Benefits of Corporate Uniforms- Promotionally Yours, Sheri Breaux - Halo Branded Solutions

The Benefits of Corporate Uniforms Posted: 13 Apr 2016 01:07 PM PDT Think back to your very first job. You were likely issued a uniform of some sort on your first day. Maybe it was a simple t-shirt required to be worn with jeans, or a button up long sleeved polo to be paired with black slacks. Whatever it was likely had your company’s logo on it if not other brand messages. Now that you’re a bit older, you may still be required to wear a uniform of some sort. If you’re not, here are a few things the person in charge of your dress code may want to consider.  (Hint: If that’s you, read carefully.) One Unified Look: Whether in the office, at an event, or running an errand, your employees will be easily recognized in a corporate uniform. Clients will know who to turn to for a question about your brand and feel confident that they’re speaking to a brand expert. Not only will each person match, but your employees will coordinate with your other corporate branding. Clients may see your brand message on signage and in marketing collateral, but that messaging could fall apart as soon as an employee walks by wearing a shirt from their favorite concert. Adding your logo to something your employees are already wearing is an inexpensive way to keep your branding consistent and give your employees a uniform look. They wear clothes to work, right? Choose a piece and claim it. Add your logo, issue the branded apparel to all employees and you have a corporate uniform. Sanitation, Ease of Washing and Affordability: Does your workplace require a specific level of sanitation? Do your employees wash their uniforms more often than the average person? If so, consider issuing branded apparel that’s sanitary, durable through many washes and affordable enough to replace regularly. One of the best examples of this work attire is scrubs. Doctors’ and nurses’ scrubs promote a clean environment. In fact, some doctor’s offices and hospitals mandate specific color schemes to make it easy to see contaminants, bodily fluids and other stains. Additionally, because they require so much washing, scrubs are both durable and affordable. Scrubs also provide a non-restrictive fit so wearers are free to move as needed to position and carry patients and medical supplies. Often in large hospitals and offices, members of the same department will wear the same colors. Bright, cheerful colors and prints can often be found in the children’s wing whereas a surgeon may wear a solid green or blue scrub. Scrubs are easy to customize with a logo and/or name. With National Nurses Week just a month away (May 6 – May 12), consider giving new scrubs to the nurses in your office, clinic or hospital. Safety: Uniforms and workwear are not only for show. Some professions require specific attire and accessories due to safety. For example, restaurant employees are generally expected to wear nonslip work shoes to avoid falls in the wet kitchen. Construction workers may need safety goggles, helmets and reflective vests. If your workplace needs to comply with specific safety requirements, providing these as a “uniform” to employees ensures that everyone follows the compliance and gives you an opportunity to add your logo to whatever they wear. Team Building: When employees match each other, there is an unspoken sense of equality that could help boost morale in the workplace. No one is given special treatment; everyone is part of the same team. Also, studies have shown that when employees are happy, they are more productive. Attractive uniforms that make your employees feel good and look good? Sounds like a sound investment to me. Now watch that productivity skyrocket.   Have you ever owned a uniform as decorated as the Mooby’s uniform from the movie Clerks II? It may be silly, but the restaurant’s branding is still spot on! Do you have a favorite uniform? Why? What was your least favorite? What do you wish your employer had considered when choosing it? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.