IT may still be British summertime, but staff at one of Poole's biggest employers are being told flip-flops and T-shirts are a no-no when it comes to work attire.

Barclays clothes crackdown, which will affect the 500 people working at Barclays House, comes following the move of the company's London head office from Lombard Street to Canary Wharf.

Management staff issued a memo re-iterating the company's dress-code to all staff working for Barclays, telling them jeans, log-t-shirts, trainers, strapless tops, denim, sportswear and flip-flops were out.

It is not known whether or not the memo was issued before or after employees at Barclays House took part in a fund-raising Flip Flop Friday to collect charity cash for the Wessex Autistic Society.

Barclays regional liaison manager for the south west Julia Husband, said: "We've expanded our business casual policy to cover all days of the week not just Friday.

"It's not unusual for any organisation to have a dress code and, because of the move, we've just cascaded that again.

"We've just said if it's business casual policy it doesn't mean flip flops, denim trousers, t-shirts etc, which I doubt any company would want its staff to wear.

"Anyone who is meeting any business professional must obviously dress accordingly."

The memo is said to warn staff that wearing the wrong clothes could affect the financial performance of the bank.

It is believed to read: "Please be aware that if you choose to ignore the dress code... you will be asked to remedy the situation that day."

The 25,000 Barclays staff working in High Street branches will continue to wear uniforms supplied by the company.

First published: August 29