Generally, companies are free to require employees to dress in a particular way, including wearing a uniform, as long as those requirements aren’t discriminatory or illegal. Also, federal law allows employers to deduct the cost of supplying and maintaining a uniform (having it mended or cleaned and pressed) from a worker’s paycheck, as long as their wages don’t fall below the minimum wage after said deduction.
But just because businesses are allowed to do something doesn’t make it automatically right. Don’t you think it’s rather funny that a multi-million-or-even-billion-dollar organization won’t even dress their recruits to show up? Redditor u/pacify-the-dead does. Recently, they made a post on the subreddit r/AntiWork about a meeting with their company’s regional director. She told u/pacify-the-dead that their staff looks unprofessional and that everyone on the team better buy the uniform.
Turns out, there are plenty more people who go through this stuff. The post quickly went viral, and as of this article, it has nearly 3K comments, many of which are similar stories from other Reddit users. We thought it was an interesting topic, so we went through all of the replies and picked the most interesting ones. Continue scrolling and check them out.
#1
Boss just hired a kid to work outside. It’s 10 degrees today. They want him to buy one of our branded $90 Carhartt jackets. He can’t afford it. They are mad at him. I told the kid on lunch, to go a block down the street to the coffee shop that is hiring at $16/hr to pour coffees and sling donuts. I hope he listens.
Image credits: Brihtstan
#2
Here is how it usually goes down for me…..
“What size of uniform do you take?”
” I take a 2xl or 3xl in a Double or triple tall size. “
“oh, uh…we don’t have any of those you can order.”
SIX MONTHS LATER
“We need to talk to you about your lack of professional appearance and how disrupting it is when the client thinks you are the one in charge.”
“Ok sure, so which is it? Because it can’t be both.”
Image credits: AudioVisualPro
#3
I got hired at a warehouse, where I moved up alarmingly fast; currently the warehouse manager. I found several boxes of company shirts, one day. The owner complained that my workers didn’t wear the shirts. I asked why and the workers said “they said it was optional, but the shirts are 15 bucks each.” I walked into the back and gave everyone 5 shirts. At this point in my life, I just don’t care. Stay strong homies
Image credits: Pleasant-Ad-4091
#4
My company provides uniforms (pants/shorts, shirts, hoodies, spring coats, winter coats, and winter overalls) and they give us a yearly allowance to get new things.
In a few months I’m going to check my stock and throw out the old [stuff] and get some more new ones.
The fact multimillion dollar corporations can’t find $150 to buy uniforms for every employee is crazy to me.
Image credits: xAsilos
#5
Lol I work outdoors frequently, but the majority of my coworkers don’t. Because of this, we are given staff t-shirts but that’s it. I usually have to wear a windbreaker and sweater over my shirt to do my work outside.
Leading to the questions from my supervisor, “Where is your staff shirt?” and I say it’s under my layers. This dude says if I don’t have a staff jacket (Which are 30 dollars!!!) then I should wear the t-shirt OVER my windbreaker…
Then has gall to talk about how important it is we look professional lmao
Image credits: MountainEmployee
#6
This is also related to admin assistants & receptionists who are expected wear expensive office clothes to work everyday. These clothes are dry clean only & you can’t wear the same outfit more than once a week. They are supposed to look professional but they aren’t paid enough to even keep their clothes clean, let alone buy them
Meanwhile their boss who gets paid 5x their salary is annoyed that their assistants don’t look good
Image credits: Madea_onFire
#7
Having worked in fast food, there are some places that give you 1 or 2 shirts, and then you have to buy any that you want after that. You also have to buy the special slip resistant shoes… at $50-$130 each, through a special catalog where you get a “company discount”.
It’s ridiculous that someone has to spend a week’s earnings to buy shoes they are required to have in order to do their job.
Image credits: Catri
#8
One of the last doctor offices I worked in, I was asked my sizing. I must have looked confused because I was told the doctor provided 3 sets of scrubs made to size and a fairly hefty discount if you wanted any others. It was probably my favorite office I ever worked in, he treated and paid us quite well, when he died most of us ended up leaving the practice because we didn’t like who took over and the changes he wanted to make.
Image credits: Planksgonemad
#9
Worked for a recruitment firm as the on-sight manager, the owner asked me what I needed while visiting. I said “fleeces, the doors in the cargo bay area are open all day, and the heating isn’t doing much”, He asked how many, I told him and he phoned head office and ordered them there and then. I know temp agencies get a bad rap, but the one I worked for really looked after all the staff.
Image credits: godca_grema
#10
That is why I loved working with my dad, manager of a garden centre, uniforms were free however the shirts were uncomfortable and cheap. He told everyone on orientation this is a place where your clothes will get dirty here is a company shirt you can wear, but I won’t force anyone to wear something I wouldn’t want to do just dress appropriately for work. Hard to believe his former staff come back to visit him just because they miss him
Image credits: Swgoh-LimJahey
#11
One of our higher ups was at our store and asked my manager why a couple of us looked “unkempt” (a few of us have beards and tattoos) and my boss said “It’s not a Fortune 500”
I like you, OP.
