The Law at Work: What is a work uniform and why does it matter?
According to California law, an employer must pay the cost and maintenance of an employee’s work clothes not generally usable in the employee’s occupation. The duty comes from Labor Code section 2802, which requires an employer to pay expenses an employee incurs “in direct consequence” of performing his or her job. In his The Law at Work column in the San Diego Union-Tribune, Dan Eaton explains which types of work attire are legally considered work uniforms. He also emphasizes that employers who violate this labor code must repay employees for the out-of-pocket cost of the clothing, the cost of maintaining it and a penalty of 30 days’ wages.
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