Why Your Low-Income Employees Would Love Company Uniforms

[caption id="attachment_1078" align="alignnone" width="684"] Image source: Englishblog.com[/caption] What happens to a person when they put on your company uniform? Well, let's think about it. First off, they immediately look more formal and professional. They also turn each employee into a representative of the company, uniting all of your workers under a common brand. These are the two most obvious changes, but there's another change that's much more difficult to detect: uniforms can help make your low-income employees happier.   It may sound surprising, but it's true. Uniforms have a subtle impact on the psychology of workers that uniquely benefits low-income workers without causing any detriment to high-income workers.   [caption id="attachment_1039" align="aligncenter" width="607"] Image source: Commercialappeal.com[/caption]   The reason for this lies in fashion. As soon as you put on a piece of clothing from your wardrobe, you're saying something about yourself. Diamond earrings say that you're a little bit on the wealthy side, loose jeans that probably need to be washed say that you're relaxed and don't care too much about your appearance, and an old t-shirt with holes in the side of it say that you aren't willing to spend money to improve your wardrobe. You express your personality through your clothes, and you express your bank account, too.   Clothing is one of the most obvious indicators of wealth -- there's a world of difference between old, dirty clothes and a Prada handbag. Businesses can act as mixing pots that pull in people from different income brackets; you've got CEOs, managers, and everyday workers all under the same roof. This can lead to awkward situations for some workers. Wearing low-quality clothes around well-dressed managers can make a low-income worker feel ashamed and embarrassed. This isn't true for all workers, but it can really be a problem for families that are working from paycheck to paycheck and can't afford new clothes. What can you do when your work shirt rips and you don't even have enough money to pay electricity, let alone replace a shirt?   [caption id="attachment_1040" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Image source: 365daysofpraising.wordpress.com[/caption]   Uniforms completely negate this problem. First of all, uniforms give all of your employees a high-quality outfit that they can wear to work every single day. This can be a godsend for low-income employees who might not have the money to spare on high quality polo shirts or button down dress shirts. Providing your workers with embroidered polos can bring all of your employees up to the same apparent level of income.   Don't forget that your employees' clothes say a lot about your business. If any of your workers show up in old or low-quality clothes, then that's going to send an unwelcome message to your customers.   [caption id="attachment_1041" align="aligncenter" width="787"] Image source: Toomanymornings.com[/caption]   Uniforms can also improve the morale of your low-income workers. If everybody is wearing the same uniform, then the whole issue of pricey clothes becomes moot. Uniforms put people of all races, genders, and income brackets on the same playing field.   It's easy to overlook this advantage of custom embroidered uniforms. After all, many of us don't worry about how rich (or poor) we might appear when we get dressed in the morning. Keep that in mind the next time that you require employees to buy certain articles of clothing for a position. Buying new pants or a new shirt might not be a big deal for many of us, but for some employees those purchases are coming straight out of their first paycheck. Spare your workers the stress and give your company a high-quality line of custom embroidered uniforms.