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We have the same rules for both guys and girls which are 1) all shirts must have a sleeve, long or short is ok, but it has to have a sleeve; 2) no exposed mid-riff's...I don't wanna look at anybodys tummy while buying popcorn and shirts that cover the midriff prevent those nasty warmer burns (just kidding); 3) everybody must wear rubber soled, closed toed shoes. Consistency of enforcement is the key.

Sorry Jimor. Its true, people do need to look at both sides of things. I didn't mean any offense by what i wrote. I had read a bunch of posts and in them all your replies were looking at the downside, I see now that you were just helping people see both sides. I apologise again if I offended you in any way

For safety, avoid clothing that can get caught in moving machinery in the projection room (e.g., scarves, ties). Safety shoes and safety glasses would also be a good idea in dimly lit projection rooms.

ALWAYS provide proper protective gear for handling xenon lamps!

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John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Customer Technical Services
Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Eastman Kodak Company
Rochester, NY 14650-1922
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Apology gladly accepted. It isn't easy being the responsible commentor that I try to be. Often I wish I could be the 'sis-boom-bah, rah, rah' cheerleader for Exhibitors, but the facts of life are sure different from the dreams of life, as I'm sure you've noticed. Balance is the goal.

Hey Mike:

I have just taken over as GM of the Sunset Community Theatre in Sumner, Iowa and EVERYONE (including volunteers) wear a theatre T-shirt. I think for our business the staff needs to dress modestly.

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Bob Allen
The Old Showman

We provide a polo shirt with logo for concession and a vest for boys who are ushers. Employees must provide black paints and shoes. Our boxoffice employees can wear their own clothes just not too low. For the most part every is happy. Polo shirts and vests are returned to us when you quit before you get your last paycheck.

Here is a question maybe for a new thread. What about body piercing's that you can see other than ears. do you hire those with them or do you allow them in your dress code.

Bob, you are my neighbor!

I own the Elkader Cinema about fifty miles east of you. Welcome.

Jim your posts are very well written and always informative. They always make me think and see the other side as you intend. I am glad, as I am sure many other are too, that you help provide the balance that forms like these need. Please keep it up the posts I read them all!!!! You don't come out and say it here but I am guessing you do not provide any type of uniform or policy. True?

In thinking some more about these court rulings I was wondering if they had made any impact to businesses or are they enforced? Maybe the key is as long as you provide the uniform in the proper size and or bend the rules for when you can't so that you can still employee the person you are fine. Thinking about this also made me think about large employers. I can not think of any who do not have a uniform or dress policy. Wal-Mart, grocery stores, Taco Bell, KFC, McDonalds all provide some type of uniform and dress code for what to wear with the provided uniform. Even in major corporations a dress code is in place and enforced. I work, in the daytime, for one of the worlds largest food companies and we have guidelines for what to wear in the office. Although we do not wear the suits and dresses our European counterparts wear everyday, we have guidelines. We have also been told, by the CEO of our division, that if the guidelines are not followed ( i.e. too much skin or jeans) we will be forced into the suit and dress policy of our brothers in the home office in Europe. So is it the uniform requirement or the policy and how it gets enforced that these lawsuits intended to address?

Just like Mike I think some of my customers and my staff would like to see more of the deep cleavage.
comments.......

Well, I'm certainly not a "newbie." We just opened our third location in Cordele, GA yesterday. We're cranking, with a UNIFORM!!

No sign of a lawsuit here. One would think that, if there were fear of lawsuit for requiring a uniform, that the majors would not require them, as a company like Regal is always looking for a way to avoid a lawsuit.

dsschoenborn: I am not, nor have I been, an Exhibitor, but had once hoped to own my own theatre (I have been a member of the Theatre Historical Society of America -- www.historictheatres.org -- since 1976 and have specialized in the physical aspects of theatres since high school days in the early '60s). Because of this I do not have a uniforms/dress code issue, but I feel that there are some people like myself who watch the industry so closely for many years that I can sometimes comment intelligently on some matters. I do not pretend to be a lawyer to know how laws apply all across this diverse nation which often seems like 50 little countries with thousands of different local laws and enforcement differences. If it is difficult for lawyers to predict how a court case might go, it is little wonder that we here can't predict such things!

