ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES Uniform Program Revised: August 13, 2018

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1 ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES Uniform Program Revised: August 13, ELIGIBILITY TO WEAR UNIFORMS Employees working in field offices are required to wear the TFS standard uniform as they have significant, frequent or recurring contact with the public. The standard uniform is also necessary when it is important to establish their authority and/or identification as TFS representatives. This procedure applies to all permanent employees, and to certain seasonal, temporary and part-time employees when authorized by the applicable associate director. Employees working in administrative offices, where interaction with the public is minimal, may wear the business casual uniform or other attire acceptable in the business environment. For purposes of these procedures, the term public is defined to be any place where a member of the general public who is not a TFS employee may be present. 2. UNIFORM ELEMENTS 2.1 Standard Uniform The standard uniform is available only through a contract between the uniform vendor and TFS. The uniform consists of a light olive shirt, short sleeve or long sleeve, to be worn with dark forest green uniform trousers, pants, jeans or skirt. The shirt has a TFS shoulder patch sewn on the left sleeve one inch below the shoulder seam. A nametag is worn on the right shirt pocket flap. The employee s official TFS title must be used on the nametag. Exceptions must be approved by the applicable associate director or by the Director. Nicknames generally are not allowed on TFS uniform nametags; however exceptions may be approved by the appropriate associate director. The Agency Uniform Coordinator will communicate approved nicknames to the uniform vendor. Appropriate outerwear, socks, ties, belts and caps are also provided on the contract. Employees may not attach TFS patches to any other clothing items. Additional apparel not provided on the approved agency uniform contract may be required to address safety issues or to maintain an appropriate appearance. 2.2 Business Casual Uniform The contracted uniform package includes items that may be worn when business casual attire is more appropriate. a. The polo shirt has the agency logo over the left pocket and is not worn with a nametag. The twill shirt has the agency logo and is not worn with a nametag. These shirts may be worn with the green standard uniform trousers, pants, jeans or skirt, the black LE uniform trousers or with casual slacks, but may not be worn with blue jeans. Ironing with light starch is required after laundering since the shirt is 100% cotton. Page 1 of 9

2 b. Other uniform elements (jackets, belts, etc.) may be worn with casual clothing. Examples where business casual attire might be appropriate include business casual urban meetings, fire or landowner association meetings, business travel, school programs and casual Fridays. Fieldwork is performed in the standard uniform rather than in business casual attire. 2.3 Law Enforcement Uniform Law enforcement personnel may purchase and wear a distinctive uniform which consists of a green shirt for fieldwork and a white shirt for dress occasions, short sleeve or long sleeve, worn with black trousers and a western hat or a black baseball cap. The shirt has a TFS shoulder patch sewn on the left sleeve one inch below the shoulder seam. A nametag is worn on the right shirt pocket flap, and a badge is worn above the left shirt pocket. The law enforcement uniform is not available to other TFS personnel. 2.4 Unit T-Shirts As an exception to the above provisions, the Director has authorized unit t-shirts in support of team-building efforts. This authorization is subject to the following requirements and restrictions: a. No agency funds may be expended for the t-shirts; employees will have to purchase their shirts using personal funds. b. Units desiring a unit t-shirt must obtain approval for the t-shirt and the design from the applicable department head and associate director prior to placing orders for them. c. The requirements for wearing an agency uniform in public places (see section 5.5 below) must be strictly adhered to. d. Unit t-shirts may be worn while working in a shop, on an out-of-state emergency response incident, in an office during an evening or weekend when the office is not open to the public, or in the field where members of public are not present. e. Unit t-shirt colors are limited to brown or sand. Failure to adhere to the above requirements and restrictions will result in elimination of the authorization for unit t-shirts. 2.5 Uniform Boots Uniform boots are part of the agency uniform. Employees may purchase uniform boots from another vendor and be reimbursed for up to $200 of the cost (including shipping charges) from their uniform allowance. The following requirements must be met: a. Employee must have a need for uniform boots. Page 2 of 9

