These tools and equipment are common to the entire store operation
Employee clothing, identifiers and accessories
Clothing
We want a common design theme and similar clothing for the employees of green garden gates. Our designer was tasked with developing this clothing line to fit with our logos and colors. Some of the clothing is the responsibility of the employee; some of the items are supplied by the store.
Anyone who has had to choose clothing for their employees knows that it is always a pain in the ass. “They are too hot or too cold… I don’t wear that color…It does not fit me…It is not my style of clothing…I just don’t look good in it…I am allergic to that fabric….I just don’t like it”.
Our company got together a group of employees, had them try on styles, colors, fabrics. We had them in the sun, the rain, the hot, and the cold wearing this stuff.
They voted on their choices and we then put the hammer down…..no more talk about uniforms!
The employees are responsible for returning all clothing, accessories, and equipment issued to them at the end of their season. 
It is the employees’ responsibility to keep all of the clothing they wear at the store clean and free of excessive staining, tears and frays. There is a value placed in all items and the cost of any loss of abuse of the items will be deducted from their final wages. The floor manager is responsible for accounting for the clothing.
Employee’s responsibility
Tennis shoes (sneakers)/ predominantly white in color
Work boots/ black or brown
Denim Jeans/ blue
Khaki type pants/ tan or brown
Khaki Shorts/ knee length/ tan or brown
Belt/tan or brown
Sox/white
Rain pants/ color yellow or brown
Rain boots/ color brown or black
Hats or sun bonnets
Heavy duty coat (color specified by company)
Provided by the company
(2) Fishing type vests with hood/ store design color with prominent logo
This vest is the primary identifier for the employees during moderate weather. Combinations of this clothing can be worn at their discretion, but the vest is worn nearly at all times. It is lightweight with numerous pockets, waist length, sleeveless, zipper closing, side pockets to warm the hands, machine washable, resists staining, fading, and tearing and a hood for rain protection.
(2) Sweatshirts/store design color with prominent logo
High quality, Columbia brand, long sleeve, machine washable, thick and warm, pullover, resistant to staining, fading and tearing
(4) Polo type collared shirts/ two store design colors with prominent logo
Light weight, machine washable, resistant to fading, staining, and tearing
(1) Plastic heavy duty raincoat/ bright yellow color with prominent logo
The logo is on both front and a huge logo on the back, machine washable, zipper front, long sleeved, with pockets.
(4) T-shirts, Russell Brand/ (2) store design color with logo
Washable, resistant to fading, dirt, rips and tears.
Name tags and business cards
We require each employee to wear our name tag. The tag has our logo and their name engraved. The only other identifiers on the tag will be "guide", “section leader”, "floor manager" or “store manager”. The tags have pins to attach to the clothing. It solves the argument about the pin “putting a hole in my clothes”. It is our clothing!
We believe that all employees should carry business cards. They are simple and inexpensive with only the company logo, address and telephone. Employees are to write in their name for the customer.
We do this for two reasons. First, to save money printing a lot of cards with the same wording. Second, we like the idea of the interaction of an employee personally writing their name on the card. (The store manager has a personalized card)
To offset the expense of this clothing, we partner with a local or national company that is represented in the sales inventory of our store. They are allowed to logo their product brand on this clothing (one logo only per item of clothing) and contribute toward the purchase of the clothing.
It is important to get this clothing, these cards and name tags produced quickly for the store. We try to get a local source but we are open to a national company. The key is getting the initial inventory and the re-orders done quickly.
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Accessories
Employees are issued tools and other accessories for the performance of their daily tasks
(1) Waist Pak/ Nike Brand
Sometimes called a “fanny pak” or "bum bag" (never say fanny pak in England!) All employees are required to use these paks. They are used for storage of both personal belongings and tools needed for the job
Inside the paks are:
A Kobalt multi-functional tool for a variety of uses
A Kobalt mini one hand opening knife
The employees are called up to groom plants, or repair minor objects during the course of the day.
A pack of business cards
Sharpie Black pen and ball point pen
A mini spiral writing notebook
Flagging tape
“Sold” or “Hold” tags
Personal Items
Felco Pruners and Holster
Some employees who prune, shape and process woody plants are issued these high quality pruners.
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Walkie-Talkies
Every employee is to have a two way radio at green garden gates. We understand that involves considerable expense and some employees may rarely need the radio. We believe in total communication with our employees. The expense is justified.
As in all the equipment issued, Employees are responsible for the care of the radio. They are required to charge the radio at their home and take the radio home after their shift. They loan out their radio at their own peril. If they come to work without their radio, they are to return to get it on their own time. We are serious about these policies because communication is part of their jobs at green garden gates.
We have chosen the Motorola brand.
It has a rock solid reputation for a quality product and a network of service stations that can repair and maintain this equipment everywhere we have green garden gates in the
We have observed headphones in use in garden centers and many other businesses. We have found that both the customer and employee can become easily distracted with this mult-tasking, trying to be attentive too many people at once. We do not use headphones for the walkies.
The requirements for these radios are:
Small, lightweight and durable (able to withstand working in the outdoor elements)
One model or the upgrade from that model
Easily and rapidly serviceable
Parts are readily available
Several channels for private communication
Designed to allow headset communication
A belt clip
A rapid charging unit
A volume control
www.motorola.com
Your walkies fall out of pockets. 
They slip off of clips; they drop off of loaders and hit the concrete, the dirt, the mud and the water. Here is a simple device that prevents all of that and saves hundreds of dollars in accidents. It is a short webbed nylon lease. One end is wired tied to the clip of the walkie; the other end is snapped to a belt loop. The leash is long enough to allow hand held talking without obstruction. Let if fall and it will never hit the ground again.
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