[Ground Illusion]

Over the past years my company has provided our employees with work t's and sweatshirts with our company logo, etc. on it. We are now looking at moving to uniforms instead of the old t'shirt gig. From your point of view, what are the ups and downs of having employees wearing uniforms with their name and company logo on them?

[Rick Carver]

The only down was getting employees to " get IT " regarding uniforms. They are for image,,, for branding,,, and for making sure the customer knows who is working on their property,,,,,, so the uniforms have to BE W O R N!!!! and worn correctly.

We paid for uniforms up front then employees paid back the cost and as you moved up through our company, your uniform was less and less expensive. Problem was that guys get lazy,,, shirt tails not tucked in DROVE ME NUTS!!!! Dirty uniforms look worse to me then not wearing one at all.

We ended up buying enough extra uniforms I think they were XXXL in size,,,, no matter what size you wore,,, (no one wore that big a size in my company) if you came in with a dirty uniform or not with shirt hat and pants matching you got to rent the extra one for the day!!!!

Also,,,, I learned that my hispanics liked long sleeve ONLY. No matter how hot these guys wear long sleeves. Only install crews were allowed to wear shorts,,, later we changed to no one wore shorts. Safety is the reason. Stones and stuff from trimmers, mowers,,, etc kicking up was the reason.

HTH
Rick Carver

[cutntrim]

Originally posted by Rick Carver
Problem was that guys get lazy,,, shirt tails not tucked in DROVE ME NUTS!!!! Dirty uniforms look worse to me then not wearing one at all.

I hear ya'! I'm only 36 but I grew up after the skater culture, back when kids actually used to tuck their shirts in. I'm constantly telling them to do so, and usually give up by mid-summer. Not wearing the hat provided to them is also a problem. Can't do much about it though, when I'm not on-site.

I like the "rental" idea...

[Stonehenge]

Your hispanic employees are smart guys -

I moved to long sleeves last year - other than the hottest days, having the sweat stay on the short cools you down more quickly. And the suntan is just vanity - it'll get yourself a nice carcinoma down the road. Long sleeves is where it's at.

To the original poster's question - this is just my opinion, based on my observations - The determining factor in a professional look to your employees is not so much the shirt (button-down, collared "bowling" shirt with "Joe" embroidered on the chest vs nice T-shirt w/ logo vs. polo with logo) as it is the pants.

Any of those shirts coupled with a ratty pair of jeans still looks ratty. Pair up any of those shirts with a nice pair of tan or green Dickie's, and you have yourself a nice uniform.

As Rick mentioned, keeping them clean is also important.

But to me, your preference of T-shirt/Bowling Shirt/Polo is just that - preference.

Again, my opinion, not based on any actual facts.

[cutntrim]

FWIW, we wear shorts and T-shirts, and ball hats. We also have tank tops. All are logo'd, and shirts are either grey, tan, or white. Employees provide their own shorts...no rips. Hats are khaki. Frankly, it's too humid here to be comfortable in long pants and long shirts. That's what sunblock is for IMO.

[Stonehenge]

I found the sunblock does a poor job of stopping the brick debris coming out of the back of a cutoff saw.

[GLAN]

I have T's made every spring.....

Hooded Sweat Shirts.......I try to get the men to get a second cold season out of them ( I buy nice heavy weight ) As they are $35 - $40 each with embrodery on the chest.

Caps with logo

Boony hats with the wide brims.......I buy them just as summer hits

Sweath bands with the cooling gel, they each get 2

Anti Vibe gloves for those who trim shrubs.....and any other gloves that would be needed for what ever task....mostly those cotton knit gloves with the rubber coating on the palm....I get a decent price per full case.

Earl plugs and particle masks........also eye protection

Couple years back I had gotten Polo Shirts made up and one year 3 season Jackets.

Last year I bought denim shirts. Realy inexpensive ( UBid.com ) had the chest embroidery done and have them for the men. They now have 2 each so far.......They don't know how cheap I got them for.



But now I am considering a Uniform Service Company.....Received a letter last week.......cost $5 - $10 a week per man......I can have the men pay for their own..........This way they will get pants.....long or short sleeve shirt and even a cooler weather jacket.........I would still supply caps and I guess TShirts of our own.....and perhaps Sweat Shirts.......just not as many.


Ya know?.....

Add it all together what is "given" to the men during a season. It would add to $ hundreds per man.

[cutntrim]

Originally posted by Stonehenge
I found the sunblock does a poor job of stopping the brick debris coming out of the back of a cutoff saw.

Around these parts only the ladies that work for the city parks dept. wear pants.

[Mark Oomkes]

One other thing to think about it is what kind of material the uniforms are made of. I try to stay away from cotton as much as possible because it is a poor insulator. This works both ways in the summer and winter. In the summer you want a material that breathes, like polyester, unless you are welding or using a torch regularly. They stay much cooler because they dry faster.

I have button down shirts for all my employees, logoed and lettered. Got away from T-shirts and polos. They seem to wear out faster and fade in the sun and not look very good for long. Everything is the same color as well. I've done the different colored shirts before and IMO it takes away from the whole idea of uniforms, which is uniformity.

I'll let the shirts untucked go on hot days, but otherwise not. Shorts are optional. So you bleed a little, big deal.

[fitzg2md]

Last batch of tshirts I had made were a 50/50 blend. My opinion was that they made you sweat more, didnt breathe well, and would cling to you because of that. Went back to 100% cotton and will most likely stay there. Some companies are selling some really cool (not hot) shirts that are similar to a gortex type material. Looks just like a regular tshirt. I used one personally for a while, and WOW. It almost feels like your not wearing a shirt! Air just blows right through. Too bad they are like 40-50 bucks a pop round here