California employers are required to pay for their employees’ uniforms. A qualifying uniform includes apparel and accessories of distinctive design or color. Often times the uniform will have the employers’ brand or label on it.
Generic dress code policies such as a requirement to wear suits, business casual, etc. do not count as a company uniform. As a result, employers have no requirement to pay for or provide stipends for these types of clothing that do not qualify as uniforms.
(See Link(s): Industrial Commission Wage Orders Section 9; Labor Code Section 2802)