Dress Code and Uniform Checklist

Pre-Shift Check-In

    Confirm the associate is clocked in on the workforce app (Homebase, When I Work, 7shifts) before starting the dress-code check. Predictive-scheduling jurisdictions (NYC, Seattle, SF, Oregon, Philadelphia, Chicago) require the shift to match the posted schedule — flag any mismatch to the store manager.

    Dress code varies by assignment: sales-floor associates wear the front-of-house uniform; stockroom and receiving associates need closed-toe non-slip footwear and may wear branded tees instead of the polo. Visual merchandisers doing a reset wear the stockroom standard.

Uniform and Apparel

    Current-season top in the approved color (check the visual guide posted in the BOH for this quarter's palette). Logo placement is left chest. Faded, stained, or out-of-season tops get sent home for change-out — keep two loaner uniforms in the manager's office for emergencies.

    Approved: dark wash denim (no rips, no distressing), khaki, or black chino. Not approved: athletic wear, leggings worn as pants, ripped denim, shorts above mid-thigh. Tears, fraying hems, or visible stains require change-out before the shift starts.

    Name tag pinned or magnet-clipped to the upper left chest, name side facing out. Loaner tags are kept at the service desk for associates who forget. Age-restricted sales (alcohol, tobacco) require a visible name tag for compliance audit trails.

Footwear and PPE

    Closed toe and closed heel, low-profile and dark. Open-toed shoes, sandals, and canvas slip-ons fail the OSHA general-duty footwear standard for retail floors with rolling racks and box cutters in use.

    Stockroom and receiving roles require non-slip soles per the store safety SOP — pallets, freight liquid spills, and the loading dock surface are common slip hazards. Associates without compliant footwear are reassigned to a sales-floor task for the shift.

    If the associate is on a truck-unload or replenishment shift, confirm they have the back-support belt from the PPE bin. Lifting injuries are the single largest OSHA recordable category in retail stockrooms.

Grooming and Hygiene

    Shoulder-length-or-longer hair tied back for associates working freight, the fitting room, or any role near rolling racks. Hair color and style otherwise unrestricted per the dress code revision posted Q1.

    Heavy perfume or cologne triggers customer complaints in enclosed fitting rooms and at the checkout. The standard is detectable only at arm's length. ADA accommodations for chemical sensitivity have been requested by customers at multiple locations — keep fragrance light.

Accessories and Visible Tattoos

    Loose bracelets, long necklaces, and large hoop earrings catch on hangers, EAS hard tags, and pallet wrap during freight. Recommend the associate remove or secure anything dangling for shifts involving fitting-room recovery or stock pulls.

    Current policy: visible tattoos allowed unless they depict profanity, hate symbols, or graphic imagery. If unsure, photograph with the associate's consent and escalate to the store manager before sending the associate home — coverage with a long sleeve is the typical resolution.

Sign-Off and Exceptions

    Capture the exception in the shift log: religious accommodation, ADA accommodation, loaner uniform issued, or escalation pending. Repeated exceptions for the same associate should be routed to HR for a documented accommodation file rather than handled shift-by-shift.

    Final sign-off by the shift lead or key holder before the associate hits the floor. Photos are optional but recommended for sent-home or loaner-issued outcomes so the district manager can audit consistency across stores.