Okay so have this part time job where I work with children. I work 20 hours a week with great hours. However, they just sprung a new dress code on us. They want us to wear a staff shirt, khaki, black, blue pants or windpants, and tennis shoes.

I totally understand wearing the staff shirt and tennis shoes. The staff shirt will make us more recognizable as staff, and the tennis shoes are for safety purposes.

But here is my problem:
In my personal wardrobe, I only have one pair of khakis and no black or blue pants and no windpants (cause really, who wears windpants anymore?).
The only pair of khakis I have is a nice pair that I got from American Eagle, they weren't cheap, and I wear them to church.
Now at my job I am required to clean, take out trash, mix bleach solutions, set out snack, help with crafts, and participate in the outside games that we play with the children. All of which has the possiblity of ruining a pair of khakis.
We were previously told by the CEO that those of us in child care are allowed to wear jeans because they are more durable and sturdy for child care jobs. But we just got a new director that changed that on us, and the CEO agreed with her because he didn't feel like having to mediate this situation for us.
I get paid $7/hour, and I have no extra spending money at the end of each month to even afford to go and buy a few pairs of cheap khakis from wal-mart.

I like this job, because of the hours, they really work well with my school schedule and I get nights and weekends off.

I also asked my dad what he would do in this situation and he told me to wait until I am confronted about it and then tell them that I need a raise so that I can afford to buy more pants to wear.

So TWW the question goes out to you. What would you do if you were put into this situation? Should I stick with my dad's advice?

2/18/2008 9:27:55 PM

words

2/18/2008 9:30:01 PM

Quote :

"wait until I am confronted about it and then tell them that I need a raise so that I can afford to buy more pants to wear"

also, fuck a dress code, i'm not down with that type of shenanigans

2/18/2008 9:30:08 PM

first things first.

Quote :

"The only pair of khakis I have is a nice pair that I got from American Eagle, they weren't cheap, and I wear them to church."

lol.

and secondly, buy some dickies. cheap and made get dirty.

2/18/2008 9:30:28 PM

go in there butt-naked

2/18/2008 9:31:15 PM

if you're so uptight about it and can't afford new pants, get some pants at the salvation army

there's a good brand called Dickies whose khaki work pants are great, I wore them for working fast food

2/18/2008 9:32:07 PM

khakis are for fags

2/18/2008 9:32:07 PM

^^^My coworkers and I did talk about how we have black and blue underwear and if they make that much of a fuss about it we would just go to work in that.

[Edited on February 18, 2008 at 9:33 PM. Reason : ]

2/18/2008 9:32:36 PM

I'd address it prior to that - more proactive, and much less passive-aggressive.

It's gonna come down to how much you love this job.

I had a job I didn't love a whole lot (didn't hate it, but didn't love having it). The mgr had a fit that instead of buying new pants just for the job, I tea dyed a pair of white pants. I told him he could either let it go, give me money to buy new pants, or find someone else for the job. He let it go, although it set the tone for future interactions.

Had I loved my job, I'd have ponied up and gotten new pants. I do think, though, that since severe wear-and-tear on your clothes isn't just a possibility, but a given, that they need to be giving you all an allowance.

I second the thrift-store recommendation.

[Edited on February 18, 2008 at 9:33 PM. Reason : lk]

2/18/2008 9:32:50 PM

Suck it up or find a new job. Welcome the real world.

2/18/2008 9:33:26 PM

Quote :

"I do think, though, that since severe wear-and-tear on your clothes isn't just a possibility, but a given, that they need to be giving you all an allowance"

That is the biggest problem for me. It would be different if it wasn't a given that I'm going to end up ruining a pair of pants by the time a week is over with. Then I would go and invest in some pants that I can wear on different occasions. But I really don't have the money right now to just drop on some pants that are going to get stained and bleached, etc.

Quote :

"Suck it up or find a new job. Welcome the real world."

You're right, in the real world you run away from a situation as soon as the first problem arises.


[Edited on February 18, 2008 at 9:37 PM. Reason : ]

2/18/2008 9:35:33 PM

that's why you get dickies.

they're cheap and have a layer of scotchguard.

