When any garment or accessory is closely associated with your nature of work, we call that item a business uniform. This includes any kind of clothing or accessory that help others identify the wearer as a part of a team/organisation. Some examples of these are — a sports team jersey, staff uniforms, aprons worn by the staff at a salon, a thematic tee for a specific occasion and so on.
Uniforms are an essential part of any organisation, since they promote team unity as well as create brand identity. We’ve been researching on uniforms and the psychological benefits it comes with, and have listed below several reasons as to why uniforms should be encouraged in teams of all sizes and types.
● Unity
Uniforms, similar in color and style increase group unity and integrity. They provide a common identity to the employees and hence, direct their actions towards a common objective. Also, uniforms eradicate discrimination on the basis of social status and a inculcate a sense of oneness among members of a company.
● Branding
Various brands have been successfully using uniforms for the purpose of brand identity and promotion. It is easy to identify the brand from its unique colour and logo printed on the uniform. It not only helps in identification of the brand but also creates higher recall value as a bright colored uniform catches the attention of many people. Thus, uniform is one of the most important steps in creating a brand identity and promotion.
● Trust
When an employee wearing a uniform interacts with you, you know he or she is representing the brand/organisation. Wearing a uniform inculcates a sense of trust and makes the wearer easier to identify and more approachable — imagine a FedEx executive standing at your door with a parcel.
● Safety
At places where there’s a high degree of risk of injury or any such harm, uniforms protect the worker in such working conditions. For example, a firefighter has a fixed uniform to protect him against any possible harm that might be caused by fire up to a great extent. Therefore, at work conditions with risk of injury or death, proper safety uniforms are a must.
● Value for money
Uniforms cut down the cost of money spent by employees on regular clothing, hence lowering the amount of expenditure. Uniforms are generally provided by the firm and are affordable to the employees. Wearing the same uniform on a regular basis reduces additional expenditure incurred on purchasing clothes, laundry expenses, etc. hence, prove to be beneficial for employees.
● Functional Aspect
Several uniforms are designed specifically for the job type, such as sports uniforms. These uniforms are designed in such a manner, that they prove to be functional and useful for the purpose they’re designed for. The functional aspect may include design of the garment, breathability of fabric, colour, durability, etc. as per the work to be performed.
