Oh no they didn't...uniform changes in florida

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Our hospital has announced that in a couple of months our uniforms will be role-specific: all RNs wear navy blue, CNA's burgundy, ect. There will be no uniform allowance and they have taken it a step further to let us know exactly what company we are to purchase our scrubs through, plus what company we are to pay to have the hospital logo embroidered on it. Is this legal? How do we fight this without risking job loss?

Specializes in Home Health.

Color coding is a battle I wouldn't fight. I mean, does it really matter what color you're in? Chances are that those scrubs might be multi-color by the end of the shift anyway. Now the logo requirement is something that the hospital should be picking up the tab on.

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Specializes in NICU, Post-partum.
Frankly, I'd ask a labor attorney or the Labor Dept. If the logo is required, then it can't go anywhere else, so they may not be able to require that. Requiring a specific color... I don't think that part is out of line with a dress code. Who would know if you bought from somewhere else with the logo on it? Again, I'd look into the legalities of the logo and the one source retail they're trying to put on you.

Uh, yeah, they can require you to wear a logo.

I can probably list, instantly, no less than 500 companies that require employees to wear a uniform with the company logo.

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

DH worked for Radio Shack. At one time could only wear white or blue dress shirts with company logo ordered from Lands End. McDonalds has employee uniforms in order to work there so yes it's legal.

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Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.
Uh, yeah, they can require you to wear a logo.

I can probably list, instantly, no less than 500 companies that require employees to wear a uniform with the company logo.

Absolutely, what I questioned was making the employee pay for it. Everywhere I've been, they provided the company logo. Sorry if I wasn't clear the first time. :)

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Specializes in NICU, Post-partum.
Absolutely, what I questioned was making the employee pay for it. Everywhere I've been, they provided the company logo. Sorry if I wasn't clear the first time. :)

...now I totally agree with you on that.

If it has a company logo, then they need to foot the bill for it.

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Specializes in OR Hearts 10.

Really...if that's the most you have to worry about be thankful....

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Specializes in Med Surg.
DH worked for Radio Shack. At one time could only wear white or blue dress shirts with company logo ordered from Lands End. McDonalds has employee uniforms in order to work there so yes it's legal.

When my daughter worked at a McDonalds while she was in college her uniforms were furnished. My old employer required us to wear company logo shirts when in the field but they furnished them. There is an LTC near me that requires it's employees to wear company logo scrubs or polo shirts but they at least pay an allowance towards them. I haven't seen anybody here objecting to uniforms or logos, it's the fact the employee is having to bear the full cost with no choice of style or where they buy them.

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Pretty typical for hospitals these days. Pt's like being able to tell the rn's from the rest of the crowd.

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Specializes in Home Health.
Pretty typical for hospitals these days. Pt's like being able to tell the rn's from the rest of the crowd.

In my experience (2 diff. facilities), many of the pts still can't tell the difference. I get things like:

"That nurse that mops the floors is such a nice lady..."

"That nurse that brings my meals is so nice..."

This is primarily from the geri population, though.

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

The LTC I worked at when I first got licenced tried this. They insisted we had to have white tops & light blue pants. We weren't thrilled but went along with it as we really didn't have a choise. Our uniforms came in, and immediately a new order came out that we could Not wear tank tops under our uniforms. I put my tank top in my work bag, and put on a sweater to get me to work. Once I got to work, I walked into the DONs office and informed her I would not, absolutely refused to wear the tops w/o a tank under it. I removed my sweater and she discovered that the company had made the tops out of the cheapest and thinest material they could find. Nothing was left to the imagination! She ordered everyone to wear tank tops under thier uniforms until she could get the dress code changed.

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I like "color-coded" hospitals. The hospital I work at, you can easily tell who is who by what color scrubs they have on. Nurses are white and royal blue, PCTs are navy and tan, respiratory is green, radiology is black and red, transport is black and gray, OR is seal blue...Peds and L&D had a bit more leeway and could wear "cute" scrubs. You grow to love it. The other local hospital allowed TMs to wear whatever they wanted - when I was a student, I never knew who I was talking to - the nurse, the PCT, the secretary? They are color coded now too.

but you know what,a lot of patient's never really noticed the color change, they still didn't know who was the nurse or radiology, or housekeeping. I also wondered how colorblind pt's. dealt with it...I'm ok with badges with large easy to read names and initials. I read an article re: this "uniform look." The consistent look was supposed to make visitors believe the hospital was well organized and well run....all put into nice little boxes...Personally I don't care what I wear so long as it's scrubs.

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