Why Uniform is Important in the Workplace

Every business wants to look professional and polished and make a good first impression. We all know that clothing is a part of self-expression; a uniform isn’t just what your employees wear to do their jobs, but also one of many things that represent your brand to the public.

When looking at your company’s uniform, it’s good to take a step back and ask yourself why uniform is important in the workplace. In this blog, we’ll share the top 10 reasons why uniform is necessary and the benefits for both employees and employers.

In need of a new bespoke uniform for your business? Get in touch with the Murray Uniforms team today.

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Why is uniform important in the workplace?

When done right, a work uniform can boost employee happiness, productivity, and confidence, increase consumer trust, and boost sales.

At Murray Uniforms, we have over 100 years of industry knowledge and expertise. Combined with our extensive research on what makes a good uniform, this has culminated in the development of our Science of Uniform®.

Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of uniforms in the workplace

1. Enhanced employee wellbeing

Your employees are your most valuable resource, so investing in their wellbeing is crucial to reduce staff turnover and burnout. One way to do this is through uniform – because when your employees look good, they feel good.

A strong company culture is also important for success and uniforms can help promote this, giving employees a sense of pride and belonging at work. They help level the playing field and make sure employees can stay focused on their day-to-day tasks.

2. Boosted confidence and productivity

Happy employees are productive employees. In fact, our research has found that happy employees are 12% more productive at work, and customers are more likely to buy from staff who are happy and confident.

If a worker is unhappy with their uniform, especially in the retail sector, it can make them feel self-conscious and less likely to have spontaneous interactions with customers. This, in turn, could mean a loss in sales.

According to our research report on the impact of uniform on employee wellbeing and productivity, across the board, workers reported feeling more confident when they liked their uniform.

3. Improved brand engagement

As we’ve already mentioned, employees are representatives of your brand. What better way to represent the brand than to have a thoughtfully designed uniform so employees can enthusiastically represent your brand – not just at the workplace, but also on the way to and from work.

A uniform isn’t just clothing, but also a form of advertising that distinguishes your brand from competitors. Through uniform, you can turn an employee into a walking billboard and spread awareness of your brand.

4. Instils customer trust

When you need assistance, you want to be able to spot an employee. In places without a uniform, you might often find yourself asking people who ‘look official’, “Excuse me, do you work here?”, and it can feel awkward when the answer is no.

Not only that, but lack of uniform can convey an unprofessional image. To use another example, it would feel jarring if you were to go to the GP and see the doctors and nurses in tracksuits. You’d have doubts about their competency.

In 2012, Hajo Adam and Adam Galinsky coined the term ‘enclothed cognition’ to describe the influence clothing has on one’s psychological processes. The concept is kind of like that of the saying “dress for the job you want”. If you’re wearing clothing that makes you feel more confident, you might find yourself feeling more confident about your work and working more productively.

Uniform when done right can create a consistent, polished, professional image and make customers feel at ease knowing who to go to if they need help. They also signal authority, and that’s a big part of trust.

5. Ensures all-day comfort

Another reason why uniform is important in the workplace is because it isn’t feasible to wear your own clothes in some environments, such as in the healthcare or hospitality industry where the job can be messy and you need to be on your feet a lot.

When fabrics are chosen with the workplace in mind, uniforms can be much more comfortable than you might think. It also makes getting ready for work easier because it takes deciding what to wear out of the equation.

Remember that employees in uniform don’t have a choice in what they wear, so it’s important to listen to them and ensure it feels like something they’d choose to wear.

6. Keeps employees safe

Wearing the right clothing and PPE for your job is incredibly important – sandals would not be appropriate footwear in a kitchen or lab, for example. In a factory setting with a lot of moving parts or delicate materials, you want to ensure the uniform is designed so it doesn’t get caught on anything, keeping your employees safe and reducing waste.

7. Results in higher customer satisfaction

When a customer goes to a shop, restaurant, pub, or hotel, they’re not just there to buy a product or service – they’re buying an experience. Thoughtfully designed uniforms are part of the recipe for a great experience because they reinforce the brand’s theme and imagery, creating a sense of professionalism. A memorable experience can result in high customer satisfaction.

What are the benefits for employers?

A uniform doesn’t just benefit employees, but employers as well. It’s a win-win across the board for these reasons:

1. Results in a return on investment

Implementing a new uniform programme isn’t cheap, but as the saying goes, “you have to spend money to make money.” Uniform is more than just clothing – it’s an investment in your employees and your business.

Every business wants good morale, high productivity, a professional image, and as a result, an increase in sales. Investing in your uniform is a small expense that pays dividends over time.

2. Helps with staff retention

Recruiting great staff costs a lot of money and time. Your company spends precious time placing ads, looking through CVs, interviewing, and onboarding and training staff. This causes disruptions and delays. With the job market being so competitive, it’s important to retain your most experienced staff. They know the business inside and out and as a result they work a lot more quickly and efficiently and can provide better customer service.

3. Promotes customer loyalty

To stand out in your sector, your brand should be memorable. That’s why companies invest in advertising and design. Uniforms are part of design and imagery and help communicate brand identity and that helps create an exemplary experience for customers. 

Case study: Dunelm

As part of Dunelm’s goal to be the #1 homewares retailer in the UK, they wanted to elevate their brand image using uniform , so they reached out to Murray for a bespoke, modern looking uniform that effectively communicates their brand and enables colleagues to Work Smarter®.

Our designs helped reinforce Dunelm’s brand and resulted in an increase in sales in stores that had implemented the distinctive green ‘host’ uniform.

Don’t just take our word for it – here’s what Dunelm’s head office and colleagues had to say about our work:

Achieve your long-term business goals with a bespoke uniform from Murray Uniforms

Now that you know why it is important to wear a uniform at work, it’s time to embark on your uniform design journey with Murray. No two projects are alike, which is why our approach is fully consultative. We take the time to truly understand your business and its goals before diving into designing your new uniform.

We use our Science of Uniform® to design uniforms that not only look great, but feel great and perform well too. We believe in what we do so much that we back it with an industry-first Brand Promise Guarantee – we guarantee that we will deliver up to a 30% savings on your uniform spend and a 21% increase in staff happiness, or we’ll refund the difference.

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