Walmart’S New Employee Dress Code Sparks Debate

[John81]

Walmart’s New Employee Dress Code Sparks Debate

By Krystal Steinmetz on

 

September 19, 2014

 

Many Walmart employees are not happy that the retail giant is revising its dress code. Workers appear to be upset for one big reason: money. Updating a work wardrOBe can be costly, and many Walmart associates have complained that they can’t afford the new look.

According to The Huffington Post, the new dress code requires workers to wear a collared blue or white shirt, black or khaki pants and a Walmart vest.

 

Although the vest will be supplied by Walmart, the employees have to pony up for the rest of the mandated clothes, Forbes said. Glassdoor says the average hourly pay for a Walmart associate is $8.83.

“Whether intentionally done for this reason or not, by choosing a dress code, not a store uniform, Walmart has completely and legally put the financial burden of the clothing intended to create a specific look on the employees and saved itself a lot of money, given that the company claims 1.3 million U.S. workers alone,” Forbes said.

 

According to HuffPo, Richard Reynoso, a California Walmart employee, wrote a letter to Walmart saying he can’t afford to purchase new clothes on his Walmart wages. He said three new outfits for work would set him back $50.

“The sad truth is that I do n

ot

have $50 laying around the house to spend on new uniform cl

ot

hes just because Walmart suddenly decided to change its policy,” he wr

ot

e. “If I have to go out of pocket for these new cl

ot

hes, I’m going to have to choose which bill to skip.”

Walmart has been quick to remind employees that they can use their employee discount to purchase work-appropriate clothing at Walmart. According to CBS MoneyWatch, OUR Walmart, a union-backed organization advocating for Walmart workers, said the retail giant could actually profit from the new dress code.

Based on the prices provided by Walmart, the company could end up with as much as $78 million in new sales, thanks to its workers buying new khakis to meet the dress code, according to an estimate from OUR Walmart.

Walmart officials told MoneyWatch that the multimillion-dollar figure is based on “a lot of assumptions.”

 

When I was in high school, I worked at a movie theater making minimum wage. Our dress code was black dress pants, black shoes, white dress shirt and a black bow tie, all of which we were expected to purchase ourselves. I bought two pairs of pants and two shirts (because that’s all I could afford) and I rotated them, washing the clothes after every wear because they were stained with butter and soda.

What do you think of Walmart’s change in dress code? Is it really a uniform that Walmart should pay for?

[Alimantado]

I think it would be pretty harsh for a business to expect its low-wage employess to buy mandatory kit that was very expensive or highly customised--i.e. the employee couldn't really wear it anywhere else--or was very specialist, like a radiation-proof suit or something. 

 

But when it comes to simple dark trousers and a top, I think the principle of the employee paying is well-established. It's the norm at restaurants, for example.

 

Whether Wal-mart would profit from their own employess buying kit from them is irrelevant really, because it's incidental. It would be different if Wal-mart were doing it every year and it looked like they were trying to profit from employees on purpose.

[John81]

Agreed. I've worked in several places which required employees wear certain clothing and it was up to the employee to provide their own work clothes. Working minimum wage in a restaurant, in the back where I was not even seen by customers, I was required to wear the same clothing style all other employees had to wear. The same was true at Kmart, in offices I've worked in, at the university I worked at, even in a factory jOB I had.

 

Specialty clothes or coverings were provided by the employer, but the daily work clothes were our responsibility; as it should be.

[2bLikeJesus]

The list of places many of the women, who no longer have kids in the house can work, without compromising dress standards is getting smaller.  In my town, because they require all women to wear slacks or jeans, (dresses or skirts not permitted), they can't work for Costco, Walmart, Fred Meyers, Safeway, or Albertsons to name a few. 

[ThePilgrim]

My question is: considering the dress of the clientele at a Walmart store why does it matter what the employees wear as long as it is decent?

[John81]

That's prOBably one of the major prOBlems right there Larry; many employees don't dress descent when they go to work unless they have to. Dress standards have dropped so low many people think they should be allowed to wear whatever they want, including as little and repulsive as they want, even on the jOB. Women going to work trying to show off their rear end or chest in the way they dress. Guys trying to dress to impress the women or show off for the other guys they work with.

 

Our society is not only generally indecent, but seems to be stuck in childhood and adolescence. They need rules and need them enforced in order to even accomplish what should be the basics of adulthood and propriety.

[Anon]

The list of places many of the women, who no longer have kids in the house can work, without compromising dress standards is getting smaller.  In my town, because they require all women to wear slacks or jeans, (dresses or skirts not permitted), they can't work for Costco, Walmart, Fred Meyers, Safeway, or Albertsons to name a few. 

 

 

I mostly wear skirts but in many work conditions, it is not as modest to wear a skirt when bending over or climbing stairs or ladders or whatever else.    My husband finally agreed to allow me to wear a VERY baggy pair of chef pants for my part time cake decorating jOB.  I wear skirts to my part time tutoring jOB.  The chef pants are so baggy you cannot see ANY thing bad, but they cover my legs for going up and down the steps at work or bending over at the mixer or crouching down to lift a wedding cake.   I also made sure to get feminine prints/colors for distinction.

