Hi,

What's the employee's opinion?

I often have people asking me if they can go and buy their own safety boots and bring the receipt. We'll only contribute towards the cost up to what we pay for our standard boots, but if they're happy, I'm happy.

I would pay the full price for these boots though if needed as some form of reasonable adjustment, would still be happy for the employee to have a say in it though or purchase themselves - they're going to be the ones working in them. 

Edited by user 26 March 2024 11:20:19(UTC)  | Reason: small grammer change / addition

If the employee is of that opinion, I'm inclinded to agree with you. 

Any real reason why they can't be ordered online by the employer and shipped like everything else? 

The problem with "your" research is that the feet this footwear will be worn upon are not attached to your body ergo you will be unable to determine what feels comfortable to the wearer.

Even without the problems of diabetes I have issue with many "standard" boot or shoe choices as I have naturally broad feet (the joys of growing up with the fitting service at a certain childrens shoe provider). I also find that as the day progresses my feet spread meaning something tried in the morning may pinch mid-afternoon and by evening is impossible to wear.

I do concur it unfair to ask they indulge work related activity outside of working hours especially if they are reliant upon others / public transport to get to the providers shop.

Another issue with the suggestion is that whilst the shop may stock common lines most likely to be purchased by a majority of wearers they may not stock the more unique items being sought - I have often found availability issues sourcing larger male sizes and smaller female sizes at a retail outlet.

In the past I have given a diabetic employee the run of the catalogue, picked three likley candidates to be delivered and then returned the two rejected pairs (on-line sales 14 day returns!).

I remember spending many a day stood on the back of such a van in the mill yard making sure employees weren't taking more than their allocated number of pairs.

Just as with shops the van only carried popular products in popular sizes - for some of the employees it was a shop front from where an order for delivery would be generated (this was back before the internet existed).

When the shoe company moved its manufacturing overseas the van was one of the casualties.

Well, seeing as it's the employers responsibility to provide PPE that is suitable for the task and that the wearer can wear, TBH, I'd be aggrieved if I had to use my personal time to go to Arco and buy it.

IMO, this is not an H & S issue, as it's been agreed that he can have specific footwear suitable for his needs, it's his managers decision whether to pay him or not.

It's an H & S issue if he's not wearing his PPE at work, as per the Risk Assessment