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Accommodation
Operations
> Management of Linen - Page 13
UNIFORM
Uniform is the official dress code, which is
provided to the all the individuals employed with the firm to give him the
feel of belonging. A uniform also helps in identification of the staff and
separating from the guest in a particular area. It help the guest to
identify the people who are the service personnel and eager to help him in
every respect. The uniform also help the staff to carry the pride of being
the part of the elite organization he / she is employed with. The uniform
also assist the staff to acquire a similar look so that the guest does not
find himself amidst the people who look different every day. A uniform bound
the person to always remember duties and responsibilities of his
designation.
NO OF SETS ISSUED
Every staff in the hotel has to wear the set of
uniform provided by the hotel while he / she is on duty. After his shift he
is also entitled to receive the washing for his set of uniform in all the
star properties. Since at the end of his / her shift the uniform is handed
over in the uniform room for washing it becomes impossible to get it washed
at the same time thus a person is always issued more than one set of
uniform. To understand it properly lets calculate the minimum count of
uniform sets required by the staff. If say on day one the staff puts a set
of uniform for washing it will get washed on day two. Thus he requires the
other set of uniform for his shift on day two. So at least two sets are
essential for the staff at any place. But what if the set given on day one
is not ready by the evening of day two. Thus an extra standby set number
three is also issued to the staff for exchange as and when the other sets
are dirty.
Also three sets of uniform ensure that the life
of the uniform is more than that for the two sets as the set goes for
washing on every third day rather than alternate day reducing one third of
the washes in the year. Thus three sets of uniform are issued for many
reasons such as longer life of the uniform, smooth and easy operation, less
chances of trouble and better quality of the uniform for long time. The
staff is not allowed to carry their uniform or wear the uniform out of the
property and has to leave the set of uniform in their hotel lockers only.
The washing or the laundry facility is only for the uniform excluding the
socks, thus staff is allowed to carry the pair or wear the pair of socks to
home and get it washed.
The issue of the fresh uniform set is against the
dirty set of uniform i.e. fresh against dirty. The exchange of the set is
done in complete and single items are not exchanged in the uniform room.
One set of uniform include one lower, one top,
one jacket, one pair of shoes, one pair of socks and a tie or a bow or a
scarf. From the above only one pair of shoes are issued while the Dry-clean
items like jacket and tie or bow are issued two in number. Two pair of socks
are issued and three pair of the top and the lower. In the case of ladies
three sarees are issued though they are dry-cleaned.
Every year the hotel or the company provide its
staff the new sets of the uniform which are exchanged against the old set of
uniform and these old sets are disposed as per the company policy. If any
item of the existing sets is found short the staff is debited the amount of
the item to be paid or deducted from the salary. The set of shoes and the
socks are not collected at the end of the year but it is a question of
company policy to decide it. At the time of leaving the job the employee has
to submit his set of uniform including shoes and socks and gets clearance
from the uniform room. If any item is short in the sets than the amount is
debited for the same.
For the department heads and senior managers, the
hotel provides a uniform allowance to them every financial year and they are
asked to get the suits of mentioned style stitched for them as per there
like. They are not issued any item from the hotel but some hotel might also
issue the managers and department heads the sets of uniform as per the
policy. The managers and department heads are entitled for laundry for their
personal dresses being used by them as uniform.
ISSUING PROCEDURE
The sets of uniform are procured employing the
policy and procedure laid down by the hotel. The sets thus procured are
received in the stores of the hotel. The Uniform Room Supervisor raises a
Store Requisition to get the uniforms sets issued to the uniform room. The
requisition is signed by the executive housekeeper and than taken to the
stores to collect all the uniforms. After receiving the sets of the uniform
in complete along with the shoes and socks the items are added with the
number of sets in his / her Uniform Card or UDR register (Uniform Delivery
Register). The old sets of uniform are collected and counted from the
uniform record, which are then separately packed in boxes with the
mentioning of the date. The new sets of the employee are put in circulation
with his sign taken and one set handed over to the employee. The issuance of
the uniform is always done departmental wise that is covering one department
at one time and than moving to the next. All items and the quantity being
issued are entered in the Uniform Card or UDR and signature of the employee
taken.
