There are many part time jobs that require their employees to wear uniforms, whether that’s a company-given shirt and pants, or just a set of guidelines that they need to follow, but do these uniforms really make a difference for the better?
According to Prudential Overall Supply, “Today, more than 32 million Americans have to wear uniforms to work, and those numbers grow yearly.” There are many different arguments as to if uniforms are important, or if they are more of a hassle. Below, I have addressed some pros and cons of enforcing uniforms in the workplace.
PRO: Uniforms can be more convenient for employees
“You can shave minutes off your employees’ morning routines and allow them to forego the hassle of finding an outfit every morning by having something already to go,” Land’s End Business said.
Sometimes, coming up with a good outfit for work can be difficult when you must keep it business casual, so having a laid-out uniform can be helpful, especially for young employees that may not have a ton of appropriate work clothes. This can also encourage employees who may not have access to good quality clothes to still hunt for a job because they won’t feel insecure about the clothes that they own.
CON: There is no room for individuality
Forcing employees to wear uniforms may put them in a box and not allow them to express themselves in their work environment. Especially in places that have strict policies on jewelry, tattoos, and other accessories, employees may not feel happy or comfortable at work because they do not get to be themselves.
PRO: Unity
On the flip side, promoting individuality may not always be the best case when some employees do not have access to nice clothes, as stated before. Employees might be turned off from a job where they must choose their own wardrobe because of lack of access to business casual clothing. Promoting unity and togetherness in a company could help them make their employees comfortable with the job and the environment.
CON: Cost of uniforms
Some companies require you to pay a fee for the uniforms you are forced to wear, which is unfair to employees that are not able to cover the cost up front, or if it gets deducted from their paycheck. Prudential Overall Supply states, “Federal law allows employers to deduct the cost of supplying and maintaining a uniform from a paycheck.”
PRO: Easy for customers to locate employees
When employees are all wearing the same uniform, it is easy for customers to locate them when they need to ask a question. In places like grocery stores, retail, or restaurants, being able to find an employee in a crowd can be beneficial in order to promote good customer service.
CON: Strict Guidelines
For some companies, their uniform policies are incredibly strict and can cause employees to get fired even if they are stellar employees.
“So, if everyone else is wearing blue shirts but you show up in a pink shirt with a print on it, the employer may decide that this is not suitable for the workplace and may fire you,” Halt.org said.
Some people may have difficulty having time to change into their uniform or may not have access to clean it consistently and not wearing these uniforms being a fireable offence can make it impossible for individuals with other jobs and priorities.
Although this argument can swing both ways, I personally think that uniforms are not necessarily for a company to keep up a good reputation, and they should focus on less strict guidelines for a specific outfit to wear. Doing this will improve employee enjoyment and make it easier for them to express themselves.