Uniform and presentation policy template
Two places this goes wrong: taking the cost of a uniform out of somebody’s wages, and a presentation standard that quietly excludes people. Both are avoidable by writing the policy properly the first time.
| Section | What the policy says |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To say what people wear on shift, so everybody looks part of the same business and the work is done safely. |
| Who it applies to | Everybody working a shift on the floor or in the kitchen, including casuals and anybody on a trial shift. |
| What we provide | Two branded shirts and an apron on your first day, and more as they wear out. A third shirt is available on request. |
| What you provide | Plain black trousers or a plain black skirt, and closed shoes as described below. |
| Who pays | We pay for the uniform we provide. Nothing is deducted from your wages for it. If your award includes a uniform or laundry allowance, it is paid on top of your rate. |
| Laundry and upkeep | Wash the shirt and apron at home and come to work in a clean one. If your award provides a laundry allowance, you get it. Anything that needs specialist cleaning, we arrange and pay for. |
| Footwear | Closed, flat, non slip shoes in the kitchen and on the floor. No open toes anywhere food is prepared. Buy your own, and tell the manager if the cost is a problem before your first shift. |
| Hair, nails and jewellery | Long hair tied back and covered in the kitchen. Nails short and clean where food is handled. No rings other than a plain band, and no loose bracelets or long necklaces near machinery. |
| Religious and cultural dress | Religious and cultural dress is welcome and is worn with the uniform. Where an item needs to be adjusted for safety, such as being tucked in or covered near a fryer, we will work that out with you rather than ask you to remove it. |
| Tattoos and piercings | Visible tattoos are fine. Piercings are fine where they are safe and can be kept clean, which for food handling means small and secure. |
| Name badges | Worn on shift with the name you want customers to use. Ask for a new one any time. |
| Replacements and damage | Fair wear and tear is replaced free. If something is lost or damaged carelessly we will talk about a replacement, and nothing is taken from your pay without your written agreement. |
| Returning it | Bring the shirts and apron back on your last shift, or after it if that is easier. There is no charge if they are worn out. |
| Review date | Reviewed each year in March, or when the uniform changes. |
What is in the file
- Template, blank, with each section down the side and room for the answer.
- Example, the same sheet filled in for Harbourside Coffee.
- How to use, with the steps and the mistakes below.
How to fill it in
- Check your award before you write the money sections. Many awards require the employer to provide or reimburse a uniform, or to pay a laundry allowance.
- Do not deduct the cost of a uniform from wages. Deductions have to be authorised in writing and be principally for the employee’s benefit, and a uniform for the employer’s branding is not that.
- Write the presentation standards around safety and hygiene rather than around taste, because that is where they stop being defensible.
- Say religious and cultural dress is accommodated, in the policy, before anybody has to ask for it.
Common mistakes
- Taking the cost of shirts out of a first pay, which is the single most common problem with this document
- A grooming standard that applies differently to men and women without a safety reason for it
- Requiring non slip shoes and never saying so until somebody turns up in canvas sneakers
What changes by trade
The law behind this document is the same wherever you trade, so the wording above is written once. What changes is what the trade puts in front of it.
| Cafes and restaurants | Food handling drives most of it: hair covered, nails short, closed shoes. Write those as hygiene rules so they read as the job rather than as a dress code. rostering a cafe |
| Retail | Some shops ask staff to wear the stock. If you do, say whether it is provided, discounted or expected to be bought, and never assume the last one. rostering a shop |
| Security | The uniform is regulated, identifies the licence holder and must not be worn off duty. Say who issues it, who returns it, and what happens if it goes missing. rostering a security business |
| Cleaning | Gloves, eye protection and closed shoes are equipment, not uniform, and the business provides them. Keep the two separate in the policy so the cost question never comes up. rostering a cleaning run |
| Childcare | Educators sit on the floor, lift children and go outside. Write for movement and sun safety, including a hat, rather than for a corporate look. rostering an early learning service |
| Disability and home care | Workers go into homes, so the uniform is about being recognisable and about infection control. Say what is worn, what is carried, and what is changed between appointments. rostering disability support |
When a spreadsheet stops being enough
A trial shift and a first shift look the same on a roster and are very different in law. Roster Flow records who was rostered, for what, and from when, so the first day somebody worked is not a matter of memory.
Questions
What is on the uniform and presentation policy template?
14 sections down the side, running from purpose to review date. The example beside them is filled in for Harbourside Coffee: what to wear, who pays for it, and where a presentation standard stops being lawful.
Does the uniform and presentation policy template work anything out for you?
No. It is a document with 14 sections to answer in your own words, not a calculator. Nothing on it is a formula.
Can I use the uniform and presentation policy template in Google Sheets?
Yes. Open uniform-and-presentation-policy.xlsx from Google Drive, or use File, then Import, then Upload with uniform-and-presentation-policy.csv. The document and its example come across either way.
Is the wording in the uniform and presentation policy template ready to use as it is?
The uniform and presentation policy template is a starting point for Harbourside Coffee or any business like it, to adapt rather than sign. The wording was checked against the official sources on 22 September 2026, it is not legal advice, and it has not been through a workplace relations professional.