2/18/2008 9:36:46 PM

Address that concern with them, or if necessary, the CEO.

In this case, some sort of clothing allowance/small raise or flexibility in the dress code is required, and anything less is unreasonable. It'd be one thing if you'd taken the job and wage knowing you'd need a whole lot of khakis, but since this has come after you've been there for a while, they need to work with you all on this.

^while helpful, scotchguard is not of much help in this situation

[Edited on February 18, 2008 at 9:38 PM. Reason : lkj]

2/18/2008 9:38:18 PM

Okay I have recomendations for dickies and thrift store. I don't wanna sound like I'm uptight, but how much do those normally cost. I haven't been in a thrift store in ages, other than to find costume clothes.

2/18/2008 9:38:20 PM

wear an apron when you mix the bleach, or don't be a god damn sloppy bitch when you mix it

not that hard to not fuck stuff up working with bleach

2/18/2008 9:38:37 PM

all the punk kids used to wear dickies back in the day

2/18/2008 9:39:57 PM

yo someone synthesize this junt

2/18/2008 9:40:22 PM

Quote :

"I only have one pair of khakis and no black or blue pants "

You're going to have to break down and get some at some point so it might as well be now.

If your really that broke then go to the salvation off tryon. It actually has shit loads of dress pants from good brands/expensive brands. I've seen brands you have to go to Saks 5th to get and also lots of ralph lauren's.

2/18/2008 9:40:40 PM

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5544057
$17.64

2/18/2008 9:40:47 PM

I'll bring up the clothing allowance with my boss tomorrow. She is on our side in this situation because she is in the same boat as us.


^$18 is really more than I can afford for one pair of pants right now. I mean I am on a limited spending as it is right now with the expenses I have. I would have to buy at least 3 pairs so that I wouldn't have to do laundry every other day.

[Edited on February 18, 2008 at 9:43 PM. Reason : ]

2/18/2008 9:41:02 PM

windpants???? they don't even fall in the same category as khakis. they might as well let you wear sweatpants if they are going to let you wear windpants.

2/18/2008 9:41:43 PM

wow @ this thread

2/18/2008 9:42:07 PM

2/18/2008 9:43:00 PM

simonn:

Quote :

"I have no extra spending money at the end of each month to even afford to go and buy a few pairs of cheap khakis from wal-mart."

Quote :

"You're going to have to break down and get some at some point so it might as well be now. "

That'd be a very valid argument (pretty much the attitude I took when I had to start dressing professionally for my job) if the clothes were going to be of any use after this job. It sounds as though there's no reasonable expectation that after a month or two, these pants are going to be, at best, heavily worn, and at worst, stained, torn, bleached, and maybe even ripped.

[Edited on February 18, 2008 at 9:43 PM. Reason : thrift stores are your only source for this, it sounds like]

2/18/2008 9:43:12 PM

couple of bucks a pair at the thrift store on tryon

2/18/2008 9:44:37 PM

Thanks guys. I'll bring up the clothing allowance, and if that doesn't work, then I will try a thrift store.

2/18/2008 9:44:53 PM

Hit the Kohl's clearance section hard.

I have found many 3-5 dollar pant for my fiance there.....He wears a typical size and isn't picky.

Another place I find clothes cheap is TJ Max. Pants are closer to 8-10 there.

Kohl's seriously. The 80% off racks. I haven't been since the week after Christmas, but I usually am VERY, VERY successful there for him.

2/18/2008 9:49:36 PM

well, to be fair, TWW prolly wouldn't have a job cause we are all fucking losers

2/18/2008 9:51:23 PM

go buy a couple of pairs of work pants
why don't you have these already?

