Work expect us to look like models

[Coldpop]

I've started a job in a clothing store where staff wear their own clothes.. or so I thought. No. We have to wear the clothes that work sell and we only get 70% discount. We have to have everything from work, top bottoms and shoes. We also have to wear stuff from the current season, so every 3 months we are expected to buy more tops bottoms shoes as we can no longer wear what isn't being sold in store. I'm on a 18 hour contract, barely over minimum wage. I can't afford this! I'm a mum with a mortgage. Clothes in my family have to last us till they need replacing. I also think it's very wasteful to have to constantly buy clothing. At the least to be able to buy the cheapest stuff from work it will cost me about £80- 100 every 3 months. It's not exactly a cheap store. There's posters up all over the staff room telling us to inspire customers with our outfit choices, that we have to be stylish at all times!. Im used to dressing smart for work.. but Im going to feel mugged every 3 months that I have to part with my wages to be an advert for my employer. I've just started, I've had no wages but I've been asked to sort my outfit choices as soon as possible. Don't know what to do. Is this the norm in retail now?

I am giving the current legal situation, not a personal opinion. You can argue with me all you like, but this is the way it stands.

The case you cited is about tax law and what can be deducted as an expense. It says nothing about minimum wage law; unless I have missed something, in which case please quote the part of the judgement you are relying on.

There is a specific exemption in the NMW act for free accommodation. No other deductions may take pay under minimum wage.

This is the deductions section of the employee rights act:

www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/18/section/13

If you look at the top it specifically says that this applies to the minimum wage act and the new statutory instrument.

@csi It not based on £70 out of the OPs pay check, it's a total budget of £70 face value of items in the shop. After application of the OPs discount they will not dip below minimum wage. If the employer expects her to buy items above that, that would be illegal.

But, if you're made to wear it, you should be paid above the Minimum Wage as employers have to factor in uniform and any clothing requirement (including a nominal amount for shoes) under Minimum Wage regulations. If it's Next, then they're already under investigation by HMRC for Minimum Wage breaches if you believe the media....

About a million years ago, I worked for JL and had to purchase a uniform. I had a choice of a range of items; skirts, trousers, blouses, jackets etc., But the cost was deducted from wages over a few weeks.

It wasn't optional, but a requirement within our contracts. Might be worth checking your contract and asking about help with payment. It's not impossible that if you explain your financial position to HR, they may have a way to help. You have nothing to lose by asking?

Lots of people on here saying they’ve never noticed retail staff wearing the brand’s clothing. Interestingly, plenty do though - I worked for Monsoon back in the nineties, and I was often asked by customers where in the store they could find the outfit I was wearing.

A lot of those clothes looked better on real women than on the rails. Customers would sometimes comment to me that they liked how I was styling something. I suspect there will now be a dozen responses saying “I would never in a million years say something like to a shop assistant” but people do. They say all sorts of things to shop assistants! Complimentary as well as plain rude.

Most of us regarded the clothes discount as a perk. Not all though; I can remember some of my colleagues moaning endlessly about not liking what they had to wear, and I used to think just go and work for Joseph or somewhere if you think this is twee and want to wear minimalist monochrome. I mean, this was central London in the nineties so no shortage of jobs for experienced retail staff.

Fun times actually. I look back on those days with fondness. It was a nice company to work for, and my colleagues were top people.

Because you would be naming just about every brand out there. It may not be the case now but I'm sure Tesco employees used to have to pay for their uniform, a nominal amount but still paid for. At least she will get use of the clothes she has to buy. I've worked for other retailers where you didn't have to wear the shop clothes but then you had to pay full price from other places. 💁‍♀️

before getting the job and noticed how the staff looked?
I have been in those shops and had no idea the staff were wearing the shops clothes. I don't particularly notice or care what they were wearing when queuing at the till.
I think it's very unfair to make staff on the minium wage buy new clothes every season. Apart from anything else its wasteful. If they insist you do that they should let you have the clothes free.

