Finance firm PwC accused of sexism over high heels row.

Jamesyboyjim

Jamesyboyjim

Jamesyboyjim

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So a new receptionist was sent home because she didn't want to wear heels all day. Apparently she was laughed at when asking why the men don't have to.

Now, I do agree with her, heels shouldn't be mandatory but it also gets me thinking about how men still have to wear trousers, ties etc on hot days when the girls can wear small tops and breezy dresses and I thought I'd see what members here thought :)

I don't fancy wearing a dress personally, but being able to at least wear a smart t-shirt over a shirt and tie at work on a hot day would be nice, you know, like the girls get to! :p

before you argue the air conditioning point, that was deemed sexist aswell :p
 
Thompson_NCL said:
She should wear heels if that is what the company expects of female employees, just the same as men should wear trousers/shirts/ties if that is what is expected.
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Trousers, shirts and ties don't really have the possibility of causing pain, discomfort and damage through being worn though do they?
 
My blood boiled when I read this, anyone here who's tried on their partners heels for a laugh will know just how bloody uncomfortable they really are! Trousers are one thing but these bugger up your feet for life.
 
glen8 said:
ok, I know this is England....but what about the one day a year when it's hot :confused:
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Then you get a little warm, it's not exactly on the same level as the discomfort some women get from being on their feet in heels all day.

High heels cause actual physical changes/damage within the soft tissues of the leg, they should not be a forced item of clothing.
 
Jamesyboyjim said:
Now, I do agree with her, heels shouldn't be mandatory but it also gets me thinking about how men still have to wear trousers, ties etc on hot days when the girls can wear small tops and breezy dresses and I thought I'd see what members here thought :)
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Always makes me laugh - when I was working in IT one of the summers that got ridiculously warm one of the bosses laid down the law about it then spent the days looking incredibly uncomfortable while the rest of us found as many jobs as possible to do in the server room (which he had little reason to visit).
 
tom_e said:
Then you get a little warm, it's not exactly on the same level as the discomfort some women get from being on their feet in heels all day.

High heels cause actual physical changes/damage within the soft tissues of the leg, they should not be a forced item of clothing.
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http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Heat-exhaustion-and-heatstroke/Pages/Introduction.aspx

"It can put a strain on the brain, heart, lungs, liver and kidneys, and can be life-threatening."

Yeah, totally just a little bit uncomfortable ;)
 
Haggisman said:
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Heat-exhaustion-and-heatstroke/Pages/Introduction.aspx

"It can put a strain on the brain, heart, lungs, liver and kidneys, and can be life-threatening."

Yeah, totally just a little bit uncomfortable ;)
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If you're working in an office that gets warm enough to cause heatstroke then I agree shirt and trousers isn't a suitable dress code, but lets face it that's going to be a very very rare occurrence and in that case it's more the office cooling needs looking at rather than allowing all the men to break out their mankinis.
 
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Thompson_NCL said:
She should wear heels if that is what the company expects of female employees, just the same as men should wear trousers/shirts/ties if that is what is expected.
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Expecting someone to wear high heels for 9 hours a day every day, when it is not vital to their role, is not reasonable. It causes discomfort, pain and potentially injury.

The law is too vague on the matter and what is deemed reasonable is down to interpretation, though in this case it can definitely be argued that this is unreasonable.

A man can be expected to wear a shirt, tie, trousers because it is formal and discouraged from wearing something too formal like a dinner jacket because it can make them seem ridiculous to clients, as if they are going to or have come back from a party. High heels are not more formal or less formal than smart flats and i cannot think of any reason why they are a must over flats.
 
sounds like she's struggling for acting work and wanted some money/publicity for the story

I'm in two minds about this

I'd bet she'd not turn up on set as an extra without bringing the specific clothes her acting agent told her to bring yet she's seemed to have ignored clothing instructions from her temping agency when going to a client facing role that has dress requirements

having said that she is attractive and as an actress is no doubt charismatic and great for greeting clients/making them feel welcome etc.. so surely not wearing heels is trivial, they could do a lot worse with say some bored student with no personality

also I think, though you might have stricter requirements for how people in client facing positions dress in some professional service companies, there is certainly some sexism/double standards when it comes to office dress codes

women having to wear heels as highlighted in this story is one, men having to wear ties or trousers in summer (on the few hot days) - that is discriminatory and both genders have areas where they're treed unfairly when it comes to clothing. I guess shorts can be banned if banned for both men and women there is always the Swedish train driver solution of wearing skirts instead :D

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22828150

(maybe a business Kilt could work, technically I'm pretty sure they can't stop you with a skirt either these days with all the gender/non-binary stuff being promoted by SJWs :D)
 
also pwc have apparently said it isn't their policy but it isn't clear from the story whether it was her own agent or some pwc office manager/receptionist who sent her homw
 
dowie said:
sounds like she's struggling for acting work and wanted some money/publicity for the story

I'm in two minds about this
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For me it is one thing to have something like that imposed after working somewhere for awhile and another to turn up for work with an expectation already in the contract to dress to a certain standard.
 
At the end of the day, it's sexist and none of us men would stand for it would they?

Having to wear a trousers and a breathable cotton shirt with a tie is decidedly nowhere near as uncomrtable as wearing heels and walking about for most of the day (I imagine)

Plus my workplace is decent enough that we can wear pretty much whatever we like (Today I have chino shorts, a Linen shirt and trainers)
 
Was it specifically mentioned in the contract?

Most contracts would have just a 'reasonable dress' clause which would be as flexible as the employer allows.

As for it being a publicity stunt, it may be considering what the company said but that doesn't really change that there is no reason for a receptionist to be required to wear heels.
 
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