Therefore, if I bring up a cautionary tale about law, it is expected that mature people will use soundness of mind and do what they can to look before they leap. If things are smooth and easy in a cinema's 'Clearance zone,' fine and good, but if the legal or other situation is murky and my cautions served to alert someone before they dived into a nightmare, I am fully rewarded. Sometimes my personal opinions will be evident, but as Mike points out, the life of these Forums is in their variety and diversity. If ever I offend it is entirely unwittingly, and I ask the same lattitude of expression and forgiveness that is granted to others. Thank you for your compliments upon my posts; it is always heartwarming to see one's efforts appreciated.

May nothing at a cinema ever fall into your food!!!! And may you never have a disgrunteled patron take you to court over such, nor a disgrunteled job applicant or employee sue you just because you specified a uniform dress code to make them appear professional.

We provide shirts with Logo and employee's name on them, the employee pay's 1/2 of the cost we pay the other 1/2 and it's theirs to keep, they provide their own pants and shoes but must be either black or tan depending on the season...

No shorts. no haulter tops, Yes the key is to be consistant, if ONE person is allowed to break the rules, that opens up a can of worms!

We have had no problems and uniform dress makes the theatre look professional!

Tony.

cleavage always brings 'em in

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Michael Hurley
Impresario

Here is an update from the Dept. of Labor on uniforms:

Taken to the Cleaners - DOL Clarifies Who Pays for Uniform Laundering

On July 5, the U.S. Department of Labor issued an opinion letter in response to questions from a restaurant trade association. The letter answered specific questions regarding deducting tips and wages from tipped employees to pay for cleaning uniforms. To help ensure your compliance, a summary of the opinion letter is below.

But first, as a quick refresher, the Wage and Hour Division reiterated its position on what it considers "uniforms."

"Although there are no hard-and-fast rules in determining whether certain types of dress are considered uniforms for the purposes of compliance with the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act, Field Operations Handbook (FOH) § 30c12(f) provides the following principles which are applicable:

a. If an employer merely prescribes a general type of ordinary basic street clothing to be worn while working and permits variations in details of dress, the garments chosen by the employees would not be considered to be uniforms.

b. On the other hand, where the employer does prescribe a specific type and style of clothing to be worn at work, for example where a restaurant or hotel requires a tuxedo or a shirt and blouse or jacket of a specific or distinctive style, color, or quality, such clothing would be considered uniforms."

Here are a few of the questions discussed in the letter:

Question: If an employee gives permission, can the employer deduct from tips to pay for the washing of the employee's uniform?

Answer: No. All tips are to remain property of the employee. Employers have the benefit of taking a tip credit toward wages, and are therefore not allowed to accept any tips from employees.

Question: Can employers deduct the cost of washing a uniform from the wage that it pays employees, before tips?

Answer: An employer cannot accept from the employee any payment where the deduction would bring the employee's wage below the minimum wage. However, if the wage is above and beyond the required minimum (for example, if an employer is paying an employee $3.13 per hour in base wage instead of the minimum $2.13) the employer may deduct the amount that is beyond the base wage for purposes of washing the uniform ($1), but still cannot deduct from tips.

Question: If employees want to wash their own uniforms, does the employer have to reimburse them?

Answer: If laundering services are offered free of charge, the employer does not have to reimburse the employee if he or she chooses to wash their uniform at home.

For more information, contact the Department of Labor's compliance assistance line at 1-866-4-USA-DOL. To view the entire letter, visit: http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/opinion/FLSA/2006/2006_06_09_21_FLSA.htm