| Uniforms | in Spanish |  |
 |
 |
 |
|||||
|
|||||||
 |
 |
||||||
Common questions about uniforms
What kind of clothing is considered a "uniform" and must be paid for by the business?
The business must pay the full cost of a "uniform." The business may not take money from wages or require a deposit from the worker for such a uniform. It is considered a uniform if the clothing the business requires workers to wear:
- Clearly identifies the worker with that specific business.
- Is specially marked with the business' logo.
- Has an ethnic or historical theme. Examples:
- A store requires Hawaiian shirts for a theme for a special sale.
- A Mexican restaurant requires clothing that represents Mexico.
- Is formal clothing such as a tuxedo, including the tuxedo-type shirt, tie, cummerbund, etc.
-
What is NOT considered a uniform and must be paid for by the worker?
Certain colors for tops and bottoms are considered common:
- Tops: white, tan or blue, including lighter or darker colors of tan or blue.
- Bottoms: tan, black, blue, or gray, including lighter or darker colors of tan, blue, or gray.
Even if the business requires these colors, it does not have to pay for this wearing apparel. For example: The most common colors required are a white blouse or shirt and black pants or skirts. Workers must buy this wearing apparel even though it is required by the business.
-
What if the clothing is a common color but also has a logo or other feature that identifies the worker with the business?
It is still considered a uniform and the business is responsible for the cost of the clothing. For example:
- A white shirt with a logo. The logo makes the white shirt a uniform and the business must bear the cost.
For more detail, see L&I Administrative Policies:
Uniforms
(ES.C.8.1) (17 KB PDF)
Q&A
About Uniforms (ES.C.8.2) (48 KB PDF)
