I need information showing that implementing a uniform policy at work
increases productivity, morale, discipline, etc.

---

Clarification of Question by durso-ga on 06 Jun 2006 05:47 PDT

The scope of the question should go beyond just 'uniforms' - such as
what a police officer might wear.  The intent is to obtain information
seeing if there is a collorary between attire worn at work and
productivity, professional work environment, etc.  While uniforms are
generally worn when an employee has direct contact with the public,
many companies (e.g. law firms) have standards of dress that they
adhere to. Why?  Does Business casual work? Whats the best?  What are
the pro's and con's?

---

Clarification of Question by durso-ga on 06 Jun 2006 05:47 PDT

$15

---

Request for Question Clarification by czh-ga on 06 Jun 2006 08:26 PDT

Hello durso-ga,

Where are you located? What state/country? What kind of business is
it? How old is it? How many employees do you have? How many would be
impacted by the new policy? What is the problem you're trying to solve
by instituting a stricter dress code? Why are the employees resisting
the policy? Why haven't other management measures worked? The more you
can tell us about the context of your question, the greater the
likelihood that someone will be able to get you the information you
need.

~ czh ~

---

Clarification of Question by durso-ga on 06 Jun 2006 08:39 PDT

My company is located in southern Florida.

The business is plumbing service business where we have technicians go
to retail locations and perform service work.  They are currently in
uniforms.

30 years.

Sixty Employees.

Everyone else would be impacted, managers and office personnel.

Problem to solve: In the comming weeks I will be promoted to run the
company.  I want to project a more professional image and create a
more professional work environment.

Employee resistance: The employees aren't 'resisting'.  Currently
there has been a management failure to enforce any current
uniform/dress policy.  When I take over, one of the first things I
want to do is reinstate a dress policy.

I want to take the company from a more 'mom & pop' hokey operation to
the next level.

Another, related questions has to do with employees and uniforms.  If
a company has uniforms laundered for employees - who's responsibility
is it to pay?  Can the company charge the employee? Split it?

---

Request for Question Clarification by cynthia-ga on 07 Jun 2006 14:01 PDT

Are you saying you want everyone inthe company to wear uniforms, not
just the service techs?

There's no reason for the office workers to wear a uniform, they don't
come into contact with customers, unless it's just a control issue.
Plus, the uniform companies pick and deliver. Certainly you don't mean
for them to purchase the uniforms!

And about who pays: I owned 2 service companies in the past, one was a
carpet and upholstery cleaning company. The service techs wore
uniforms. The employer always pays. If you want to dictate what they
wear, then you'll be bearing the cost. That's one of the "benefits" of
wearing uniforms, folks don't have to use (or clean) their "work
clothes." I currently freelance in business administration, and one
client owns a plumbing company (he furnishes and pays for Unifirst [
http://www.unifirst.com/ ] uniforms. Another client owns a moving
company, he also uses Unifirst. None of the office workers wear
uniforms, and I can tell you that if he asked me to wear a uniform to
sit in front of his computer, I'd tell him to buzz off and find a new
administrator. And that is if HE PAID for them. If he asked me to wear
a uniform and PAY for it, and pay to CLEAN it, I'd laugh in his face
as I walked out the door.

"uniforms in the workplace"
://www.google.com/search?q=%22uniforms+in+the+workplace%22&lr=

---

Request for Question Clarification by cynthia-ga on 07 Jun 2006 14:03 PDT

Dress CODE for office workers/management is fine, but you are running
a business, not a boarding school, so uniforms for office personnel
and management seems _very_ controlling.

Well, it would really depend on the nature of the business, so please elaborate.

It would also depend on where you live. In Japan, it is quite common
for people to wear uniforms. In America, you'd have open revolt if you
tried to implement such a policy for similar jobs. My advice is, don't
infringe people's individuality unless you have a really good reason
to do so.

I manage a service company with several divisions and many employees. 
Instead of my employees comming to work in TuPac t-shirts, I want to
have everyone wear a polo shirt embroidered with our logo.  I want
facts to back up help justify the cost.  While I may have an immediate
low-level revolt on my hands, I think in the end it will add a modicum
of needed professionalism to the work environment.  If the facts prove
otherwise, so be it :)

"Service company" is too  broad to conjure up what you might do.  Have
you considered a dress code instead of a uniform?  "No ugly T-shirts"
or something like that.  :-)

Office employees, doing payroll and accounting and answering phones. I
want them to wear a polo shirt with my company logo as opposed to a
t-shirt.  I just want to know if there is any research done on the
impact of uniforms in an office/business?

Unless they are interacting with the public face-to-face, there is no
reason for office employees to wear a "uniform".  Even if they do have
public interaction, such a uniform would be degrading.  This is not
Japan (I assume you are in the U.S.).  They are not flipping burgers
at McDonald's.  Do you see tellers at the bank wearing uniforms?

Set out guidelines as to what is inappropriate office attire.  Let
people know when what they are wearing is in violation of the
guidelines.

(I work at a law firm and many of the women seem to think flip-flops
are okay.  I want to smack then upside the hide.)

Oops.  The last word should be head.

I'm not looking for your opinion on what is degrading or not - I'm
looking for RESEARCH.  If you can back it up, please do.  I didn't
know this was a opinion site.

Perhaps you're having a problem with the term 'uniform'.  I want a
more formalized dress code ... and I want research discussing it.

Hello dorsa-ga,

You are correct. Google Answers is *not* an opinion site per se, and
hopefully a Researcher will be able to provide you with the research
and answer you're looking for. Only approved Researchers, whose names
are underlined and in blue, can do so, and such an answer will be
posted in the "Answer" section, not in the "Comment" section.

However, any registered users can post a comment/opinion on any
question, and frequently do. That's what's happened here on your
question with the comments by kottekoe-ga and nelson-ga, neither of
whom is an official Researcher. Please take a look at the Answers FAQ
here, to get a better feel for how the service works:
http://www.answers.google.com/answers/faq.html#aboutres

Good luck!
Byrd-ga 
Google Answers Researcher (see my name in blue, underlined)

I would be interested in researching this question since it's in one
of my specialty areas. Unfortunately the price you've set does not
allow me to do justice to your question. I suggest that you review the
Google Answers pricing guidelines.

http://answers.google.com/answers/pricing.html

Also, would you accept a negative answer if the research shows that
mandating uniforms DOES NOT increase "productivity, morale,
discipline, etc."? Researchers are reluctant to take on a research
project where the customer's expectations are contrdicted by the
research.

Thanks.

~ czh ~

Some of the commenters are actually very helpful.  My comments tend to
be short, and my comment to use was actually quite nice compared to
what I've told other people.  Please keep in mind that you pay nothing
for comments.  So far you've only spent on the $0.50 posting fee,
which you would have incurred without my comments.  I agree with czh
that you will need to increase the price in order to get a Researcher
to expend the effort required to answer your question.

I've increased the listing to $10.00.

Czh: Unlike our administration, I'm not trying to bend the facts to
suit my purpose; I want genuine information.  However, intuitively I
believe that they do; why else would we have 'business dress' as
opposed to letting everyone come to work in their pajamas.  I'll
clarify my question a bit more.

Well, actually, a uniform is a LOT different than a dress code.

Uniform
http://www.answers.com/uniform&r=67

Dress Code
http://www.answers.com/dress%20code