Summer is right around the corner, and with warmer weather comes the possibility of increased dress code violations. Now is the perfect time to send out a reminder to your association's employees about dress code policies.

Communication with staff is important, says Edward Yost, a manager of knowledge center quality and training at the Society for Human Resources Management. "You can't expect employees to just come to work in the appropriate attire if you don't define what that is," he says in SHRM's summer dress-code guide video.

When providing guidance on summer dress code in particular, Yost says, give examples and make sure your managers and employees "understand exactly what you're talking about when you say, 'summer casual.'"

ASAE recently spoke with two human resources professionals—Laura Good, director of HR and professional services at Million Dollar Round Table, and Phyllis Hartman, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, owner of PGHR Consulting, Inc. Here are their tips for boosting dress code compliance:

Document the dress code. HR staff and managers should review the code with all new staff and ask new hires to sign off on a dress code policy or document, which should be easily accessible to all staff members. "We have our dress code in the employee manual, with pictures," says Good. "We are pretty specific in our book, so even during the summer, employees know spaghetti straps are not acceptable."

Make sure your managers and employees understand exactly what you're talking about when you say, 'summer casual.'—Edward Yost, Society for Human Resource Management

Explain the purpose. Associations might hire recent college graduates, who are entering the workplace for the first time. Millennials and even-younger Gen Z employees may not have worked in formal offices and may be unfamiliar with the reasons for a dress code. Young workers "are more willing to go along with something if they understand the reasoning behind it," Hartman says.

Practice what you preach. Employees cannot be expected to follow the dress code if managers don't. "Have role models in the company dress the part," Hartman says.

Give reminders before big meetings. While employees should be encouraged to dress appropriately every day, Good recommends reminding staff of the dress code—and additional etiquette points—before big events, like committee or board meetings.

Tie "casual Fridays" or "jeans days" to social responsibility. Breaking the dress code on designated days can serve as an employee morale booster, so long as the parameters are clearly defined. Many organizations make these casual-dress days part of their social responsibility programming. For instance, once in a while Good suggests allowing employees to wear jeans on designated days in exchange for a small donation to charity, which the association could consider matching. Visiting volunteers may choose to dress casually and give to the cause as well, depending on the association and workplace culture.

Share shopping tips. Dressing professionally does not have to be expensive. Consider pursuing a discount benefit with retailers that have corporate-based programs, suggests Hartman. She has even worked with a company that partnered with a re-sale shop and had employees take part in a budget-friendly fashion show, as a way of sharing budget-shopping tips.

Be consistent in responding to violations. "No matter how hard you work to communicate your dress code, there will be some who abuse it," Hartman says. "If you're not going to enforce it, you shouldn't have the policy." A first-time violation could get a warning, but employees who violate the code repeatedly may need to be sent home to change. "Let them know there will be consequences if infractions continue," Hartman says. While this responsibility typically falls on department managers, the HR team should be ready to step in if the manager feels uncomfortable.

The most important thing that an HR professional can do when employees push the dress code envelope is to forge ahead with a conversation, Good says. "Put yourself in your employee's situation and think about how you would like someone to speak to you," she says. If you ask employees for input and listen to them, they will be more likely to adhere to your dress code.