Blue collar work clothes (US vs Europe)

[BMWTurboDzl]

Just an observation and perhaps there's a reason but I've always wondered why workers who are say performing assembly work or say construction typically wear an Overall in Europe but in the US it's almost anything goes as long as there's a hard hat, a reflective vest, and steel toed footwear.

I see labors all the time who are working commercial construction wearing jeans and the obligatory neon yellow jacket w/hard hat. To me it just seems that an overall would be more comfortable and durable.

Is it a matter of differences in pay? Union vs non-union?

 

[drtyler]

Are work clothes on the company dime in Germany?

I know at Honda plants in USA, everyone has to wear white coveralls - regardless of job function. At least it was this way when I toured a plant 20 years ago.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Are work clothes on the company dime in Germany?

I know at Honda plants in USA, everyone has to wear white coveralls - regardless of job function. At least it was this way when I toured a plant 20 years ago.

Good question. Like I said I was curious to know why there's a difference. Perhaps a clothing allowance for bibs?

 

[Jetronic]

Just an observation and perhaps there's a reason but I've always wondered why workers who are say performing assembly work or say construction typically wear an Overall in Europe but in the US it's almost anything goes as long as there's a hard hat, a reflective vest, and steel toed footwear.

I see labors all the time who are working commercial construction wearing jeans and the obligatory neon yellow jacket w/hard hat. To me it just seems that an overall would be more comfortable and durable.

Is it a matter of differences in pay? Union vs non-union?

Because the employer has to provide cleaning of the clothes. or pay the employee for it. Providing clothes and having just those cleaned is cheaper.

You can also add in liability if the employee is allowed to wear something that made an injury worse (like polyester clothing and burns)

 

[Kira]

I remember seeing the bright blue cotton/poly twill fabric used in car dealerships and lighter industry.

Street cleaners and dustmen wore a stronger materialed pant with heavily reinforced knees.

At the Munchen-Dachau paper plant, all the employees wore shirts and overalls in that bright blue color with an "M-D" emblazoned upon them.
I asked to buy some of the clothes for my brother as MD are his initials. An old man rewarded my use of bad German by letting me into a room with all the new clothing and told me to take what I wanted. I swear that happened.

 

[aquariuscsm]

We have a bunch of friends in the construction business, and they all wear whatever they want, as long as they have a hardhat and work boots.

 

[ChristianReske]

Here in Germany, It depends.
There are some laws that regulate that the absolut neccesary safety equipment has to be provided to the worker by the Company. Safety glasses, shoes with steel toes etc.
Special required work Clothing is usually also provided by the Company. As a example, i have to wear a ESD lab coat (Anti Static) at my work, therefore these are provided free by my company. The washing is also done by the Company.

Some Companys provide clothings for free if the Company simply wants a uniform look of the workers with the Corporate logo on the Clothes. These are usually the bigger companys wich can spend the Money. BMW, MAN, MTU, KRAUSS MAFFEI here in Munich as example.

In smaller Companys, you get the basic saftey equipment provided by your Company and you are free to wear what you want. I have worked on a Lathe with Jeans and T-Shirt and with an Overall, i really find the Overall more comfortable (looser fit) and much better suited for the task. Pockets for Calipers and basic tools on your breast and legs. Very handy! And it maybe is also a cultural thing.

 

[Hall]

I know at Honda plants in USA, everyone has to wear white coveralls - regardless of job function. At least it was this way when I toured a plant 20 years ago.

That is still the case when on the plant floor. If you're 100% in an office, it's not required, but if you sit at a desk in dress clothes (khakis, button-down shirt, etc), you change when you go out on the floor.

Is it a matter of differences in pay? Union vs non-union?

I think it's just the culture. Europe, Japan, etc seem to like uniforms or consistency (see points about Honda, for example). It used to be this way in the US as well. Look at old pictures of factory workers - they all looked alike because they wore work uniforms (in almost all cases, certainly company-provided). Many places still do this and provide uniforms too, especially if the work environment is "dirty", for instance. No one should be expected to ruin their personal clothing on a weekly basis.

