The $1-billion Washington State Employees Credit Union (WSECU) has introduced an employee apparel program it says is designed to "freshen up and professionalize" the image of its 450 employees. All employees throughout the state now wear clothing from the waist up embroidered with the WSECU logo.
"We moved to an employee apparel program because we want to make it easy for members to identify staff, find them approachable and friendly and feel confident in the professionalism of their credit union," said Ann Flannigan, VP of Public Relations. "The concept of 'Casual Friday' had sort of begun to slip into 'Casual Everyday' here over time and it was important to us that our appearance matched our outstanding service."
The credit union said the clothing is just one component of an overall larger branding initiative. More than 70 employees volunteered to participate on the committee that selected the clothing
The committee settled on Lands' End Outfitters to provide polo shirts, blouses, oxford shirts, blazers, twin sets, t-shirts, sweaters and vests, as well as maternity wear in nine coordinating color choices.
WSECU is providing a stipend for each employee to purchase several garments. The credit union said that in the future, employee reward programs may include additional gift certificates for employees to add to their wardrobes. Giving all staff an annual stipend for clothing replacement is also part of the plan.
