Mumhitsoutat trampoline firm’s uniform charge

A MUM has criticised the bosses of a new trampoline attraction after her teenage daughter was told to pay £60 for her uniform.

Janet Foley said the price tag was the equivalent of her 17-yearold working 11 hours at Gravity for free on her £5.50 an hour wage.

The Yorkshire-based firm is opening a new centre at Intu Braehead at the end of the month, with 40 jobs created.

The company’s ‘deduction contract’ states that employees must pay for two T-shirts, priced £34 and a ‘hoodie’ sweatshirt for £26.

Workers will also be expected to, “renew the clothing” a minimum of once a year.

The company said that it was “standard practice” to charge staff for work clothes and that policy was brought in to stop workers “keeping the uniform” if they leave.

There is no legal obligation for employers to pay for uniforms, unless an item of clothing amounts to personal protective equipment (PPE) under the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992.

Mrs Foley, who lives in Penilee, said: “My daughter Erin is 17 and went for a job at Gravity.

“They said they would take £20 a month out of her wages.

“She is only 17 and gets paid £5.50 an hour. She would have to work 11 hours for nothing to pay for the uniform. I just thought it was bad. Erin said no to the job.”

A spokeswoman for Gravity Fitness Ltd said: “As you can imagine, when you are employing in excess of 300 people across the group, this prevents people from joining the company, being pro- vided with their uniform, not turning up for their shifts and then keeping the uniform.

“Whilst staff are responsible for the payment of their uniform items, the payment for this is taken in deductions from their pay over a minimum of a three month period.

“However, in any instances where a member of staff has not earned enough wages and any deduction would take them below the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage, that months deductions would default to the following month’s pay run.

“We invest approximately £1500 into inducting and training every member of staff. In addition, we offer monthly staff incentive bonuses at each of our sites which allows the managers to reward staff who have gone over and above what is required within their role.”