Category: 09. Appearance & Conduct

09.1 Personal Appearance

As a customer oriented business, making a positive impression on our customers is crucial. At times “back of house” staff may also be called upon to be on the retail floor and/or interact with customers, so proper grooming is necessary to make a good impression as well as contribute to a pleasant work environment for co-workers.

09.2 Uniforms / Dress Code

Company Uniforms

Upon completion of the probationary period, Sales staff will be provided with a set of company-designed & approved uniform items.

Inventory, Production and Maintenance staff who potentially interact with and are seen by customers must also wear company-designed & approved items during their shift.

Management & Administrative staff are exempt from uniform requirements, but are expected to dress in an appropriate, professional manner as befits their role.

Due to the nature of the task, Screenprinting staff are also exempt from uniform requirements, but are still expected to comply with general appearance & grooming policies.

 

Items Provided

Established, single-location employees will receive their choice of 3 standard uniform pieces from the styles listed below (4 pieces if the employee routinely works at both Freedom and Sharky’s). These pieces are provided at no cost*. For warmer layering, established employees will also be provided with 1 fleece jacket at no cost (or the employee can choose to upgrade to a Performance Jacket for just $20).

STANDARD UNIFORM PIECES (3-4 provided)

  • Shortsleeve Polo (unisex or ladies)
  • Longsleeve Quarterzip (unisex or ladies)
  • Raglan T-shirt (unisex or lades)
  • Raglan Longsleeve Tee (unisex or ladies)

*Items are offered at no cost provided the employee continues employment for 90 days. In the event that the employee quits or is fired for cause, the cost of the uniform items will be deducted from their final paycheck.

Additional Pieces

In addition to the company-provided pieces above, employees may purchase additional pieces at their discount price (adjusted prices are noted on the order form).

Care & Replacements

Employees are expected to care for company-provided items responsibly and follow the recommended washing instructions. Cared for properly, uniform items should last throughout the year. A new set of items will be provided yearly as needed as a replacement for normal wear & tear.

Items worn on shift must be clean, free of stains/holes/rips/tears, and the logo decoration in good shape.

In the event that you damage your company-provided items, and/or you wish to acquire additional items, these will be available for purchase at the employee discount rate. Items that become stained or damaged as a result of improper care, excessive wear or negligence are the employee’s responsibility to promptly replace (compliance to the general policies on dress code & appearance must still be adhered to). Employees should refrain from wearing uniform items outside of work as this will result in unnecessary wear & tear.

Fit & Sizing

When items are ordered and provided to staff for uniform purposes, they are expected to wear them. Employees are required to try on samples and carefully consider sizing (including whether they will be layering warmer base layers underneath). Garments must be ordered in an appropriate size (not excessively tight or baggy). As a customer-oriented business that caters to all types (families & children included), risque or inappropriate dress is not permitted.

Headwear

Hats must be company-designed and/or approved (or preferably, not worn at all).

Footwear

Sales staff are permitted to wear any style of shoes as long as they are comfortable to wear. You will be on your feet throughout the day, so you are expected to select appropriate footwear for this purpose.

“Back of house” staff working in production areas around equipment, etc, are required to wear closed-toe shoes in accordance with applicable safety regulations.

Bottoms

Pants and skirts must be single-colored blue, black, grey, tan or other neutral shade. Permissible styles include slacks/dockers, denim/jeans, cargo pants, track style sweatpants, leggings, yoga pants or shorts. 

Board/swim shorts, basketball shorts, “gangbanger” style sweatpants, or any other elastic-waistband style is not permitted.

All bottoms must be clean and free of holes, rips or tears. 

Climate Considerations

Pacific Northwest weather is unpredictable, therefore dressing in layers is recommended.

During the colder months, you may need to layer underneath your company provided polo/work shirt, therefore you may want to size up on some of your garments. 

Similarly, stores can become warm during the summer months therefore employees should plan for being able to take off outer layers and/or switch to a lighter weight uniform item if needed.

Compliance

The goal of all uniform and grooming guidelines is to ensure staff is presentable, approachable and their personal appearance does not interfere with normal business operations. As a business, we promote individuality and freedom of expression, and wish for our employees to do the same. However, our customers come first, and we cater to all types. Customers should always be able to not only easily identify staff members, but also feel comfortable approaching them. In the event that Management deems something about your appearance as unacceptable, you may be asked to change into a “loaner” uniform item, make appropriate adjustments, or be sent home entirely.

09.3 Cell Phone Policy

The CTSJ cell phone policy offers general guidelines for using personal and company cell phones during work hours.

The purpose of this policy is to
help us all get the most out of the advantages cell phones offer our company
while minimizing distractions, accidents, and frustrations improper cell phone
use can cause.

This policy applies to all CTSJ employees.

