T-shirt inappropriate for work?

Jack_bauer24

I need some advice and I am not naming the company or the agency so please don't ask. I am cleaning at this place for only this week and my last day is tomorrow but on Monday I wore this gay slogan t-shirt (Nobody Knows I'm Gay) but when I came in on Tuesday, I got told it's not appropriate and one of the cleaners handed me a plain t-shirt and I got told to remove my gay t-shirt and put the plain one straight away. Now, I think this is wrong as I don't work for the company, I am through the agency, are the company within the right to tell me what I can or can't wear when I am not employed by them? it's only this one woman who told me to remove it, the other cleaners didn't mind it at all, and the woman who told me isn't the manager at all, she is just one of the cleaners who thinks she is the boss but she isn't. 

I am just annoyed that I can't wear my gay slogan t-shirt. Any advice would be great thank you. 

lincroft1710

As your last day is tomorrow I would just forget about it.


For future reference, employers can impose a dress code, especially regarding Health and Safety work wear

Brie

I might be tempted to ask her what the problem was with it to see if she has the nerve to say out loud what's bothering her.  

Then again maybe your "attitude" disappointed her and she knew getting you to change your shirt was the only way to see how buff you are!  

We used to tell people they couldn't wear any item that was rude in any way - no swearing etc, including FCUK items.  No pictures and no slogans at all.  But if someone had something on like that and had a shirt over top so it wasn't obvious then no one would do anything.  Then again we also used to say no shorts or sandals and we've got beyond that one now!

prowla

It could be that any political statement could be thought of as inappropriate.

74jax

Does anyone else wear a slogan t-shirt? Are you the only one that was asked to wear a plain t-shirt?

What do the others wear? 

I'm surprised a cleaning company doesn't supply a uniform (or details of what to wear - eg plain black top) but if its only week by week contracts maybe it's not worth it... 

Jack_bauer24

74jax said:

Does anyone else wear a slogan t-shirt? Are you the only one that was asked to wear a plain t-shirt?

What do the others wear? 

I'm surprised a cleaning company doesn't supply a uniform (or details of what to wear - eg plain black top) but if its only week by week contracts maybe it's not worth it... 

No, no one else wore a slogan t-shirt as it was only me who is from the agency, all other cleaners are directly employed by the company. I am only a cover for this week as the person who I am covering from is off for this week only. 

General_Grant

Jack_bauer24 said:

74jax said:

Does anyone else wear a slogan t-shirt? Are you the only one that was asked to wear a plain t-shirt?

What do the others wear? 

I'm surprised a cleaning company doesn't supply a uniform (or details of what to wear - eg plain black top) but if its only week by week contracts maybe it's not worth it... 

No, no one else wore a slogan t-shirt as it was only me who is from the agency, all other cleaners are directly employed by the company. I am only a cover for this week as the person who I am covering from is off for this week only. 

So slogan t-shirts are not appropriate wear in that workplace.  You were provided with an acceptable item of clothing.

And you are providing a service to the place which needs cleaning.  Your employer (the agency) would require you to follow reasonable instructions from their client.

Diamandis

Slogan shirts aren't very appropriate work attire in most workplaces. I would send someone home for wearing something like that in the call centre I managed. Being agency staff is more reason to try and tow the line, not less imo.

General_Grant

I think there was a similar problem with the t-shirt quite some time ago.

ETA:  It was back in early 2015 (or even earlier) - problem in a JobCentre/training IIRC.

Dakta

The company is paying the agency to provide a service, for which they've hired you to undertake on their behalf.

Whilst you're not an employee, they are the client, and as such in charge. So unless there's a genuine complaint somewhere in that what they've requested is unreasonable,  follow their rules.

I would recommend forgetting about it, the woman who actually told you might have no authority to have done what she did, I don't know but why would you kick up a stink now, and it could backfire. A lot of companies don't like any kind of slogan or statement on the shirt so i'm mostly surprised at your surprise. 

Manxman_in_exile

I think it's generally unwise to wear any sort* of clothing at work that anyone there might find controversial, unless you know for certain that it is acceptable to your employer to do so.  Or unless you deliberately want to be provocative.  Which again I would suggest might be unwise.

*And that can include both the style of clothing and/or clothing with any logos that could even remotely be considered "political" or "campaigning".

EDIT:  The title of this thread should be changed to "T-shirt logo inappropriate for work?"