Dress hierarchy

A leading public sector bank has an informal dress code for all its male managerial staff. There are no written rules, but everyone follows the code by convention. The code goes like this: Managers wear full sleeve shirts to office; assistant and deputy general managers add a tie; and general managers (GM) and above wear a suit or blazer. During winter months, non-general manager categories can wear blazers but not tie. The code has caused a lot of heartburn and is a source of several jokes within the bank, but many think otherwise. “We have a large number of employees, so most people don’t know who is what in the hierarchy. The dress code helps, says a GM. The result is visible every day: Those with a blazer and a tie get their due “respect” from others.