Totally agree They should be given FREE as a work uniform.. I remember working for nxt decades ago only as work experience through jobcentre so I could get a good reference but they didn't stick to terms of training me in everything and wanted me to just stay as doing stock with the blackmail they wouldn't give me good reference if I didnt.. They never forced us to buy their clothes for work though.. I had a friend who worked PT for them and he was never forced to by their clothes for work. Definetly unacceptable. They should supply for Free if forcing their clothing on staff

I was thinking the exact same... Rob their arse 😆

I would just show up for work in what you have that's similar to the clothing style and tell them you can't afford to spend your hard earned money on unneeded clothes. If they want you to wear their clothes, they need to provide them.

Even being forced to buy the very basics doesn't work as you won't get much if anything from selling them on in most cases. eg, two lowest price shirts worn loads, things you otherwise would not have bought.

Stores should be providing the clothes if they want the employees to wear them, end of. Give them less of an or no employee discount and provide the clothes.

Just wondering, if the shop is a ladies DRESS shop, if they employed a man. Would he have to wear a dress?

If not, surely to force female staff to purchase and wear clothing from the shop is sex discrimination? Likewise to not employ men because he is a man and not prepared to wear the shop clothing, would be discrimination?

If I were you, OP, I'd have a chat with your manager; explain the situation and you might find they can give you a couple of discretionary items for free.

I worked part time in Next many moons ago, and while 75% discount and having to wear their clothes was completely the norm, we didn’t have to update every 3 months. I would have found that financially difficult. And that seems to be precisely what is stinging OP so badly, understandably I think.

Did Jigsaw force you to get new clothes every 3 months?

We had a male deputy manager at Kookai, he had an allowance from a specified range of shops instead for uniform.

I would 'love' to buy the clothes for 25% but I would NOT relishing the WORK clothes outside work, 25% or FREE.
Is it in your T&C that you get 25% off and have to wear them?
If it is, get another job.
If it isn't politely decline.
If they do anything it is likely to lead to unfair or constructive dismissal.
Slightly different tack, if it is a uniform, logo T for instance, and you pay tax, claim tax relief on maintenance including, laundry and ironing. Use commercial pricing.

No, they gave you an allowance twice a year (spring/summer then autumn/winter) however the great staff discount meant I was always topping up every couple of months. I saw it as a perk of working there as I was heavily into fashion at the time.

Yes, I saw it as a perk too, but only because I could get by on a fairly small amount and thinking about it I think I was on a temporary contract of 6 to 9 months or so.

It wasn't the norm when i worked in m and co .

I too used to work In coast many moons ago and the expectation was that we had to look glam and reflect the image. We got 75% off too on uniform for 4 pieces I think but it was still a lot of money considering each dress was around £150 and we were absolutely not ever allowed to sell them( I'm pretty sure it was in our contract ) and the labels had to be marked with a 'U' people always used to tell me I was so lucky but when you wear something to work, it never ever feels the same wearing it to occasions /nights out ! It was one of the reasons I left actually

Just to clarify: clothing is not tax deductible.

Many of us buy clothing that, in reality, we only wear for work – but it cannot set off against tax. HMRC is adamant that such money spent on clothing has a purpose not connected with our work in that we wear clothes to keep us warm and to protect our modesty. Because of this dual purpose, we can’t claim the cost of our work clothes.

A barrister confronted HMRC on this issue: she bought clothes to comply with the strict clothing policy of the Bar (black & white stiff) that she would never wear out of court and felt that the costs were therefore allowable for tax purposes – the court disagreed, and this remains the case today. There may be some occasions when the cost is allowable -eg protective clothing such as safety boots, overalls, high visibility jackets, scrubs etc. But the OP doesn't fall into that category

Strange - this thread came up on 'Trending' but it's from last year 😮 . Still, this retail practice of staff having to comply with a retailer-own clothing at their own expense remains live

26 years ago I worked in a fashion store. Was just the same then