3 b. State sales tax charges must be paid to the vendor and are not eligible for reimbursement. c. Reimbursements may not exceed the employee s available uniform allowance balance. d. Reimbursement requests must be submitted to Accounts Payable (A/P) within 90 days of purchase and must be accompanied with original receipts. If an employee does not submit a reimbursement voucher within 90 days, the reimbursement will be treated as taxable income to the employee. The reimbursement will be processed through the payroll system and appropriate taxes will be withheld. e. Reimbursement requests may not be split across two fiscal years uniform allowances. f. The boots must meet the following minimum specifications: Work Boot 8 High Lace-up Steel shank Welt construction Brown all leather upper w/black outer sole Wildland Fire Boot Minimum 8 high Lace-up All leather upper Vibram-type, melt resistant sole No steel toe No zipper No nylon No insulation 3. UNIFORM ELEMENTS K&L ADVERTISING SPECIALTIES 3.1 TFS has approved additional business casual logo items for employees to purchase at personal expense directly through K&L Advertising Specialties in College Station. Choose from items available through the web link in section 3.2. Items purchased from K&L Advertising Specialties are not worn with a nametag. The shirts may be worn with the green standard uniform trousers, pants, jeans or skirt, the black LE uniform trousers, or with casual slacks, but may not be worn with blue jeans. Examples where business casual attire might be appropriate include casual urban meetings, fire or landowner association meetings, business travel, school programs and casual Fridays. Fieldwork is performed in the standard uniform rather than in business casual attire. 3.2 To place an order with K&L Advertising Specialties, go to the TFS Logo Business Casual Items web page and follow the instructions. This web page does not provide online ordering or payment processing. The TFS uniform allowance cannot be used to purchase these items. Note: To avoid shipping fees, the order form has the option to pick up the order. Page 3 of 9

4 3.3 Employees with a uniform allowance may purchase with personal funds business casual items from K&L and be reimbursed for up to $100 of the cost (including shipping charges) from their annual uniform allowance. The following requirements must be met: a. Employee must have a need for the items. b. State sales tax charges must be paid to the vendor and are not eligible for reimbursement. c. Reimbursements may not exceed the employee s available uniform allowance balance. d. Reimbursement requests must be submitted to Accounts Payable (A/P) within 90 days of purchase and must be accompanied with original receipts. e. Reimbursement requests may not be split across two fiscal years uniform allowances. 4. CHANGES TO UNIFORM ELEMENTS 4.1 To request a change to a uniform element, an employee should submit a request via e- mail to the Agency Uniform Coordinator. This request should clearly state what change (i.e., modification or addition) is requested and the reason for the request. 4.2 The Agency Uniform Coordinator routes all requests to the Executive Team for review, along with any pertinent information related to availability from the current uniform providers. Executive Team members will obtain input from their staff, as needed. 4.3 As requested by members of the Executive Team, the Agency Uniform Coordinator will perform additional research and obtain product samples for review. 4.4 The Director will consider the input received from members of the Executive Team and make a decision regarding the requested change. 4.5 The Agency Uniform Coordinator will communicate the decision to the requestor. For approved changes, the Agency Uniform Coordinator will coordinate the necessary changes with the uniform provider and communicate the changes to all employees. 5. WEARING THE UNIFORM 5.1 An employee wearing a TFS uniform represents the agency; therefore each employee is responsible for presenting a professional image. Additional uniform items may need to be purchased (above the yearly allowance) at an employee s expense to maintain the integrity of the uniforms and the appropriate professional image. 5.2 A uniform should not be worn during off-duty periods. It also should not be worn when an activity requires more formal or casual attire than presented by the uniform. Page 4 of 9

