BENTONVILLE (KFSM) – Walmart has changed up its dress code for employees, bringing back required vests for its associates, officials say.
One of the main reasons Walmart is changing up the dress code is to help customers identify its associates. In the past, some customers had trouble identifying who worked for Walmart when they needed help, according to officials.
Barbara Pennington, an associate at the Walmart Supercenter at 4870 Elm Springs Rd. said she thinks the vests were a good idea.
“It’s great because customers know we’re associates,” she said.
Pennington also told 5NEWS associates got plenty of warning about the changes, and staff members knew of the dress code update months ahead of time.
The old Walmart dress code simply consisted of blue t-shirts and khaki pants, but new additions to the code include black pants and white tops, as well as, blue collared shirts, officials said.
Walmart associates used to wear vests in the past, but the store decided to do away with them, according to officials.
Now, the vests are coming back, and the Walmart Supercenter Pennington works at is the first store in the country to get them, officials said. As other new stores open, they’ll get the vests, too.
The new dress code kicks in on Sept. 29, according to officials.
Affiliate station WHIO reports that Walmart will provide the vests, but the purchase of other works clothes is the responsibility of associates.