 

Most people cannot wear baggy pants like that to work though.  It is definitely hard to be modest at work these days.  

[Anon]

Per the topic, I do think it's a bit much for Walmart to require this of their employees.  As a teen, I worked for McDonalds and they provided, at the time, the entire uniform...black pants, polo shirt, and hat.

[Genevanpreacher]

It used to be most people wanting to work in public already owned such clothing.

It is a business.

 

And it is a shame that society has degraded so low as not to already require this type of 'decent' clothing.

 

I think it would be nice to see such professionalism in employees.

 

By the way, there are places to buy clothing much cheaper than Walmart or a chain-store. Very affordable if you look.

 

So get over it Walmart employees! We of the older generation have had the same experiences, and we survived!

[John81]

The dress code is reasonable. They are not requiring employees to wear expensive clothes or clothes that could only be worn for work.

 

When I worked as a dishwasher, ALWAYS in the dishwashing area, NEVER in the eating area or where any customer could see me, I still had to wear black dress pants, and white dress shirt with a t-shirt underneath and black dress shoes.

 

At Kmart I had to wear dress pants, dress shirt and a tie.

 

A factory required steel toe shoes and shirts with sleeves.

 

The offices I worked in all had dress codes.

 

Typically, when one actually looks into just what these people can afford, it's not a matter that they can't afford to buy work clothes, it's a matter of them not wanting to buy work clothes. Most of these people have nice smart phones with what I would consider an expensive plan. They usually have a nice TV with cable, laptop with internet service, plenty of booze, and money to party up when not working. Most view such luxuries as necessities to the point they take priority over things like work clothes.

 

If people had the decency to dress appropriately for work, there wouldn't be a need for dress codes.

[DaveW]

Dress code is fine, but if Walmart actually stand to benefit financially from the Process, then it all gets a bit shady.

Theoretically, they could force a dress code change and boost their bottom line each year by the $79 million or whatever it states.

THAT would be very shady.

But there is nothing wrong with a dress code.

[EKSmith]

Can the Walton"s afford to furnish their employees uniforms should be the question brother John Forbes reported their worth not long ago -ROBson Walton $ 20.5 Billion , Alice Walton 20.9 billion, and Jim Walton 21.1 billion all three up 4 billion each this year.

Would it really hurt them $$$ to help their employees if they are gonna have a dress code.

 

Wal-Mart is a Godless company whom cares nothing for their employees they give the same 10% discount as their Christmas bonus to their low wage workers whom they are now making them change there dress code ? a early Merry Christmas from Wal-Mart to there employees 

Wal-mart is oppressing there employees with this burden for their own gain. 

 

I own a service business that's God centered and the folks that work for me are family to me and provided for in all their needs yet my company nor I will ever be listed with Forbes,  All my worth is stored in Heaven

 

 

God Bless brother

[Rebecca]

If they were already adhering to the previous dress code, then they should have at least the blue shirt and khaki pants/skirt already. In my opinion, they're making a big deal out of nothing. People just hate change and restrictions. A uniform would be worse... how many would be supplied for free? PrOBably just one, maybe two. What would happen if it was stained or ruined somehow? You would prOBably have to buy a new one, which would be priced ridiculously high. I prefer dress codes over uniforms. 

 

I worked at Walmart (night shift) for about two years and never felt put out by the dress code or 'oppressed' by the company. I made a decent wage and the hours were ideal for me at the time. Walmart is far from a perfect company, but to nit pick over dress codes? There's other more important things people can complain about when referring to Walmart.

 

 

The list of places many of the women, who no longer have kids in the house can work, without compromising dress standards is getting smaller.  In my town, because they require all women to wear slacks or jeans, (dresses or skirts not permitted), they can't work for Costco, Walmart, Fred Meyers, Safeway, or Albertsons to name a few. 

At the Walmart I worked at, there were several Christian ladies including me, who worked there. We had absolutely no prOBlem with wearing skirts, as long as they were Khaki or black business type. And since I worked night shift, I had the option of wearing culottes whilst the other employees had the option of jeans. 

[John81]

Dress code is fine, but if Walmart actually stand to benefit financially from the Process, then it all gets a bit shady.

Theoretically, they could force a dress code change and boost their bottom line each year by the $79 million or whatever it states.

THAT would be very shady.

But there is nothing wrong with a dress code.

That theoretical is just that, theoretical, and it's based on the assumption that every WalMart employee would buy their needed work clothes from Walmart.

 

Some employees likely already have clothes at home they can wear. Others have the choice of purchasing the needed clothes from Walmart or any other clothing seller they may choose.

 

However, if what some are claiming, that they are so poor buying these clothes will practically impoverish them, if they do buy those clothes from Walmart, the store won't gain the employees will then not have the money to buy the beer and cigarettes they otherwise would have purchased. (yes, a bit tongue in cheek, but accurate for many)

[2bLikeJesus]

You know what is even worse?!  Unless you walk to work, Walmart even makes you pay for your own gas!  And you have to bring or pay for your own meals during the "company provided" lunch breaks!  The horror!