The old sets recovered and collected are put in big
boxes sealed with the count and description on top. This box may be handed
over to the stores for the disposing. Generally the uniforms, which are in
good shape, are kept in the uniform room only for the emergencies and
trainees and temporarily for the new joiners.
PRODUCING UNIFORM:
The uniform is generally the work of the
Housekeeper. A Housekeeper, along with some Fashion Designer, prepares the
design of the uniform for the staff of the different departments. The
designs are generally chosen as per the theme of the hotel or the local area
theme to blend in the atmosphere. After planning the design the next step is
to identify the suitable material for the uniform and to procure it. The
procedure begins with collecting of quotation and samples from various
suppliers. The samples are always cut into two equal halves. One halve is
stapled with the quotation of the supplier and the label of the supplier and
an identification marking, as on the other half. This half with quotation is
kept in the housekeeping or housekeeper's office while the other is sent to
under go the regular wash of the uniform.
It is washed under the regular cycle and the
temperature. After a set of 10 wash cycles the uniform material is looked
for the shrinkage, color fastening, durability, appearance and the
maintenance required. Depending upon success of the material to match up
with the requirement of the hotel the sample is finalized. The quantity is
calculated by multiplying the requirement of the material for one piece to
three sets and the number of staff with the same uniform. The next step is
to invite the quotation for the stitching wherein the person / tailors are
asked to prepare the sample, to check the finish of the sample. The terms
are negotiated with the tailor and the supplier of the material. At times
the tailor also presents the material, which if agreed, than he supplies the
ready sets of the uniforms. Otherwise the hotel fist procure the material
and than issue it to the tailor for stitching. As per the negotiation the
tailor is bound to deliver the dresses or the uniform in the prescribed
time. The uniforms are received in Receiving where the quantity is checked
and for the quality Housekeeper or the Deputy Housekeeper or the Uniform
Room Supervisor is contacted to check the quality of the finish.
Thus the sets of uniform are produced for the
staff and received in stores. From the stores the Uniform Room Attendant
gets these sets of the uniform issued by getting due authority from the
Executive Housekeeper. This procurement of uniforms in the uniform room
initiates the procedure of issuance of uniform which are than put in
circulation.
EXCHANGE PROCEDURE FOR UNIFORM
The sets of uniform issued to the staff are
maintained and washed in the hotel itself. Thus there is continuous exchange
of uniform by the staff from the uniform room. The staff submits the set of
dirty uniform to the uniform room in the prescribed timings and gets the
fresh set of uniform. Uniform issuance generally follows the rule of issue
of clean uniform against the dirty set of uniform. Only complete set of
uniform is exchanged and incomplete set is not exchanged to avoid any kind
of confusion or mistake. The exchange of uniform is generally done in the
laid timing of the uniform exchange only. These timing are decided by the
Executive Housekeeper along with the other department heads and Human
Resource Manager.
The department heads and the HR manager gives
their requirement and duty time of the staff of which the executive
housekeeper selects two to three slots in which the exchange of uniform is
done. For eg: The reporting of the morning shift in F&B Service and
Production is generally at 6:00 am in the morning while front office shift
starts at around 6:00 or 6:30 am But the shift of housekeeping and the
Uniform Room Attendant starts at around 7:30 am. Looking at above timing the
decision can be made to open the uniform room from 7:00 am to 7:30 am and
the shift of Uniform Room Attendant may start at same time while people
reporting before that can always be accommodated by exchanging their dirty
uniform in the evening before they leave for the day. There could be a time
slot for the managers who report for the general shifts at 9 am and the slot
can be 8:45 to 9:15 am. The slots are for 30 min only since the number of
people exchanging is generally low while for the managers it extend after
9am also as there is always relaxation of 15 min for the managers.
Similarly a time slot can be fixed for the
afternoon shift depending on the number of people for exchange and shift
timing. Also a time slot in evening is to be kept for the morning shift, who
could not get fresh uniform in the morning, when they break their shift.
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