California Hospital's Dress Code Policy Violates NLRB Rules

The National Labor Relations Board (NRLB) has found the Long Beach, Calif., Medical Center's policies requiring direct care providers to wear hospital-approved pins and hospital-branded badge reels to be in violation of the National Labor Relations Act, reports Becker's Hospital Review . The pin policy directed all employees to only wear "MHS approved pins, badges, and professional certifications," while the badge reel policy was solely applicable to direct care providers, instructing employees to only wear badge reels "branded with MemorialCare approved logos or text." NRLB officials said the pin policy broke the law because it was restricted to direct care areas and the hospital failed to identify special circumstances warranting the restriction. Meanwhile, the badge reel policy violated the law because it failed to specify it only applied in immediate care areas. The board said the hospital's failure to have the language of the rule adequately address both of those aspects supported an "ambiguity about the scope of the policy." The NLRB also noted the hospital failed to provide evidence demonstrating employees disturbed care recipients or disrupted care operations by wearing badge reels with union insignia. "Healthcare employers should ensure that their policies regarding dress code and grooming strictly comply with the National Labor Relations Act and that any restrictions only apply to immediate ... care areas," the board said.