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The definition of comfort is a very personal issue. Some people keep the heat set at 75o while others can’t stand to be in a room that’s warmer than 68. The same holds true when evaluating clothing. Style, cut, fabric weight and numerous other attributes can vary considerably from one garment to another – even between two garments made by the same manufacturer.
This is especially important in the context of garments that your employees are required to wear on the job – such as flame resistant (FR) clothing. Human nature is to resist being told what to do because a lack of control is disempowering, even when you recognize the requirement is in your best interest. However, when people have options, they are more likely to comply, more likely to be comfortable, and more likely to be satisfied with their choice. And when those options meet the requirements, most importantly employees stay safe on the job.
Versa Raglan T-shirt
In many industries, including oil and gas, the type of clothing employees must wear on the job is regulated by OSHA and NFPA safety standards. Employers may decide to dictate a single shirt and pant combination or a coverall in a single fabric, weight, style, and color. This is especially common with rental programs, which are frequently used to outfit workers for NFPA 2112 compliance and are financially incented to limit the volume of clothing in service. However, these no-choice, no-attention-to-comfort programs often lead to a number of challenges:
- Workers not wearing PPE at all, or not wearing it properly
- Reduced productivity due to diminished morale
- High investment of management’s time administering clothing programs
- Increased employee turnover resulting from dissatisfaction with the employer
Think of it this way – if you were to give each of your employees $100 and drop them in a department store to purchase clothing for their personal wardrobe, what are the chances every employee would come out with the same shirts and pants? So why should you expect every employee to wear the same piece of FR clothing on the job, all day, every day? The dissatisfaction that results from forcing employees to wear garments they find uncomfortable can significantly impact employee retention.
And the simple fact is, it’s impossible to predict which garment any one individual will regard as comfortable. According to studies, no single fabric property, such as weight, breathability, wickability, or the way a fabric feels to the hand correlates directly to comfort. And combinations of three or more properties are only marginally more predictive.
As Tyndale VP of Technical, Scott Margolin explains, “Despite popular perception, comfort is not linked substantially to fabric weight. The significant majority of wear test participants consistently rate many garments as more comfortable despite higher weights. Combining properties, such as lightweight and high breathability, for instance, are meaningless in the absence of other properties. Consider, for instance, a window screen is both lightweight and highly breathable. But no one would want to wear clothing made of a mesh screen.” Attributes such as fabric weight and breathability only begin to matter when combined with a soft feel and excellent moisture wicking. And even that data ignores the Big Three factors driving worker satisfaction with their uniforms – choice, fit, and brand/style. The bottom line is that what constitutes comfort differs greatly from person to person and from day to day, and generalizations cannot be made from any single property.
How does workwear positively impact employee attitude and performance?
It makes sense. If the clothes you’re wearing fit right – are able to stretch, move and give you the room you need to do your job better – there will be a positive impact on attitude and performance.
The fact that well-made, comfortable, sharp-looking clothing boosts morale is hardly a new idea. For centuries, military leaders have known that smart and functional dress directly relates to esprit de corps. Offering quality workwear signifies that an employer considers the worker an essential and valued team member – worthy of the investment in comfortable, high-quality garments. That vote of confidence goes a long way toward building the pride and confidence to do what needs to be done and, potentially, to do it better than they would have otherwise. In return, you’re likely to be more committed to the employer who provided you with clothing that keeps you comfortable and protected on the job – an especially important consideration in industries where workers frequently move from employer to employer.
What’s important when choosing workwear?
As you probably already know, it’s not enough to simply pick colors and styles and start ordering. Workwear is a tool and should be selected with the same care. If your job requires bending, stretching, or operating a drill rig, the gear you wear should enable and enhance that performance.
Your clothing needs to be built to work as hard as you do. If your work environment includes hazards such as flash fire, arc flash, or dangerous chemicals, you need gear that’s up to the task. Likewise, if you regularly experience extreme weather conditions, the ability to dissipate moisture from perspiration, keep you warm in frigid conditions, or repel rain may be essential to your comfort and your ability to do your job well. It stands to reason, the better your clothing performs, the better you will. That’s why savvy employers are putting their money where it can do the most good for their bottom line – squarely on the backs of their workers.
And this is why manufacturers such as Carhartt, offer a range of garment options in their Carhartt Company Gear line of FR clothing – designed to meet the individual needs and preferences of a wide variety of employees. Carhartt’s 100+ years of providing clothing to workers across multiple industries throughout America have made it clear to them that choice is the way to go. So, Carhartt manufactures FR clothing in a variety of weights, styles, and fits to accommodate the entire workforce.
Likewise, Tyndale has made the “Power of Choice” the cornerstone of the managed FRC purchase programs they administer. Tyndale programs allow employers to offer the full line of Carhartt FRC to their employees, along with Tyndale’s own Made-in-the-US line of FR and clothing from every other major FR manufacturer. By allowing workers to choose the FR clothing that suits their own unique preferences, from a catalog of company-approved items, employers have found that wearers take greater ownership of their FRC decisions, express higher levels of satisfaction, and take better care of the clothing they wear in the workplace.
Versa Sweatshirt
Conclusion
Employee retention is a growing concern as unemployment rates drop to historic lows and employers face increased competition for the most qualified workers. While the FR clothing options you offer your employees may not be the only factor in determining who stays and who goes, it can play a bigger role than you might think. Offering a choice of garments goes beyond the comfort of the FR clothing in your program. It sends a powerful message that you respect your employees and are prepared to make choices that empower them and provide them with the tools they need to succeed on the job. Employees in the Oil & Gas industry have to wear FR clothing to stay safe on the job. It only makes sense to provide them with comfortable options to stay compliant.
To learn more about the Carhartt FRC options available from Tyndale, visit TyndaleUSA.com/Tyndale-partner-Carhartt-fr.
