Work Uniform/Dress Code

[martin4963]

:? My wife works as a teaching assistant at a local primary school, most of her colleagues who are also teaching assistants wear jeans for work (smart casual dress). The Head of the school is now trying to enforce a "no jeans" rule and that school uniform should be worn.

Assuming that there is no dress code in her contract of employment, can the head of the school enforce this rule ?

My own personal view is that the head should be told "You provide the uniform & I`ll wear it".

For my wife and her colleagues to provide their own uniform or suitable work wear would constitute a reasonable financial outlay, considering her wages.

What are everyone elses thoughts on this ?

[Karrie2129]

What exactly is she being asked to wear?

[martin4963]

Hi Karrie 2129,

 

She is being asked to wear: plain black trousers (approx £12 pair)

polo shirt with school logo (approx £13 each)

 

Thanks,

Martin

[verycatchy7939]

seems fine to me,

[martin4963]

hi verycatchy7939,

 

Wife has no problem with wearing uniform, just who is going to pay for it, she has just had her hours reduced and is consequently £100 per month worse off (she is already struggling financially) - if the school pay for it, she`ll wear it.

 

Thanks,

Martin

[Lula]

Sorry I disagree, The students wear uniform, not the staff.

[PriorityOne]

I work in a school and support staff have never been allowed to wear jeans or combat trousers.... only on training days. The dress code is smart/casual, but staff are not expected to wear clothes with the school logo on either.

 

S'pose it depends on the head teacher, although if these rules were put into place after working in the school for a while and I was told to buy clothes with the school logo on, I'd agree with you and your wife.... the school should fund the changes. Support staff are underpaid as it is!!

 

[082stewie]

Sorry I disagree, The students wear uniform, not the staff.

I think the quote you just made matches your avatar!

[MrShed]

Personally, I dont think it is acceptable to wear jeans to work in a school (my partner is a teacher!).

 

This is no different than if you worked in an office and have to wear shirt and tie - would you expect the company to pay?

[Karrie2129]

Yeah that's my thoughts too. Perhaps there should be some discount or initial allocation of the polo shirts with the logo on it, but I wouldn't expect them to pay for the trousers.

[minmac]

Yeah that's my thoughts too. Perhaps there should be some discount or initial allocation of the polo shirts with the logo on it, but I wouldn't expect them to pay for the trousers.

 

Agreed.

 

My aunt does this job and when the scool changed the dress policy from smart to uniform they gave the staff the polo shirts free and the staff had to pay for their own troussers/shoes etc. Which is the same most places where the company expect you to wear their uniform.

[Andrew1974]

Not quite show how jeans every qualified as smart/casual.

 

Sounds to me like the head is simply trying to enforece an existing rule.

 

I'm strugling to see how asking someone to where black trousers and a polo shirt could be seen as unreasonable, even if it is a shirt with the school logo on it.

 

Andrew

[Lula]

I think the quote you just made matches your avatar!

 

Sorry, what is meant by that?

[hightail]

You have to wear something for work. I get a real impression that the head could be reacting to dress standards that have slipped to the point where staff have become plain scruffy. Jeans don't belong in a school environment on either pupils or staff. Pupils might try it on - staff should know better.

[082stewie]

Sorry, what is meant by that?

Ill draw you a picture the next time

[Lula]

Dont bother, I think you are a very rude person.

[082stewie]

Dont bother, I think you are a very rude person.

Thanks for that! You shouldnt try and think to much, wouldnt want to strain anything ;-)

[verycatchy7939]

why should the school pay? many workplace have a dress code and you have to fund it out of your own pocket

[PriorityOne]

why should the school pay? many workplace have a dress code and you have to fund it out of your own pocket

 

 

... because the school wants its staff to wear tops with its own logo.... which bumps up the price quite a lot. Support staff are grossly underpaid for what they do and to have to fork out for expensive, nasty-looking schooltops for themselves as well as uniforms for the kids is taking the p*ss, in my opinion.

 

As said previously, I work in a school.... and would kick up an almighty fuss if this rule was suddenly brought in; unless they agreed that we could go somwhere more economical and wear similar tops.... minus the school logo.

[hightail]

unless they agreed that we could go somwhere more economical and wear similar tops.... minus the school logo

 

That part I agree with, £13 for a polo shirt is steep. I'm sure if staff turned up looking presentable it wouldn't be an issue at all.

[verycatchy7939]

£13 for a polo OK.So if u were told when you took the job on you have to fund a dress code would you of not taken the job? no of course you still take the job.

 

Welcome to the real world, not some public sector haven that you teachers work in.

Pay up or face the disciplinary process

[PriorityOne]

£13 for a polo OK.So if u were told when you took the job on you have to fund a dress code would you of not taken the job? no of course you still take the job.

 

Welcome to the real world, not some public sector haven that you teachers work in.

Pay up or face the disciplinary process

 

 

Haven? You haven't got a clue mate....

[itstheone]

I understood if you have to wear a 'uniform' or 'work clothes', and i think something with a school logo would count, and you wash it yourself you are able to claim some sort of tax rebate.

 

I wait to be corrected from someone who actually knows rather than what someone 'thinks'.

[Karrie2129]

Yeah you can get tax relief for laundering a uniform

[deathbycrayons]

I think the black trousers should be paid for by you and the logo top paid for by the school. The logo top can't really be worn for any other purpose other than work - the trousers can.