Can an employer mandate that an employee must purchase a uniform through a specific vendor when the uniform is readily available from other retailers?

Answer 1

Yes. Employers can generally do anything that is not specifically prohibited by law or the collective bargaining agreement.

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Note.

If a uniform is required for work, it is NORMALLY up to the employer to provide this for their employees. If the employer does this then they may have negotiated with a specific vendor for this provision (to get the best price). In this case the vendor should not charge you for the uniform but will invoice the company directly.