If Your Employer Makes You Wear a Uniform, You May Be Owed Money — Every Single Week.

What is Uniform Maintenance Pay?

This is one of the most overlooked worker protections in New York — and one of the most commonly violated. Under New York Labor Law and NYDOL wage orders, employers in covered industries who require workers to wear uniforms may be required to either launder and maintain those uniforms or pay a weekly cash maintenance allowance. Whether the requirement applies depends on your industry, your employer's size, and the specific facts of your situation — but in many cases, employers are simply not complying.

If it applies to your situation, it doesn't matter if you've been at the job for 3 months or 10 years, or if you've already left. You may be able to claim back pay for any qualifying job you've held in New York within the past 6 years.

How It Generally Works

• In covered industries, the employer must either provide clean, laundered uniforms or pay a weekly maintenance allowance
• Where it applies, the allowance is paid in addition to regular wages — it cannot be deducted from pay
• The amount varies based on hours per week and location (NYC vs. rest of New York State)
• Claims may be available even if you no longer work for that employer

What Are You Owed? Weekly Allowance Amounts

The following amounts are based on current NYDOL wage orders (as of recent updates):

New York City

Rest of New York State

If Your Employer Required Specific Clothing — Get a Free Consultation

You don't need to be certain you have a case. If your employer ever required you to wear specific clothing to work, it's worth a conversation. Eligibility depends on your industry and specific circumstances — that's exactly what we'll evaluate for you, at no cost.

Ask Yourself:

• Did your employer require a specific uniform, logo shirt, or dress code?
• Did you work in New York — in the city or anywhere in the state?
• Did your employer not provide clean, laundered uniforms to you?
• Did you wash, dry-clean, or maintain the uniform at your own expense?
• Did you hold this job at any point in the last 6 years?

If you answered yes to these questions, it's worth finding out if you have a claim. Depending on your industry and situation, eligible workers can be owed up to $1,000 or more per year, per job.

Industries That Commonly Owe This Pay

• Hospitality and Hotels
• Food Service and Restaurants
• Building Services and Maintenance
• Healthcare and Medical Facilities
• Retail and Department Stores
• Security Services
• Janitorial and Cleaning Services
• Salons and Personal Services
• Home Care and Health Aides

What You Can Recover

New York law is strong on the side of workers. Where the law applies, a full-time employee in NYC may be owed $18.65/week — over $970 per year — and with up to 6 years of back pay plus double damages, a single claim can be worth thousands. Here's what eligible workers may be able to recover:

Why LawyerForWorkers.com?

At LawyerForWorkers.com, we represent workers — never employers. We know this law inside and out, and we've helped New York employees recover wages they didn't even know they were owed.

• Free consultation — we'll review your situation at no cost and no obligation
• No fee unless we win — you pay nothing out of pocket, ever
• We handle everything — you don't need to confront your employer
• Current and former jobs covered — we can file claims for jobs you've already left
• Employer pays your legal fees — New York law requires it if we win

You have nothing to lose and potentially thousands of dollars to gain. Don't leave your money on the table.