[Michlib-l] Dress Code Inquiry

[Membiela, Clare (MDE)]

Hello Autumn!

There is some information regarding this topic that may be helpful for you to know as you and your board are considering this:

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/flsa, if the board requires that the staff wear branded shirts (shirts or clothing with a logo on them), the library (or the municipality- depending on who the legal employer of the library is) will likely have to pay for the shirts/uniform. The law considers the cost of the uniform shirts "the cost of doing business."

There are some circumstances where the employer can deduct the cost from the employee's paycheck- BUT that is permitted by Michigan law only  if the employee provides written permission, AND the FLSA requires that the deduction does not bring the employee's wages below the federal minimum wage.

There are other considerations as well - how many shirts each employee receives, how additional ones can be obtained, etc.

I strongly suggest that you and your board consult your library's attorney before setting a policy such as this to ensure that the process and policy adheres to applicable employment  and tax laws.

Additional information can be found

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/16-flsa-wage-deductions
https://iaml.com/blog/uniforms-dress-codes-and-flsa/#:~:text=Employers%20that%20pay%20their%20employees,to%20employees%20free%20of%20charge.

I hope this is helpful!
Sincerely,
Clare

Clare D. Membiela, MLS, J.D.
Library Law Consultant
Library of Michigan
MembielaC at michigan.gov<mailto:MembielaC at michigan.gov>
517-335-8132

The research and resources above are for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. You should contact your attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem.

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From: Michlib-l <michlib-l-bounces at mcls.org> On Behalf Of Autumn Smith via Michlib-l
Sent: Wednesday, August 20, 2025 10:57 AM
To: michlib-l at mcls.org
Subject: [Michlib-l] Dress Code Inquiry

CAUTION: This is an External email. Please send suspicious emails to abuse at michigan.gov<mailto:abuse at michigan.gov>

Greetings, Library Friends!

We have a board member who is proposing that all staff should wear library branded polos at the desk. We are reaching out to other Michigan libraries to see if any other libraries currently have a similar policy in place or have in the past. We do currently have a dress code which was approved by the board just a few years ago and seems to be serving us well at this time, so we are most interested in just gathering information from our fellow library friends regarding this proposal.

Thanks and have a great day!

Autumn Smith
Assistant Director

The Schultz-Holmes District Library
407 South Lane Street
Blissfield, MI 49228
517-486-2858
517-486-3565 (fax)
www.blissfieldlibrary.org<http://www.blissfieldlibrary.org/>


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