."

"This really bothers me. If they are bossing the new secretary around and insisting on their own rules, then what is he really going to be able to accomplish?"