Forced to buy shirts

[Magicman]

Is it lawful to force an employee to buy company shirts if the company is making a profit? I was fired for telling them I didn't think it was right.

 

[Beth3]

Whether the company is making a profit is irrelevant.

For what purpose were you being required to purchase company shirts? Some sort of uniform to wear to work?

 

[Magicman]

I worked there for just over 5 years and had uniforms that I payed for every week. They decided to add two shirts that would be worn on Fridays and Saturdays only. This was new for my department, although the norm in another department. I know the company made profit on shirts because they use to be sold out of my department. They made at least 15% a shirt. I just didn't think it was lawful for an employer to be forcing purchases on their employees and profiting from it.

 

[Beth3]

I suggest you give your State's Department of Labor a call. There are actually two points of law here: (1) whether your employer can charge employees for items of apparel required to be worn on the job; and (2) how much the employer can profit from the sale of such required items to employees. A 15% mark-up may not be unreasonable depending on the employer's administrative costs to facilitate the ordering and the sale.

The answer to #1 above depends on whether your State has a statute regarding this and the apparel items themselves. In most States, the employer must pay for the clothing if it cannot be reasonably worn when off-duty.

 

[Magicman]

Thank you.