5 Worn-out, dirty, wrinkled or otherwise unacceptable uniforms should not be worn. 5.3 The TFS uniform cannot be modified in any way. For example, no additional non-tfs embroidery or patches are allowed. 5.4 An employee may choose to wear an approved TFS uniform cap or a broad brimmed hat to protect from over-exposure to the sun with the TFS uniform. Approved hats are available from the agency uniform vendor. In addition, an employee may wear a plain western hat (with no embellishments). No other hats are allowed. 5.5 An employee with a full uniform allowance is required to wear the uniform when working in public places or when dealing with the public. A TFS office is considered a public place. An employee working in a shop, on an out-of-state emergency response incident, in an office during an evening or weekend when the office is not open to the public, or in the field where members of the public are not present, may wear a t-shirt to avoid damage to the regular uniform shirt; however, the regular uniform shirt must be worn when returning to a public place. 5.6 Only pins approved by the Director may be worn with the TFS uniform. The pins must be worn on the left pocket flap of the standard uniform shirt and no more than two pins may be worn at a time. 5.7 Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that subordinates wear the proper uniform attire and that uniforms are properly maintained. 5.8 Failure to follow these guidelines or the inappropriate use of the TFS uniform can result in the loss of the uniform allowance, loss of the privilege to wear uniforms or other disciplinary action. 6. UNIFORM ALLOWANCE 6.1 Employees required to wear the TFS uniform on a daily basis will receive a full allowance ($532 the first year and $284 each succeeding year) of funds each fiscal year for the purchase of contracted uniform items from the uniform vendor. 6.2 Employees required to wear the TFS uniform on an occasional basis will receive a partial allowance ($266 the first year and $145 each succeeding year) of funds each fiscal year or any appropriate alternate amount determined by the applicable associate director. 6.3 Employees not required to wear the TFS uniform will not receive a uniform allowance. 6.4 Employees are allowed to carry forward up to $100 of any unexpended uniform allowance from one fiscal year to the next. 6.5 An employee s uniform allowance may not be transferred to another employee and may not be used to purchase uniform items for any other person. Page 5 of 9

6 7. ADMINISTRATION OF STANDARD UNIFORM 7.1 Employee Responsibilities a. The requesting employee submits a uniform order directly to the uniform vendor via the internet. TFS receives a master bill for all employee uniform purchases on a monthly basis. b. If the order exceeds the employee s available allowance, the employee must select another payment option (money order, check or personal credit card) for the excess amount. A TFS credit card may not be used to pay for the excess amount. c. Upon completion of the order, the requesting employee prints a copy of the internet order confirmation for the employee s records. d. Upon receipt of the goods, the employee verifies the order is correct and sizing is appropriate. Returned items are the employee s responsibility; however, the employee may request assistance from the department uniform coordinator. e. Employees may access their order history and allowance balance via the internet. f. If there is a problem or complaint with a uniform order, the employee follows these steps for resolution. The following information is needed to process a complaint: order number, order date, item description, problem description and desired resolution. (1) Contact the uniform vendor promptly. Document in writing the communication with the uniform vendor, including the name of person contacted, date and time of the communication, and the specifics related to the resolution of the complaint. This communication record is retained until the complaint is fully resolved. (2) If the employee is unable to resolve the problem directly with the uniform vendor, the department uniform coordinator will assist. The department uniform coordinator documents the communication with the uniform vendor and keeps the communication record until the complaint is fully resolved. The department uniform coordinator contacts the employee when the complaint is resolved. (3) Contact the Agency Uniform Coordinator for assistance with a uniform complaint after all other methods have been exhausted. Provide the complaint information, including the communication record. The Agency Uniform Coordinator works with the uniform vendor and contacts the employee and the department uniform coordinator with the complaint resolution details. 7.2 Department Uniform Coordinator Responsibilities Department uniform coordinators perform the following tasks: Page 6 of 9

