Can fashion in the workplace have an impact on staff? It seems it can. One employee has written into me saying that they've been issued with a uniform sporting unattractive colours and this is deeply affecting morale. Should employees have the right to choose what they wear and how they wear it?
Dear Natalie,
I am an employee but we are around 150 very unhappy people and we need some help. We work in a clothes shop and they change the colour of our uniform every month or two. Recently they gave us a vote between two colours: pink and blue and blue won but now they are expecting us to wear yellow...
I know it sounds petty, but our employers have recently been giving us quite unattractive colours that do not suit many of the staff and it's beginning to really affect morale. Especially since they gave us a choice but over ruled us anyway. They don't have to follow this kind of uniform rule and we should be able to wear anything we like. It's not even like they can argue the colour they have chosen is highly fashionable at this time. Is there anything we can do about this?
Steve Miller:
Oh for goodness sake. I think you have to appreciate that your employer may be changing the colour of the uniform frequently because it is part of the quirky culture of the business. It may also be they want to experiment to see what colour fits best. When you refer to unattractive colours, what do you mean?
In terms of your claim that you should be able to wear what you like, I totally disagree. Your image should fit the business image your employers want to portray. In addition, I am completely anti all this dress-down clap trap.
Focus more on delighting your customers rather than being so precious about what colour your next uniform may be. That way you will sell more and may be in a position to convince your employers you are worthy of a pay increase or a bonus. Stop whingeing and enjoy selling to your customers. That's what successful people do.
Malcolm Mackay:
As Steve's questions illustrate, we need to know the purpose behind what the employer is doing. I see nothing wrong with insisting on certain uniforms but at the same time I do not see a great logic to the constant changes. If you are unhappy as you appear to be then there ought to be some discussion about this (although you will not all be equally unhappy and I doubt if you will all agree on colours anyway).
What jumps out at me from the email is lack of communication both ways. If you are working in a clothes shop and dealing with customers, no doubt the subject of the uniform crops up from time to time and if they sense negativity on your part about what you are wearing this may not be good for business. Can you not open up a sensible dialogue with the employer to deal with the issue?
Ros Taylor:
The first issue that comes across for me is consulting the staff then ignoring their input. Consultation raises certain expectations.
If your employers already have a colour in mind they shouldn't pretend to consult you. That is patronising so just tell them to make the decision. People aren't foolish they know when they are being toyed with.
To get back to basics, uniforms are there so that customers can differentiate staff from other customers. I have lost count of the number of times I have approached someone to ask for a size 12 and discovered they are a fellow shopper as everyone in London staff and customers alike wear black.
So I think your uniform change is part of your job and console yourself that in a month it will change again.
Comments (2)
Posted by Lisa | July 4, 2007 11:44 AM
In an image concious society I feel that it is important that companies not only design a uniform that fits with the company's corporate identity but also boosts staff morale so they are proud to wear it. The uniform is representing the company and happy staff wearing it with a smile will have a positive effect on customers.
Posted on July 4, 2007 11:44
Posted by Anonymous | November 1, 2007 12:20 PM
If an employer wants you to wear a uniform ina particular, should they pay for this, we have been given 3 shirts for full time staff and have to buy our own trousers and cardigan which have to be a set colour, is this right that we should have to pay for out trousers and cardigans?
Posted on November 1, 2007 12:20