S-1359.2  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 5739

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1997 Regular Session

By Senators Horn, Haugen, Schow, Rasmussen and Wood

Read first time 02/10/97.  Referred to Committee on Commerce & Labor.

Establishing when employers are required to compensate employees for employee wearing apparel.

    AN ACT Relating to employee wearing apparel; and adding a new section to chapter 49.12 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 49.12 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) Employers are not required to furnish or compensate employees for apparel that an employer requires an employee to wear during working hours unless the required apparel is a uniform.

    (2) As used in this section, a uniform is:

    (a) Apparel of a distinctive style and quality and, when worn outside of the workplace, clearly identifies the person as an employee of a specific employer;

    (b) Apparel that is specially marked with an employer's logo;

    (c) Unique apparel representing an historical time period or an ethnic tradition; or

    (d) Formal apparel.

    An employer's requirement that apparel be a specific color shall not be used to determine if the apparel is a uniform.

    (3) An employer is not required to furnish or compensate employees for apparel that is required by the employer to be worn as a reasonable means of enhancing work place safety unless the employer is required to furnish or compensate employees for such apparel under chapter 49.17 RCW.

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