7 a. Prepare the Uniform Allowance Authorization form for new hires, terminations, changes in allowances and changes in office location or department uniform coordinator, and send it to the Agency Uniform Coordinator. b. Assist employees with the return authorization process and with the resolution of any other uniform issues. c. Collect uniform patches, nametags and approved TFS uniform caps from employees at the time they terminate. Terminating employees have the option to turn in uniforms to the department uniform coordinator or to keep the uniforms. If uniforms are kept by the employee, all TFS patches must be removed and turned in. 7.3 Agency Uniform Coordinator Responsibilities a. TFS has designated the Compliance Reporting Officer as its Agency Uniform Coordinator. b. The Agency Uniform Coordinator processes the Uniform Allowance Authorization forms as follows: (1) Complete the authorization data and approve the Uniform Allowance Authorization forms received from department uniform coordinators. (2) Set up the uniform account with the uniform vendor. (3) Maintain the master list of uniform allowance authorizations. c. The Agency Uniform Coordinator processes year-end carryforward balances as follows: (1) Verify the allowable carryforward balance on the end-of-year allowance balance report and mark corrections on the report. (2) Verify the following year s allowance amount on end-of-year allowance balance report and mark corrections on the report. (3) Submit account changes and end-of-year allowance balance report to the uniform vendor. (4) Request updated end-of-year allowance balance reports and send copies to the department uniform coordinators. (5) Update the master list of uniform allowance authorizations. d. The Agency Uniform Coordinator maintains files containing the Uniform Allowance Authorization forms, master list of uniform authorizations and copies of the year-end reports. Page 7 of 9

8 e. The Agency Uniform Coordinator processes all requested uniform elements received from employees, as described in section 4 of this procedure. f. Assist department uniform coordinators with problem resolution issues. 8. ADMINISTRATION OF REIMBURSEMENT PROCESS Employees seeking reimbursement for the purchase of uniform boots or for the purchase of TFS authorized business casual items from K&L must use the following reimbursement process: 8.1 The employee s supervisor must verify that the boots meet the TFS boot specifications (section 2.5 above) for the employee s assigned duties. Discussions between employee and supervisor prior to purchase is encouraged and recommended. 8.2 After uniform boots or K&L business casual items are purchased, the employee completes the Uniform Allowance Reimbursement Request form, attaches the original paid invoices or itemized receipts and submits the reimbursement request package to their supervisor for approval. 8.3 Upon supervisor approval, the reimbursement request package is submitted to the bill payer for processing of an L-doc on the uniform program account (account # ; object code 5755). 8.4 The L-doc package is submitted to A/P for processing. Upon receipt of the request, A/P routes the package to the Agency Uniform Coordinator for verification and processing on employee s uniform account. 8.5 The Agency Uniform Coordinator s an adjustment request to the contract uniform vendor with the employee s name and dollar amount. If the employee does not have a sufficient balance to cover the requested adjustment: a. Contract uniform vendor will notify the Agency Uniform Coordinator of the available balance. b. The Agency Uniform Coordinator will verify that the employee wishes to be reimbursed for available balance amount and then a revised request to the contract uniform vendor. c. The contract uniform vendor will send back an confirmation with a screenshot of the transaction. d. The Agency Uniform Coordinator will reject the L-doc to the bill payer with a note to adjust the amount. e. The bill payer will make the correction and resubmit the L-doc. Page 8 of 9

9 8.6 The Agency Uniform Coordinator will attach the confirmation to the L-doc package, update log of uniform allowance adjustments, sign the reimbursement request form, approve the L-doc in Canopy, and return the package to A/P for payment processing. 8.7 A/P will perform its normal voucher audit and process payment to the employee. 9. LONE STAR STATE INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAM (LSSIMT) UNIFORM A standard uniform has been adopted to aid the LSSIMT in the performance of its assignments. The LSSIMT uniform is not part of the standard TFS uniform. TFS employees who are part of the LSSIMT may wear the LSSIMT uniform while on a LSSIMT assignment or activity. The LSSIMT uniform may also be worn when business casual attire is permitted. TFS employees may not wear the LSSIMT uniform during normal TFS duty when the standard TFS uniform is required. CONTACT: Agency Uniform Coordinator, 979/ Page 9 of 9