Legal Question in Employment Law in Illinois

ILL. ADMIN. CODE tit. 56, � 300.840

In Illinois, an employer may not deduct the cost of purchasing

and/or cleaning uniforms required by the employer from an

employee�s wages or final compensation, unless the employee�s

express written consent is given freely at the time the deduction

is made. Distinctive outfits or accessories, or both, intended to

identify the employee with a specific employer are considered

uniforms. If an employer requires a general type of ordinary

basic street clothing to be worn, but permits variations in the

detail of dress, this is not considered a uniform. However, when

an employer requires that an employee purchase street clothes

either from the employer or from a third party designated by the

employer, the clothing is considered a uniform. Thus, it appears

that the special shirts ordered for Illinois employees in this case

must be paid for by the employer.

If a company decides that you must wear a specific brand and color of pants, does this qualify as must be paid for by employer? The company that I work for has always had shirts that we must wear, but allowed for a generic style khaki pant. Now the company is requiring that we wear a specific brand and color of pant, and that we must purchase this ourselves. I am wondering about the legality of this, as I usually purchase a much higher quality pant for the same price as the pant they are now requiring.

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