California Requires Employers to Pay

A company’s required uniforms for its workforce can provide a more professional image and an espirit de corps and comradery among employees.  While the federal law permits employers to require workers to finance their own mandatory uniforms under certain circumstances, California requires businesses to foot the bill.

The U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act allows employers to make wage deductions for mandatory uniforms as long as those deductions don’t reduce employees’ regular pay below the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.

On the other hand, the California Labor Code section 2802 specifies that if an employer requires that an employee wear a uniform, the employer must pay the cost of that uniform.

An experienced employment law attorney can help guide business owners and human resources managers through further fine points on this issue.