Employee tools, materials

CAB

Does anyone know of any law or regulation that prohibits an employer from requiring that a prospective employee have their own tools or materials as a condition of employment? Or for existing employees, to require them to have or obtain their own tools or materials as a condition of continued employment or advancement?

DeidreFR5

No, actually it is very common in the restaurant industry to provide your own knives, etc. When I worked at a hotel, we informed applicants during the interview and most expected this.

Balloonman

In construction they are required to have/provide their own hand tools also. Condition of employment. We periodically check also.
My $0.02 worth.
DJ The Balloonman

System

Same here. We will give an inexperienced guy a few days to get used to the work and learn what tools he will need as he gains experience, but there are certain hand tools that are required. We sell them to the employees at cost to make it easier on them.

CAB

Thanks for the information.

I should clarify that I am talking about non-union personnel, non-construction.

Don D

I've been in trucking and manufacturing environments, both of which had/have requirements for mechanics/electricians to own a certain set of tools. In both industries, candidates were given, as part of the application process, a complete list of the tools which they were required to have, if hired. With trainees and recent trade-school completers, there was always consideration given to the fact that they probably won't own the complete list on day one and they had a certain number of days to obtain some of the tools. In both industries, the company, one union and one non union, gave each affected ee an annual 'tool allowance' typically $200-$300 dollars for tools, but they spent it as they wished. It's not exactly a hardship on those employees - all those Snap-On-Tool trucks you see running around town have franchisees driving them making $50,000-$100,000 a year selling tools on the pay-as-you-go plan.

CAB

Anybody else with any information to share regarding this issue? I was hoping to get some information with respect to an office environment, and only as it relates to employees, not independent contractors.

I would appreciate the feedback.
Thanks

Don D

What kinds of personally owned 'tools' might those in your office environment be expected to have? It would be strange indeed if staff were expected to bring their own pencil sharpener, staple remover, stapler, scissors, envelopes, copy paper, computer, calculator and 3-ring binders.

Parabeagle

You don't list specifics, but I'm guessing you might be referring to typical office stuff such as a laptop, a PDA or a cell phone? If that is the case, we provide any technology equipment we expect our people to use in the course of their business. In fact, we would not WANT an employee to use his/her personal technology for company business.

hrbanker

We have standard products we provide for everyone, such as ball point pens, pencils, one size of post-it notes, etc. If an employee wants anything different they must supply their own. I like a fine-line pen and lined post-its, so I bring my own supply.

We provide anything from vehicles to laptops to cell phones for employees who HAVE to use them as a major part of their job, but the rest of us get desk PC's and phones and get paid mileage for using our own cars.