UNIFORM PROGRAM BEST PRACTICES
Building a Successful Uniform Program
Building a successful uniform program requires a strong foundation. Discover the key best practices for designing a program that is efficient, scalable, and easy to manage.
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KEY THINGS TO CONSIDER:
Product Selection
Focus on Colors, not Brands
Embroidery & Delivery
Customer Service
Subsidizing Costs
Managing Employee Population
Running a successful uniform program isn't just about outfitting your team—it's about balancing brand identity, employee comfort, and operational efficiency.
Product Selection
Employees look good and feel good in different fits, styles, and fabrics. Company uniforms should meet the needs of different types of jobs, from the front desk to the custodial staff. For healthcare workers ,the functionality of scrubs often depends on pocket configurations that meet the needs of different types of jobs, and fabric properties such as 4-way stretch, antimicrobial, moisture-wicking, or anti-shed. Let us curate your assortment to match the best-selling products for each type of environment.
Offer a wide range of products from different pricing tiers. If an employee wishes to purchase above their subsidy, they have the ability to pay with their own credit card. Employees want to show pride in your brand!
Focus on the Colors, not the Brands
Employees want choice in their uniforms, so why limit them to only a few products? A team wearing the same color and logo still looks like a team, even if they’re wearing different brands/styles. Embroidery and personalization can be configured by department or location. Required embroidery will enforce brand cohesion.
Customer Service, Returns, and Exchanges
Implement a company store that handles employee questions, exchanges, and returns for you. Accept returns on blank items only. Customer service shouldn’t be part of your job!
Embroidery and Delivery
A company store with live inventory is critical to a smooth and profitable program. The ability to decorate on demand with direct delivery to the employee’s home or workplace removes the logisitcal burdens of coordinating embroidery services and distributing orders to your staff. Automate your operations.
Subsidizing Costs
Whether it’s a dollar amount or set allotment, covering some or all of the cost of uniforms for employees makes them feel appreciated AND ensures that your brand is represented properly.
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Implement a $ voucher instead of a set allotment so that you can lock your budget, but still allow employees to purchase over the voucher amount with their own credit card.
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New employees can have their own stipend or can join the existing employee programs.
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In healthcare, an embroidered set of scrubs has an average cost of ~$75. Most programs offer $225 annually (~3 sets) for an existing full time employee, and $150 annually (2 sets) for a part time employee.
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Vouchers can be issued at the same time to generate excitement and increase utilization, or upon the anniversary of each employee’s hire date.
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Vouchers should expire when new vouchers are issued and not roll over. Use it or lose it.
Manage the Changing Employee Population
Uniform programs are ongoing. Use a company store solution that can keep track of employee email addresses to send invites and reminders. Admins should have self registration options or be able to otherwise easily update for new hires, transfers, and terminations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it better to focus on uniform colors rather than specific brands?
Allowing employees to choose from different brands and fits while requiring consistent colors and mandatory embroidery gives them comfort and personal choice without compromising brand cohesion. A team wearing the same color and logo maintains a unified appearance even if individual staff members wear different brands or styles.
What is the recommended way to subsidize uniform costs for staff?
Instead of a fixed item allotment, it is best practice to provide a dollar voucher (stipend). This locks your organization's budget while giving employees the flexibility to buy what they need and pay out-of-pocket using their own credit card if they exceed their subsidy.
typical benchmark breakdown for healthcare programs includes:
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Average cost for an embroidered set of scrubs: ~$75
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Existing Full-Time Employees: $225 annually (~3 sets)
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Existing Part-Time Employees: $150 annually (~2 sets)
Should uniform vouchers/stipends roll over from year to year?
No. Best practice dictates that vouchers should operate on a "use it or lose it" policy. Vouchers should expire when new ones are issued (either annually on a single release date or on each employee’s hire anniversary) to manage accounting, encourage program utilization, and prevent unused funds from accumulating.
How does a tech-enabled uniform program handle embroidery and order fulfillment?
By utilizing an online company store with live inventory, uniforms can be decorated on demand and shipped directly to the employee's home or workplace. This eliminates the internal administrative burden of managing bulk orders, coordinating localized embroidery, or manually distributing uniforms across facilities.
How should we manage employee turnover and roster changes in our uniform program?
An automated company store platform lets administrators easily update rosters for new hires, transfers, and terminations or offer self-registration options. The platform tracks employee email addresses to send invitations, voucher notifications, and ordering reminders automatically.
Ready to implement a solution that can automate all of these key components?
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