Employee Uniforms

Purpose:

To enhance the professional image of public-contact service employees of J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College by providing specially identified groups of employees with modern, clean, and distinctive college-issued uniforms, which are required to be worn while on duty to aid in employee identification, to enhance campus security, and to provide exceptional customer service to the faculty, staff, students, and the general public.

Definitions:

Public-contact service employees: identified groups of public-contact service employees that include but are not necessarily limited to: Facilities Management and Planning staff (maintenance, grounds, custodial services, construction, and parking services); Department of Police staff (chief, lieutenant, sergeant, police officer, security officer, communications officer, and shuttle driver); and certain academic programs (e.g., culinary, automotive, nursing and allied health, etc.).

Policy:

1. J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College (Reynolds) shall determine which employee groups shall be required to wear uniforms and shall issue each individual in each identified employee group with a reasonable number of uniform sets and outerwear.

2. Employees filling positions designated to wear required uniforms must wear college-issued uniforms during work hours established by their individual work schedule, once the employee receives his/her initial supply of uniforms. Exceptions may be granted on a case-by-case basis with permission of the employee’s department manager or their designee. Department manager

3. Department managers must ensure that each employee receives the initial, standard allotment of uniforms and outerwear within an established timeframe based on his/her individual hire date.

4. Uniforms must be worn with appropriate closed-toe shoes, boots, or safety shoes. Torn garments, shorts, open-toe shoes, sandals, flip-flops, or any other type of backless shoe are prohibited.

5. Employees are personally responsible for the proper care, cleaning, appearance, minor alterations (e.g., replacement of buttons), and repair of uniforms issued to them unless provided for through a uniform rental agreement.

6. Employees who separate from the college or are transferred into a position which does not require the wearing of a college-issued uniform, must return all uniform items to their immediate supervisor no later than the last day of work or reassignment. All returned items must be in good condition and laundered, if not provided for through a uniform rental agreement.

7. Employees who fail to return any college-issued uniform item(s) shall have the cost of the unreturned item(s) deducted from the employee’s next and/or final salary payment in accordance with the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Department of Accounts (DOA). Additionally, if the item is lost or damaged within one (1) year of issuance, the employee shall be responsible for the replacement of the item at the “full replacement cost” at the discretion of the department manager or their designee, unless covered under a uniform rental agreement; if the item is lost or damaged after one (1) year from issuance, the employee shall be responsible for the “replacement cost” of the item at the discretion of the department manager or their designee, unless covered under a uniform rental agreement.

8. An employee who does not wear the uniform specified, without a reason acceptable to the immediate supervisor, shall be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment in accordance with the Department of Human Resource Management’s Policy 1.60, Standards of Conduct. Additionally, employees may not wear college uniforms in any capacity other than when they are performing official business for J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College.

9. Each department requiring employees to wear uniforms must include funds for new issues and replacement of uniforms in their respective annual operating budget.

Procedures:

1. Uniform issuance

   1. Employees will be individually measured for their uniforms.

   2. Department managers must provide uniforms to new employees within four (4) to six (6) weeks of the employee’s hire date. In the case of the Department of Police employees, uniforms are provided four (4) to six (6) weeks after the employee has been sworn in.

   3. Each Facilities Management and Planning employee will be provided with eleven (11) shirts/blouses and eleven (11) pants/slacks. Employees may request a different mix of this basic uniform package of twenty-two items from their department manager; management will make every effort to accommodate the employee’s request.

   4. Each Department of Police employee will be provided with five (5) shirts and five (5) pants.

   5. All employees will be required to sign JSRCC Form No. 35-0019, Employee Uniform Issuance Agreement, at the time of uniform issuance. Issuance of each uniform item will be recorded on the uniform receipt agreement. The signed original agreement must be submitted to the Office of Human Resources for inclusion in the employee’s official personnel file. The department manager and the employee are to retain a copy of the agreement.

2. Care and maintenance of uniforms

   1. Employees are personally responsible for the proper care, cleaning, appearance, minor alterations, and repair of uniforms issued to them unless these services are provided through a uniform rental agreement.

   2. If a uniform item becomes unserviceable (e.g., torn or soiled beyond repair, etc.), the employee must launder the item and request a replacement. Uniform replacements may be available to the employee based on normal job-related wear.

   3. If an employee loses a uniform item or willfully destroys an item, the employee will be charged the “full replacement cost” of the item in order to receive a replacement unless covered under a uniform rental agreement.

3. Uniforms

   1. Facilities Management and Planning Department – The basic facilities management uniform consists of shirts/blouses and pants/slacks. Jackets and coveralls will be provided only for those employees designated as “Essential Personnel – Snow/Ice Team” as indicated in their respective Employee Work Profile (EWP). Each shirt, blouse, jacket, and coverall will bear the college logo and employee name, which will be properly affixed to the front of the garment prior to issuance.