 

[Pew]

Because the employer has to provide cleaning of the clothes. or pay the employee for it. Providing clothes and having just those cleaned is cheaper.

You can also add in liability if the employee is allowed to wear something that made an injury worse (like polyester clothing and burns)

Our company provides all safety clothes required by the Prime contractors and utility companies so no employee who goes to a job site will say "well I don't have that." OSHA safety scores mean a lot and any workplace incidents are a headache because of the paperwork involved.

 

[Dave Hess]

Foreign manufacturers have a different culture. GM and Ford you can wear a Budweiser Tshirt with jorts and it’s OK.

I get a yearly allowance for clothes and $150 for safety shoes.

 

[ecotourist]

In a former job I was provided with some very high quality outdoor winter clothing. The parka cost +/- $250 at that time (the identical parka with an updated brand name is now in the range of $800 - $1,000).

If I stayed 5 years I could keep it. I stayed 6 years and kept it all.

It's so warm I literally never use it here.

 

[01rangerxl]

Are work clothes on the company dime in Germany?

I know at Honda plants in USA, everyone has to wear white coveralls - regardless of job function. At least it was this way when I toured a plant 20 years ago.

There's a Honda plant about 40 miles from here, but a lot of the workers live here and drive GM vehicles, and they are often in their white coveralls when they come in.

I have casual work clothes because ain't nobody telling the parts department what to do. I have t-shirts with the company logo, hoodies with the company logo, and some Port Authority jackets with the company logo. I wear Bimini Bay cargo shorts, or when it's cold Vans Range pants. They used to make us wear polo shirts that were awful and would snag easily, but finally gave up on rules for the parts department.

 

[PimTac]

Way back when in the USCG we were issued a certain number of chambray shirts and dungarees and we had to always keep and maintain at least that number all the time. They had to be clean and presentable always. That’s a hard thing to do when you are chipping , sanding, priming and painting among other things.

Sears used to sell blue coveralls that matched the Coast Guard blue. I had two pairs of those to protect my issue clothes. Once others started to see what I had they asked me where I got them and soon they were wearing them as well.

 

[Hall]

but a lot of the workers live here and drive GM vehicles

Off-topic, but that's interesting. I travel near Marysville and Anna and you see a lot of Hondas on the road. You see them parked at most homes too.

 

[01rangerxl]

Off-topic, but that's interesting. I travel near Marysville and Anna and you see a lot of Hondas on the road. You see them parked at most homes too.

There's plenty of Hondas here too, but GM cars and trucks are very common around here, probably a majority.

There's one Honda employee that when she pulls up in her Malibu, I know she needs a fog light hole cover.

 

[Finklejag]

US

Germany

 

[Motu]

Here in NZ, every workshop supplies overalls, 100%. If I wore my own clothes, I'd have to wash them everyday...or take them off when I get home. I go to work, and come home in the same clothes, I get a clean pair of overalls everyday...why should I clean and mend my own clothes from damage at work ? Work boots are supplied, hearing protection, eye protection etc...these are things an employer has to provide for employees.

 

[Hall]

US

Real curious where that picture is from ? No safety shoes (steel toe), maybe they're wearing eye protection, shorts ?

 

[Wrenchturner44]

True story - I was once calling on a Tyson facility in Arkansas. I was wearing a typical salesman's garb of dress trousers, blazer, and neck tie. All of the Tyson employees either office or supervisory, and plant workers wore a Tyson khaki uniform. I was told by my host to remove my tie, and that the next time I came back to their facility, I should kindly wear khakis and a long sleeve shirt......leave the blazer or sport coat, and neck tie in the car.

At my first job at a Texaco station, 100% polyester uniforms were provided. The fit was horrible and they were very hot in the summer months. The good news is that I changed out of them after my shift, and I didn't have to worry about taking them home to wash the grease and oil out of them. The uniforms and the cleaning charges were paid for by the station owner.

 

[DejaVue]

I have casual work clothes because ain't nobody telling the parts department what to do.

You're g-**** right.

edit: oh, come on, can't even say a word slightly harsher than "darn"?