Dickies on the cheap
Carrhart will last but it doesn't sound like you're doing any strenuous labor so why spend the money

2/18/2008 9:52:23 PM

okay if $18 is too much for right now then go to Goodwill and buy some $8 pants

if you can't afford that then go quit your job because you're homeless

2/18/2008 9:53:53 PM

this isn't really directed at the op, just a general rant...

dress codes suck, but having to supply your own pants is the norm for 95% of "blue collar" type jobs. be happy you're supplied the shirts, some companies don't even do that unless they have a specific logo they want displayed. everyone has to build a wardrobe for their job, even higher paying ones.

most places used to supply full uniforms AND cleaning service for them, but have recently moved away from that sort of thing to cut costs. about the only companies left that might do this are certain manual labor type services such as janitors, electricians, etc.

imo, you should want to look as nice as possible for your job no matter what, especially if you're in contact with other people. just because you do dirty things doesn't mean you can't still look presentable. i'm a plumbing contractor that's in the field daily, but i still wear kahkis or nice jeans/carharrts and a collared shirt tucked in. i keep a pair of coveralls in the truck in case i'm going to be playing in a muddy ditch, crawling under a house, or something.

i hate being held to any kind of standard and conforming as much as the next person, but the truth is something as simple as a $20 pair of pants can make your life easier and set you apart from other people. make social statements on your own time if that's your thing. who knows, it might lead you to a raise or a better job and you've turned that $20 into an extra $200.

[Edited on February 18, 2008 at 10:02 PM. Reason : .]

2/18/2008 10:01:55 PM

I think the men's pants at Goodwill are $2.95 actually.

Marshall's at Crossroads and TJ Maxx on Walnut St. (Cary) has a ton of clearance stuff right now. I went there to pick up a basketball and left with several pairs of pants and a few shirts. Lots of new Dockers, Nautica, etc khakis for $7-$12.

2/18/2008 10:05:11 PM

^trufe

2/18/2008 10:09:29 PM

Quote :

"nice pair that I got from American Eagle, they weren't cheap"

wat

american eagle is pretty gosh darn cheap



also, if you can't afford a $18 pair of pants, it's time to find a new job, regardless of how well it works with your school schedule.

2/18/2008 10:32:04 PM

Quote :

"The only pair of khakis I have is a nice pair that I got from American Eagle, they weren't cheap, and I wear them to church. "

WHAT??? on so many different levels

2/18/2008 10:38:39 PM

^ahaha glad to see i'm not alone

2/18/2008 10:40:40 PM

2/18/2008 10:43:00 PM

^^ aside from me posting that in the 3rd response.

it's like you're trying to steal my tdub shit.

2/18/2008 10:44:12 PM

simonn FOR POST MOD

2/18/2008 10:45:04 PM

amac884 FOR ENTERTAINMENT MOD.

2/18/2008 10:45:32 PM

yes!

2/18/2008 10:46:07 PM

you have my full support.

2/18/2008 10:46:50 PM

All this over some fucking pants?

You people need some real strife in your world, then you would realize that having to buy $20 pants is not worth this much thought and worry.

2/18/2008 10:48:11 PM

y'all don't know mawle427's struggle.

2/18/2008 10:48:52 PM

I'm not sayin i have struggled. I am saying i have NEVER gotten this worked up over pants.

2/18/2008 10:49:47 PM

simonn FOR COOKOUT ATTENDANCE MOD

2/18/2008 10:50:09 PM

Quote :

"also, if you can't afford a $18 pair of pants, it's time to find a new job, regardless of how well it works with your school schedule."

I agree.
Unless it's both
- something you dearly love doing
- is going to be extremely beneficial to getting started in your career after you graduate

But shit...that's what 2nd jobs are for

2/18/2008 10:50:22 PM

^^^ maybe it's you who needs more strife i've you've always been able to afford pants.

Quote :

"simonn FOR COOKOUT ATTENDANCE MOD"

i'd accept if we ever went to cook out again.

[Edited on February 18, 2008 at 10:51 PM. Reason : cookout mod? interesting.]

2/18/2008 10:50:35 PM

you have extra income, cut back on something and go to Belks and get 75% off.

2/18/2008 10:51:12 PM

I didn't say I have always been able to afford pants. Pay better attention.

I've been broke as hell at times and i have been in great financial shape at times.

When you're broke as hell, you have better things to worry about than some pants. When you aren't broke, you can go get some fucking pants.

Either way, there is no reason to get this worked up over pants.

2/18/2008 10:54:09 PM