Cell Phone Use Guidelines:

The following are CTSJ’s basic guidelines for proper employee cell phone use during work hours. In general, cell phones should not be used when they could pose a security or safety risk, or when they distract from work tasks:

  • Never use a cell phone while driving or operating equipment
  • Do not use cell phones for surfing the internet or gaming during work hours.
  • Avoid using work cell phones for personal tasks.
  • Avoid using personal cell phones for work tasks.
  • Do not use cell phones during meetings.
  • Do not use cell phones to record proprietary information.

Appropriate times that a cell phone may be used include:

  • Making or receiving work calls in the appropriate place and situation to do so.
  • Other work-related communication, such as text messaging or emailing in appropriate places and situations.
  • To schedule and keep track of appointments.
  • To carry out work-related research.
  • To keep track of work tasks.

Disciplinary Action:

*** 3 Warnings then phone in safe for 10* days. 3 of these warnings is termination ***

Improper use of cell phones may result in disciplinary action. Continued use of cell phones at inappropriate times or in ways that distract from work may lead to having cell phone privileges revoked or up to termination.

09.4 Visitors

Personal visitors at work must be kept to a minimum, and should never interfere or take precedence over your ability to engage in work tasks efficiently.

Such visits should never result in a poor experience for our customers.

This is your place of work, not a hangout. Your friends & family should feel welcome, but not at the expense of professional conduct.

Visitors are only permitted in normal customer traffic areas unless directed by management.

Allowing personal visits at work is a privilege, and if abused will no longer be permitted.

09.6 Use of Company Property

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that all property maintained by CTSJ is kept in the best possible working condition and to ensure proper use of such property.

Company Property Policy

  • CTSJ property (including computers, telephones, cellphones, iPads, copiers, Internet services and printers) may only be used for personal use with express permission from management.
  • CTSJ production equipment must be used by a trained staff and used for business purposes only. All equipment must be kept in good working condition including regular maintenance. Report any equipment concerns in a timely manner.

Use of Company Vehicles

Any employee who drives as apart of their job must be authorized and approved by Salomon.    It is the responsibility of the driver to ensure that the vehicle is in full operational condition before each use. The employee driver will sign a vehicle log report noting any problems with, or damage to, the vehicle before each use. Should the employee return the vehicle to the company with damage to the vehicle, the vehicle log report will be used as support evidence of the condition of the vehicle before it was used by the employee driver. If the company van is found to be unsafe, it will be removed from the operation until appropriate maintenance or repairs have occurred.

Use and Dissemination of Company Information

“Information,” as the term is used in this policy, includes without limitation any information owned or used by CTSJ and is to be limited to intra-company use only. The following are examples of information that is not to be shared outside of the company.

  • Customer database information both Retail and Custom orders, including names, telephone numbers, and addresses.
  • Any employee personnel files, including employee addresses, telephone numbers, and employment status.
  • Only those employees who are authorized by Salomon may speak on behalf of CTSJ.

*Any breaches will be considered a violation of CTSJ policy concerning confidentiality, and it may constitute a violation of state or federal law.

09.7 Theft

Purpose

The purpose of this Policy is to create a theft free environment. CTSJ takes pride in protecting its customers and employee’s information, including company products and equipment. We reserve the right to investigate all reported theft and have systems in place to properly monitor and gage whether theft has taken place.

Theft Policy

CTSJ values all employees and their property and expects that employees in turn value the company and its assets. Therefore, we will tolerate no employee theft, or stealing of any kind. That includes theft of money, information, products, inventory, tools, or any item.

As such, we expect all incidents of employee theft to be reported immediately to HR. We reserve the right to use video cameras and audio recording methods as well as software to identify and detect employee theft.

Below are examples of types of theft to illustrate prohibited behaviors:

● Employees may not take cash, or customer credit card numbers, unless doing a sales transaction.

● Employees may not give away products or services without payment. This includes not giving freebies away to friends and family.

Employees caught breaking any state or federal law, including employee theft of private or company property or falsifying records will be terminated with no warning given. In addition, a police report may be filed, as well as a potential lawsuit against the employee with a request for restitution of funds or products, inventory, or assets. To prevent employees from false accusations, we will investigate all claims of theft or employee stealing and discipline any employee making a false accusation.

09.8 Reporting & Complaints

Purpose

This policy is meant to encourage employees to report any suspected violations or concerns regarding Company Policy and Procedures, including compliance with laws, and state regulations.

Reporting and Complaint Policy

At CTSJ communication is extremely important. In the event a report or complaint is being made, please document the issue, and include the date and time of the occurrence if applicable. Please present the information to HR in a timely manner. All reports will be investigated. Staff filing a complaint will need to describe the issue and where appropriate offer productive feedback and suggestions as to how the situation can be rectified or corrected. Communicating concerns to management in a timely manner is crucial in being proactive. At CTSJ we all have one common goal. To do our jobs to the best of our abilities, and to hold each other to the same standards. This along with clear communication can ensure a positive working environment for all staff.

Accidents or injuries that happen on the job must be reported right away. In some cases, a worker’s comp form may need to be filled out. Any and all injuries will be investigated. If you witness unsafe behavior in the workplace, please report it.