Description
When employees are required to wear a uniform in the performance of their duties, agencies must either pay an allowance for a uniform not to exceed $800 a year or furnish a uniform at a cost not to exceed $800 a year.
Although agencies have authority to pay an annual uniform allowance rate up to a maximum rate of $800 a year, it is not anticipated or required that every employee who must wear a uniform will receive the maximum rate of $800 per year. Agencies are in the best position to identify and manage the specific uniform allowance needs of their employees.
Employee Coverage
The Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM’s) regulations on uniform allowances apply to civilian Federal employees in an "Executive agency" as defined in 5 U.S.C. 105.
Agency Policy
Under OPM’s regulations at 5 CFR 591.103, any agency which provides a uniform allowance must establish a policy to administer the uniform allowance program. At a minimum, the policy should—
Agencies may use any standards acceptable to them to determine uniform appearance and any other specialized uniform requirements, such as safety requirements, if appropriate.
Higher Initial Maximum Uniform Allowance Rate
Under OPM’s regulations at 5 CFR 591.104, the head of an agency may establish one or more initial maximum uniform allowance rates greater than the Governmentwide maximum uniform allowance rate established under 5 CFR 591.103
Before establishing a higher initial maximum uniform allowance rate, an agency must publish in the Federal Register for notice and comment—
References