Free restaurant template · Policy
Restaurant uniform and dress code policy template
Free to use and edit. These are starting drafts, not legal advice: have an employment attorney review any policy before you rely on it.
The template
[Restaurant name]
Uniform and Dress Code Policy
Purpose
Our dress code keeps food safe, keeps staff safe and tells guests who works here. It applies to every shift.
Provided by the restaurant
The restaurant provides the following at no cost to you: [logo shirts, aprons, chef coats, hats, name tags]. These remain the restaurant's property and are returned when you leave. If any item needs dry cleaning or other special care, the restaurant pays for it.
Your own clothing
- Front of house: [clean, pressed, dark trousers or skirt of your choice; closed-toe shoes].
- Kitchen: [long trousers; closed-toe, slip-resistant shoes].
- Clothing is clean, in good repair and free of offensive wording or images.
Grooming and food safety
- Hair is tied back or covered wherever food is handled.
- Hands and nails are clean. [Rules on nail polish, artificial nails and jewelry, following your local health code.]
- Aprons come off before using the restroom or taking out trash.
Accommodations
If you need a change to this policy for a religious, medical or disability-related reason, tell a manager. We will work with you on it.
If you arrive out of dress code
A manager will ask you to correct it before starting. Repeated issues are handled through our usual documented warnings.
Items issued
| Item | Quantity | Date issued | Date returned |
|---|---|---|---|
I have read this policy and had the chance to ask questions about it.
Employee:Date:
Manager:Date:
Starting draft from Back of House Ops (backhousehr.com). Edit it to fit your restaurant. It is not legal advice.
Massachusetts rules
The rules that apply to this document
Does a restaurant have to pay for uniforms it requires?
Yes. If you require staff to buy or rent a uniform, you reimburse the actual cost, and if it needs dry cleaning or other special care, you reimburse that too. Massachusetts, unlike federal law, does not allow uniform deductions even when pay stays above the minimum wage.
Full answer and official sourceCan I deduct breakage, register shortages or a walkout from an employee's pay?
Generally no. The Supreme Judicial Court held in Camara v. Attorney General (2011) that an employer may not deduct from earned wages unless the law allows it or there is a "clear and established debt", and an employer's own finding that an employee was at fault does not qualify, even if the employee agreed.
Full answer and official sourceWhen is the final paycheck due in Massachusetts?
If you fire or lay someone off, you pay them in full on their last day. If they quit, you pay them in full on the next regular payday. An employee cannot agree to waive these deadlines.
Full answer and official source
Rules checked against official sources on . General information, not legal or tax advice.
Where restaurants go wrong
- Charging staff for logo shirts or taking the cost out of a paycheck.
- Taking a uniform deposit without the state's permission.
- Holding a final paycheck until the uniform comes back. Final pay has its own deadline.
- Calling something a dress code when you have specified the color, style and supplier. That is a uniform.
Your restaurant remains the employer of record and approves payroll and employment decisions. BOHO is not a PEO, a staffing agency, or legal counsel. This template is a starting draft for you to edit. It does not decide how the rules apply to your restaurant, so have counsel review any policy or separation before you rely on it.
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Your restaurant remains the employer of record and approves payroll and employment decisions. BOHO is not a PEO, a staffing agency, or legal counsel.