Security wear overalls have to pay daily

Recently, Mr. Li from Luqiao called the newspaper's rights protection hotline at 81812315 to share a troubling experience related to his work uniform. The issue has sparked concerns about labor rights and company policies.

Mr. Li, who is 62 years old, started working as a security guard at Luqiao Century Mansion in mid-December last year. He was introduced by a villager and did not sign a formal contract. Instead, the company only took a copy of his ID card and told him that his monthly salary would be 2,500 yuan, with 200 yuan deducted for living expenses. However, he later discovered that an additional 1 yuan per day was being taken out for clothing costs.

"After one month of working, I found out that I had to pay for my own clothes every month," Mr. Li said. He explained that the deduction made his actual salary 2,270 yuan instead of the expected 2,300 yuan. This discrepancy led him to question why he was being charged for clothing when he had no choice but to wear it during work.

According to Mr. Li, the property management company responsible for the building is Xiangyu Property Management Co., Ltd. He mentioned that the company usually paid salaries between the 15th and 20th of each month. However, on January 18, he hadn’t received his payment yet. When he asked about it, the director of the property office, Mr. Liang, told him that the salary had not been issued yet and that his final amount was 2,270 yuan.

This raised more questions. Why was there a 30-yuan difference? After further inquiry, Mr. Li learned that the company was deducting 1 yuan per day for clothing. "My uniform is worn and dirty, and I heard that I have to return the clothes when I leave. If that’s the case, why should I pay for them?" he asked.

Despite the small amount, Mr. Li hoped the company could clarify its policy. When the reporter contacted the property office, a staff member named Mr. Liang confirmed that the company did charge 1 yuan per day for uniforms. However, when asked why this fee existed, the staff member quickly ended the call.

Later, the reporter reached out again, and Mr. Liang claimed that the clothing fee was a company rule, though he wasn't sure of the exact reason. He suggested contacting the property company at Jiaojiang Golden Shore Apartment for more details.

When the reporter contacted Xiangyu Property Management Co., Ltd., a staff member named Mr. Xu, who handled complaints, initially acknowledged the clothing fee but stated it was only applied for one year. However, he admitted he wasn’t fully aware of the policy and promised to get back to the reporter.

Soon after, Mr. Xu called back and clarified: "The company does not have this requirement." He confirmed that all employees were paid directly by the company, and no clothing fees were collected. He also noted that the salary was issued between the 20th and 22nd of each month.

Mr. Li then called the reporter again, stating that the issue had been resolved. "Today, the director gave me my salary without any deductions," he said. He added that the payment was directly credited to his account, and the director assured him that the company would no longer deduct clothing costs.

Despite this resolution, Mr. Li remained unsure about why Mr. Liang had previously claimed the company required the fee. "It might have been a misunderstanding," he said.

Legal Perspective: According to Lawyer Lu Jun, employers are legally obligated to provide necessary work uniforms free of charge. Under China's Labor Law and Labor Contract Law, if work attire is essential for the job, the employer must supply it. Charging employees for such items is considered a violation of labor regulations, even if not explicitly prohibited by law.

Furthermore, the Labor Contract Law prohibits employers from collecting deposits or other fees from employees under the guise of uniforms or other items. Such practices may be seen as disguised forms of forced payments, which are illegal.