A Business Owner’s Guide to Choosing Great Staff Uniforms
by Abdul Aziz Mondal Advertising Published on: 04 February 2019 Last Updated on: 26 September 2024
Staff uniforms help develop recognition and trust among your customers. You may consider getting them to enhance your company’s image.
The outfits can also help have your staff attach themselves to your brand, thus fostering staff loyalty.
But choosing the right employee uniforms can be a daunting thing because there are many things to consider.
Here are a number of important things to include in your list of considerations.
1. Local Laws on Staff Uniforms:
Employers are generally responsible for the health and safety of their workers that are on duty. Your responsibilities may be challenging depending on the nature of the work. The outfits you’re buying should offer maximum protection to the staff.
The law mandates you to spread awareness about the costumes to your employees.
Current legislation such as the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) allows for the deduction from wages for employer-required uniforms. But the deduction mustn’t reduce the employee’s hourly pay or overtime wage per hour below the minimum rate required by the FLSA.
2. Type of Work Environment:
Staff uniforms are designed to suit different work environments. Your company’s business activities may take place outdoors or indoors.
If your employees are working outside, they need light and breathable outfits during summer. Apparel such as jackets and coats may be ideal for them during winter.
Dark hues like black and navy blue are ideal for factory workers. Such colors don’t show stain as easy as the lighter ones. Light colors such as red and yellow may be suitable for temperature regulated environments.
3. The Budget for the Staff Uniforms:
Base your budget on the number of employees and types of apparel to be bought. You should consider the sizes of the attires too. The expenses may cover branded shirts/t-shirts, jeans, shorts or pants.
Your budget should include all attires that your employees need in a year. Ensure that the uniform specialist works with your budget to produce quality outfits.
You may involve your accounting team to help with the budgeting process.
4. Your Employees’ Needs, Preferences and Goals:
Find staff uniforms that suit their needs and goals of your workers. You need to involve them in the purchasing process to understand their needs. The outfits should suit the type of tasks they’re handling.
Choose one of the colors on your business logo for the work uniform. You may consider the interior design of your workplace when picking the perfect color.
Ask your employees to vote the best uniform that would suit your business. Ensure that this design embodies your company’s work culture.
5. Fabric Selection:
You can choose cotton, polyester or both as fabric for your staff uniforms. Cotton pants and tops are ideal for temperature regulated workplaces.
Outfits that fit well can help your workers concentrate on making your company profitable. However, costumes made of cotton are more expensive than those made of polyester.
Outfits made of cotton and polyester mixture are ideal for industrial environments. The clothing can repel wrinkles and moisture.
Consider getting cotton-polyester overalls for your factory workers. Your employees can wear cotton shirts underneath them and still feel comfortable.
6. Durability:
The outfits should withstand the demands of your workplace. They should cope with factors such as snagging, pilling, wrinkles, and stains. Your employees should wear different sets of the uniform at work for a year without replacement.
Choose uniforms that are machine washable for convenience in washing. The outfits should have double stitches to make them firm. They shouldn’t shrink or discolor when washed.
The durability of these outfits can determine whether you’ll have to buy new ones soon.
7. Uniform Patches:
Uniform patches usually indicate an employee’s job title and the company’s name. You may have them customized based on your preferences. They help impress customers and enhance a customer’s perception of your enterprise.
Your workers will look authoritative with uniform patches on their outfits.
You may have the patches designed to reinforce your brand. Your uniform specialist can stitch them onto your employee attire. Their design can emulate your company’s logo. The model may feature colors that appear on the logo.
Uniform patches are suited for different businesses, organizations, and activities. They may include sports patches, military patches, and fire department patches. Get one that’s ideal for your business niche.
Read more here for details on how they make workplaces better.
8. Uniform Vendor:
You need to hire a uniform vendor to execute your uniform ideas. Uniform specialists cater to businesses looking to dress their employees in specific attire. They tailor the clothing to fit your workers. You can ask them to inspect and repair the outfits when they’re torn.
Uniform vendors either sell or rent the outfits to business owners. Decide whether renting or buying is a great option for your company.
Renting may be ideal if you want your workers to have specific attire for an event or short-term activity. When buying the outfits, you can offer your suggestions on the entire design.
Work with uniform specialists that can meet the needs of your enterprise.
Review their core values and goals to determine whether they match yours. Ensure that their business process complies with the local laws. The vendor must give you a reliable date for picking up your uniforms.
9. Corporate Branding:
Your employee’s dress code at corporate events or conferences affects your company’s image. You need to outfit them with attires that create a sense of teamwork and pride.
Ask them to wear the same shirts (with company logo) and matching color of pants. Your customers can easily identify your staff at events with this strategy.
You can get uniforms with different designs for different occasions. For instance, you can have the workers wear casual t-shirts with a logo when working on weekends.
Polo shirts with your company’s logo may work at events with potential investors and customers. Always consider the brand advertising that the staff uniforms give to your business.
Get Staff Uniforms for Your Employees Today:
Considering the factors discussed in this guide will go a long way towards getting great staff uniforms.
Make your employees part of the uniform selection process – after all, they’re the ones who’ll be wearing them. Including the input of your workers will make them feel valued and appreciated. This will help increase their attachment to your brand.
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