Does your hospital require color coded scrubs?

I wonder why it is legal for them to create this for profit agreement with a scrub company and then require ALL of their staff to give that company $$?

Perhaps someone will challenge this level of corporate control in a future court system. It seems to me that the employer has every right to detail a professional dress code and expectations for appearance. It also seems to me that they have no authority to tell employees WHERE they must obtain these articles of clothing unless the employer is exacting deep discounts on the products on behalf of the employees.

My hospital has mandatory colors, but we can wear 2 different color pants (royal/gray) and 3 different colors on top (royal, gray, white). Have to buy the tops from a specified store because of the logo embroidery, but can buy pants anywhere. However, FT staff are allowed 7 items annually, paid for by the hospital. Basically 3+ outfits a year.

My hospital has mandatory colors, but we can wear 2 different color pants (royal/gray) and 3 different colors on top (royal, gray, white). Have to buy the tops from a specified store because of the logo embroidery, but can buy pants anywhere. However, FT staff are allowed 7 items annually, paid for by the hospital. Basically 3+ outfits a year.

See now that sounds fair! My hospital is a magnet hospital and teaching facility and considered by many to be the "place to work" in our area. While I understand their reasoning behind wanting standard attire I am not sure that placing the financial burden on employees is the way to go about it. I feel like they should either provide embroidered uniforms in the style they want at no cost to staff ( I am sure it would be a tax write off) or institute a new dress code policy where employees pay for their own clothes that are within the dress code policy but allows them the freedom to buy clothes that fit them and make them feel good.

Buying uniforms is a tax write-off for YOU and benefits your tax base much more.

I write off my uniforms EvERY year, including shoes, and other items as well.

My hospital did this. Employees wailed, the union filed grievances, everyone freaked out.

It was one of the best changes I ever saw implemented. I was a patient at a facility owned by my employer and I knew the role of every person I ran into. Bonus: Not one Medical Assistant tried to pass herself off as a "nurse."

We were given a one time stipend to buy new scrubs. Embroidering with company logo was included if you wanted. You can wear any color undershirt, but it has to be a solid color. You can buy from any manufacturer, but the color has to be solid a pretty close match. It has worked out great.

Buying uniforms is a tax write-off for YOU and benefits your tax base much more.

I write off my uniforms EvERY year, including shoes, and other items as well.

Situations vary and it depends on how much you make. Even with my union dues my work expenses were too small to deduct.

Situations vary and it depends on how much you make. Even with my union dues my work expenses were too small to deduct.

Yes, situations are different; however, all appropriate to deduct either way; and it does add up enough in most situations, and people don't take advantage of it.

Buying uniforms is a tax write-off for YOU and benefits your tax base much more.

I write off my uniforms EvERY year, including shoes, and other items as well.

Even if I were able to deduct the cost of the uniforms, that is next year.

I am sure like me, many employees don't have the extra money today to buy new uniforms. Only a month ago we were told the uniform idea was in the "beginning stages" nobody expected to have to pay for them since the hospital pays for the uniforms for OR, maintenance, and environmental staff. Finding out that not only do we have to pay for them but we can not even bargain shop at our local scrub stores or online and have very little notice. Just because I make a good wage doesn't mean I have extra money.

At our hospital, we can buy the scrub tops only from one place (it embroiders the hospital name on it, as well as your title). Bottoms can be same color or black, any style. Undershirts can be any color, as far as I know (at least, I've never been told I couldn't wear them). We can wear a fleece with the hospital name over the shirt. The tops are Cherokee, and there are about 4 or 5 styles to choose from.

We are not given any type of scrub stipend. It all comes out of our own money. Which is fine, I wouldn't expect them to pay for my scrubs. The last hospital I left, which also had the hospital name embroidered, I just gave the 3 scrub tops I own to coworkers. No big deal, I was out $60.

And yes, the last two jobs I worked where the staff is color coded, the RN has been royal blue.

Situations vary and it depends on how much you make. Even with my union dues my work expenses were too small to deduct.

Yep, even with owning a house, our expenses are too small to itemize. I wish I could, I could justify my Dansko addiction even more.

Something sounds fishy between the uniform people and the hospital.

I don't so much object to the mandated colors, as I object to the specific brand and type.

We went gray. On most days I feel like a big gray elephant.