I may eventually have to return to the corporate employment. Working for oneself definitely has its limitations, most notably in regard to income. However, when I read articles about what the corporate world puts employees through, particularly those without much power, I remember why nonconformist me left it. My attire on a given day varies from jeans and tee shirt to a suit if I am doing something that makes one appropriate. But, at least, I get to decide. Workers at DHL Worldwide Express don't. And, they are paying the price, embarrassment, for a choice they never made. One of DHL's websites tells the suits' side of the story — without describing employee reaction.
Sweden, Stockholm, February 13th, 2004 - For some six weeks, couriers and drivers within DHL Express Sweden will participate in a global trial of trousers, sweatshirts, jackets, caps etc., starting in the first week of February. The trial will also be carried out in Germany, Spain, Singapore, South Korea, South Africa, Mexico and the United States. The purpose is to evaluate the functionality, quality and design of the test collection. In total, more than 3600 DHL Express employees will be participating in this research.
Every year close to ten million customer visits are made by the couriers and drivers of DHL Express in Sweden. It is an advantage for the customer to be able to identify a courier picking up/delivering an express shipment at a glance, or a driver picking up/delivering packages and heavier goods. Apart from being practical and easy to recognize, the uniforms should also convey a message compatible with the brand.By doing thorough research on our test collection involving couriers, drivers and even customers we stand a good chance of being able to produce corporate wear that is both uniform and attractive. The work wear needs to meet the heavy demands on functionality in different countries, but they should also give the wearer a feeling of solidarity and pride, says Lars Sundman, Managing Director, DHL Express (Sweden) AB.
Article comments
1 - RJ Elliott
The colors in the DHL Worldwide Express uniform are laughable. But the employees, though they should be encouraged to share their input, should not have the final say in this matter. Management should. That's why they're management.
I have to wear a long-sleeve dress shirt and a tie to work, even though I spend most of my day in a back office where no non-employees see me. I even have to wear an annoying name badge. I would prefer jeans and a T-shirt, but rules are rules. My giving me employment, top-level management pays my bills. In exchange, I am willing to wear whatever they want me to wear. If I don't like it, I can work somewhere else.
Use to be, people slaved in inhumane conditions for 12 hours a day and were happy to have a warm meal to eat when they returned to their hovel. These were the people who built this country. Today you've got people bitching about the colors of their uniform. Things certainly have changed...
2 - Mac Diva
I know it is not a big, serious kind of issue like workers being denied benefits or exposed to chemicals. I was going to do one of those for that column, but decided to go with something lighter.
Poor fellows. I'm not sure the picture really communicates how silly they look. I saw two of them today, walking side by side. Imagine oversized fast food ketchup and mustard containers walking down the street together.
3 - Scott Pepper
I'm with RJ on this one. I don't like wearing a suit to work every day, but I don't have a choice. The company I work for and the environment I work in dictate my wardrobe.
I'm sure if the uniform is a make-or-break issue for the DHL carriers, they could always find work at UPS or FedEx (although orange and purple isn't much better), both of which are hiring.
If looking kind of silly is the worst problem these folks have, they should count their blessings.
4 - duane
Sure, management gets to decide whether or not their staff should be forced to don a getup that will make their customers think of hot dogs. But management would be idiotic to make such a decision. You folks don't think they have a right to complain? Think about this RJ and Scott. DHL got their best and brightest managers to put together a PowerPoint presentation on ways to improve the bottom line. This is what they came up with. Let's batter the morale of the rank and file into submission by making them wear clown suits. Laughter all around the table. Yeah, that'll show 'em, JB. More coffee, anyone?
5 - bhw
I guess you can always hope that upper management will listen to the employees.
Bwahahahahahahaha!
6 - RJ Elliott
I think management made a poor decision in this case. If I am correct, the results will become apparent when they review the bottom line. And if the results are unsatisfactory, they will alter their plans.
That is what management does. Give it time.
7 - simon b
Yes, managers are there to manage, and to make decisions, and the peon has to smile and take it...
but managers can only manage with our approval
8 - Eric Olsen
You think these are bad? Look at the uniforms of professional sports teams. They have no say either and many make DHL's look dignified.
9 - bhw
But those athletes are unionized, to borrow from another thread.
And they makes TONS of money to look like idiots while playing a game. Can't say I'm too worried about their wardrobe issues.
Although some of them need help off the field, too. Can anyone offer a helping hand to Dieon Sanders?
10 - Philip Roberts
Most everyone has to wear a uniform of some type in the working world. The drivers look totally unprofessional with the gray pants matched with the company top. I'd been a driver for a company before that had shirts with red pin stripes on a white background with gray pants but they blended. When I was a Boy Scout I and many others in my troop refused to wear the stupid looking pants with red pockets and wore jeans instead which we thought were cool. Actually it was just juvenile like the way these DHL drivers are acting. DHL should be wearing the darker color of the two colors which would be red of course. I use to cook for a living and had to wear these stupid black and white patterned pants. Remember how Kerry when he was @ NASA or JPL campaining and he wore a "bunny suit" which the scientists wore? He was ridiculed by the Republicans for looking rediculous but the workers appreciated that he wore their "work uniform". Grow up DHL an dput the pants on!!
11 - SWT
Well they changed the colors of the pants, now a dark navy blue. The shirts and jackets are the red and yellow which looks pretty good with the blue compared to before. The drivers are a lot happier as well (I know some of them).
I was told the trial was not only for the colors but the materials, design and supplier. Seems like the rest of the testing was good, they just got the colors wrong to start with. Looks like big business can listen to the workers.
12 - Ronald
I am a DHL driver. I can't believe some of you can compare wearing a shirt and tie to wearing a bright red and yellow uniform. I'll bet you've never been laughed at by a total stranger about the clothes you wear to work. From the first day we put them on (even without the red pants) it has been open season on us. At the begining it was brutal. Customers, family, friends, people on the street. Everybody had a comment or a snicker or would just flat out laugh in your face. It has died down a little, but not much. Mostly people just wonder who came up with the hideous design. The word "unprofessional" seems to come up alot. By the way, there was no testing, there was no driver input. The fuctionality of the uniforms leave alot to be desired also. Philip said we should grow up. We are grown up. That's why we don't want to be dressed like infants.
13 - Gary
I agree with Ron. I work for DHL also, and these uniforms are laughable. Even though we have switched up to a red and yellow shirt with blue trim, these things suck to wear. I still hear comments about how "bright" we are, "ugly colors" and such. I was with Airborne Express when DHL bought us, and the Airborne uniforms were so much nicer to wear. They looked like professional uniforms, not fast food uniforms!