   2. Department of Police – The basic Department of Police uniform consists of shirts, pants, leather gear, boots, jacket, hat, name tag, and badge. Sworn officers will receive a bullet-proof vest and handgun.

   3. Academic Program Faculty and Staff – This group of employees is not required to wear college-issued uniforms; faculty and staff are to consult with their respective dean for guidance regarding this policy.

4. Wear and display of uniforms

   1. Employees assigned to wear uniforms are required to wear their college-issued uniforms on-the-job, during hours worked for Reynolds.

   2. Uniforms will be neat and clean at the start of the shift and will be worn in the normal manner. Shirts and blouses will be buttoned so as to minimize exposure of undergarments. Shirttails will be tucked in to prevent injury from moving equipment and for presentation of a professional appearance.

   3. Uniforms should be used only during working hours and should not be worn in places that would not represent the positive image of Reynolds. Uniforms will not be worn on the job while employed by an outside organization/company or while working a second job.

   4. In excessively cold weather (colder than 32 degrees Fahrenheit) and subject to overriding safety requirements, employees may wear personal outerwear, if approved by their department manager. Additionally, employees should wear sufficient undergarments as needed for their personal comfort if they feel that the college-issued coat or jacket is not adequate. Undergarments are not to be visible to the public.

   5. Major alterations to uniforms must be performed by the uniform service contractor, and only to accommodate fit. Any other major adjustments to the uniform, including addition/removal of patches, emblems, established buttons/button holes, etc., may be made only with prior written approval by the department manager or vice president of finance and administration (or respective RLC member).

   6. College-issued buttons or pins of reasonable size (such as service recognition pins, logo pins, etc.) are approved for wear on the flaps of shirt pockets and on the upper chest section of blouses and jackets, provided they are limited to five (5) and they do not create a safety hazard (as when working around electrical equipment or moving machinery). Any pin or button will be easily removable and will not permanently alter or damage the uniform item. Buttons or pins not issued by the college are prohibited.

   7. Hats/baseball caps may be worn, with the prior approval of the department manager, as long as the logos, etc. on the hat or baseball cap do not offend general public values and wearing the hat or baseball cap does not present a safety hazard. Baseball caps must be worn with brim facing forward unless when wearing a face mask or head gear that prevents forward-facing brim. College-issued hats with the college’s logo may also be provided to employees upon request and based on availability and college funding

   8. Jewelry, if worn, must not pose a safety hazard and not be excessive. Belts must be worn when wearing pants or slacks.

   9. Should reasons (e.g., medical) exist that may prevent an employee from wearing the appropriate uniform, the employee should submit a written request to his/her supervisor outlining the need for the exception. The immediate supervisor will review the request with his/her department manager. The department manager will review each request and consult as necessary with the vice president of finance and administration, their immediate supervisor, and/or the Office of Human Resources. The employee will receive a written response to the request within ten (10) working days.

5. Inventory of college-issued uniform items

   Annually in November, all employees issued uniform items will show their immediate supervisor and department manager that they have a full complement of issued uniform items and that all uniform items are neat, clean, and in good repair. The employee has one month from the annual inventory to show issued uniform items, in clean and serviceable condition, to their immediate supervisor and department manager and/or their designee. An inventory of issued uniform items must be conducted once a year unless through a uniform rental agreement.

6. Separation of employment

   1. Employees are financially liable for issued uniform items which, through no fault of Reynolds or the uniform services contractor, have been lost, stolen, or damaged beyond economic repair.

   2. No later than the last day of employment, the employee will return any collegeissued uniform items in clean and serviceable condition (unless provided for through a uniform rental agreement) to their respective supervisor when the employee separates or transfers from the college into a new position which does not require the wearing of a college-issued uniform. If the employee fails to return issued uniform items in clean and serviceable condition, replacement cost of missing uniform items will be withheld from the employee’s next and/or final salary payment per Department of Accounts, Commonwealth Accounting Policies and Procedures (CAPP) Manual, Topic 50320, and as agreed upon by the employee based on the signed JSRCC Form 35-0019, Employee Uniform Issuance Agreement.

Other Information:

Interpretation

The Office of Human Resources is responsible for the official interpretation of this policy and procedures. Questions regarding the application of this policy and procedures should be directed to that office.

References

Department of Accounts, Commonwealth Accounting Policies and Procedures (CAPP) Manual, Topic 50320, Terminations

Department of Human Resource Management Policy 1.60, Standards of Conduct

Virginia Community College System Policy 3.12, Faculty Sanctions

JSRCC Form 35-0019, Employee Uniform Issuance Agreement