Image credits: Dinosauringg
#12
Where I work there is no uniform, we are very anti poverty and are aware that even a white shirt and black trousers isn’t something everyone has, I know I don’t. We are all encouraged to express our identity, whether you are at the bottom or the top which I love. As long as you have your ID and don’t wear anything offensive it’s all fair game.
Image credits: GuiltyCredit
#13
Tbh if these are just like printed t-shirts or whatever, I can guarantee the cost to the company to buy them is a fraction of that. It is likely they actually profit from selling these to employees.
Source: my boss did this to us. I used to just steal them out of the inventory boxes and tell others where to find them cause I’m not paying anyone to perform labor for them.
Image credits: the1tru_magoo
#14
I had a boss many years ago who had worked a night shift for a bank and they made him wear a tie and dress clothes. He hated it so much. His only directive to us was to look clean which I think is fair.
Image credits: GrimmandLily
#15
This is so infuriating. I once had a boss who wanted me to talk to my staff member about her “professional appearance.” My staff member was making $35K before taxes and living w/her parents and siblings to help support that household. My boss was making well over $300K at the time. I’m sorry, but not everyone can afford a wardrobe from Bloomingdale’s!
Image credits: yerrrrr10
#16
That’s literally illegal, the company must provide the uniform AND if they expect them to be clean the company must also pay to clean the uniform. They might be able to get away with providing multiple. The last uniformed job I had gave me 6 shirts so I didn’t have to waste my money on excessive laundering. The job before washed our uniforms for us on site. Fire department washed our uniforms for us on site. Current job doesn’t have uniforms because it’s a real job not a costume party
Image credits: AbsoluteTruckstick3
#17
I got a waitress job that required we wore a company shirt to work and provided us with only 1 shirt. We were encouraged to purchase backup shirts for $25 each. We were also only allowed to wear company branded hoodies if we got cold, ofcourse they didn’t provide any and they were available for purchase at $35. What a joke. I lasted maybe 4 days with the cheap bastards.
Image credits: Sad_Snazzy_Snake
#18
I had a packing job at a supermarket for four years. It was part time and didn’t pay enough. They had uniforms, but said it was fine for me to wear a black polo because we weren’t customer facing and started after the store had already closed. So I did, for almost my whole employment there. After a year they kept trying to get me to buy their shirts but I refused as they could never point to a rule that said I need to have one especially when the store is FREAKING!!!! CLOSED!!!!!
At around the 4 year mark they brought in new rules and made us get these scratchy cheap dress shirts that were synthetic and not breathable which was a horrible idea for a stocking job. They still didn’t provide the uniform, we had to buy it. So I wore my trusty black polo to their big inspection with upper management, being the only odd one out, yet the only one not also getting heat exhaustion. I quit with no notice a few days later to start working my current job which also happened to be my managers dream job. To say he was annoyed and jealous was an understatement. I skipped out of there that last night in my black polo and never looked back.
Image credits: gold-magikarp
#19
Owner of a restaurant I used to work for would make me buy his $45 merchandise shirts to wear if I accidentally spilled bleach on them while cleaning for $2.33/hr.
Image credits: -Reddit_Admins_Suck-
#20
I used to work for Healthcare services group. Managing housekeeping, largely doing housekeeping, cleaning toilets, the works. It was like 5 years ago they stopped making us wear ties. Many ties got dipped in toilets.
Image credits: pacify-the-dead
#21
Reminds me of a loooooong time ago when I was assistant manager at Structure (now Express for Men) and my manager said that I needed to wear the current season’s clothes being sold. I said when then you are going to have to pay me more because I cannot afford spending that much money on clothes every three or four months. She didn’t like that and I didn’t stay there for very long.
Another funny story was while working at Stricture late at night doing an inventory count someone asked me when I was going to get my own place (now that I was “supposedly” making money, it was $19K/yr). Without even thinking I said “when I get a real job and make real money…” It was a long night after that.
Image credits: th3_st0rm
#22
I had to buy a work shirt for $40 , my manager told me to buy 3 and 2 scrub pants. I only bought one shirt and wash it every Wednesday night. Ridiculous how uniforms aren’t provided.
Image credits: JayyeKhan_97
#23
I get told all the time my department issued uniform is mandatory. I get that. They issue everything but the work boots and have the audacity to say the $200 boots I bought out of pocket is department issued and threatened to write me up.
Image credits: RieseRazgriz
#24
I started a new job last week and got 5-7 shirts of various kinds (long sleeve, short sleeve, 3/4 zip fleece, etc) dropped off to me. All company branded, not mandatory yet for my department. Not one of them fits, as they didn’t bother to ask me my sizes, and they are mostly all a horrible slippery non-cotton fabric that I can’t stand. (I’m in the shipping/receiving department, so lots of running dirty packages around and getting sweaty.) I can dress appropriately professional all on my own. It’s not like anyone is going to question whether or not I actually work for the company if I’m not wearing a shirt with the name on it. Planning to see if I can swap the shirts out for something in my size in a style/fabric I’ll actually wear.
Image credits: thebat481
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