London receptionist sent home without pay for refusing to wear heels

ceadaoin.

A receptionist showed up to her first day of work in flats and was told that she had to go out and get a pair of heels, up to 4 inches high, or go home. She refused and the company followed through with their threat. Is this a reasonable demand? We've all seen women barefoot with their heels in their hands after a night out, because they hurt! No way would I wear them for work where I would be on my feet all day

A smart pair of flats can look just as professional, the only reason I can see for this is purely for aesthetics, ie women are expected to look "sexy" for work.
Men aren't required to wear painful or damaging items as part of their dress code as far as I can see, maybe if they had to wear high heels for the day this policy would change!

The petition has now over 100,000 signatures so will be debated in parliament.

A 27-year-old woman working for a City firm in London says she was sent home for refusing to wear high heels. But is this legal, fair or healthy?

Nicola Thorp says she was laughed at when she told her bosses that she didn't want to wear high heels on her first day as a corporate receptionist.

"I was expected to do a nine-hour shift on my feet escorting clients to meeting rooms. I said I just won't be able to do that in heels," she told the BBC.

She had arrived at the accountancy firm PwC wearing flats and she says she was told to go home without pay unless she went out and bought heels that were between two and four inches high. She refused and alleges Portico - the firm that runs PwC's reception at its office in Embankment, central London - followed through with its threat.

Now Thorp has set up a petition to the government, demanding "women have the option to wear flat formal shoes at work". It has picked up more than 7,000 signatures. The petition says the law as it stands is "outdated and sexist".

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-36265545

Ruu

Hope she takes them to the cleaners.

darkpagandeath

I can imagine the outrage of "Woman sent home for Refusing to wear flats to work."

cml387

She certainly put her foot down.

beach_walker

Did she know about the requirement before taking the job? I've worked places with stupid uniform/appearance rules, sucks but I knew what I was getting into.

The Sidewards Man

Ruu wrote: »

Hope she takes them to the cleaners.

Were her flat shoes dirty?

LizT

They reversed their decision about requiring heels.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/high-heels-dress-code-company-7951327

Suppose they had to with all the backlash.

RedemptionZ

Stupid requirement. Wouldn't want to work for a place like that.

They possibly had to.

On the other hand, if it was a term of employment, surely that's that. Much like a cabin steward can hardly refuse to wear make up.

Lackey

Left out the part where Thorp signed a contract agreeing to the company dress code

Alf Stewart.

Her boss has a black sole.

alchemist33

It's a silly rule, for receptionists of all people, who spend most of their work time on a chair behind a desk.

blue note

It would be like if a place forced guys to wear ties but not the girls. You'd have equal outrage then, without doubt!

ScumLord

ceadaoin. wrote: »

Is this a reasonable demand?

No, They could maybe demand she not wear high heels on safety grounds.

Company should have seen this coming as soon as she said "no" and mentioned males workers.

cowboyBuilder

Attention seeker seeks attention.

Ruu

Deleted User wrote: »

They possibly had to.

On the other hand, if it was a term of employment, surely that's that. Much like a cabin steward can hardly refuse to wear make up.

That's a load of old cobblers.

ceadaoin.

blue note wrote: »

It would be like if a place forced guys to wear ties but not the girls. You'd have equal outrage then, without doubt!

Are ties painful to wear and do they have the potential to cause permanent damage?

maudgonner

Ruu wrote: »

That's a load of old cobblers.

Heel regret that comment, for shoe-er.

AnonoBoy

cowboyBuilder wrote: »

Attention seeker seeks attention.

Are you trying to places a personals ad in After Hours?

DEFTLEFTHAND

ceadaoin. wrote: »

Are ties painful to wear and do they have the potential to cause permanent damage?

Only if you got it caught in a lathe or something.

AnonoBoy

ceadaoin. wrote: »

Are ties painful to wear and do they have the potential to cause permanent damage?

The way Michael Hutchence used to wear them they were.

stoplooklisten

ScumLord wrote: »

No, They could maybe demand she not wear high heels on safety grounds.

Company should have seen this coming as soon as she said "no" and mentioned males workers.

Wear the high heels
Trip across them
$$
Money

mahoganygas

A friend of mine has a medical problem which makes wearing a tie uncomfortable for him.

His team moved to a new office building. The dress code in the new office was shirt, slacks and tie for the men.

He didn't want people knowing about his medical problem. So he refused to wear a tie and told anyone who asked that it was sexist men had to wear a tie but women didn't.

HR weren't going to touch that with a barge pole so he got away with it!

Ruu

Ruu wrote: »

That's a load of old cobblers.

Here you go. Know it's for Virgin, but a friend who works for Aer Lingus says you turn up without make up or hair in a certain way, you're not gonna last long...

http://www.cabincrew.com/forums/makeup-requirements/28296/1

AnonoBoy

mahoganygas wrote: »

HR weren't going to touch that with a barge pole so he got away with it!

Joke would have been on him if they just started making women wear ties too!

blue note

ceadaoin. wrote: »

Are ties painful to wear and do they have the potential to cause permanent damage?

I summertime they can be a nightmare - absolutely suffocating. You're sweating buckets and there's nothing you can do about it and you're looking around at the women in the office in dresses, skirts and summer blouses.

I've felt like I was going to pass out from the heat in summer before!

maudgonner

Deleted User wrote: »

Here you go. Know it's for Virgin, but a friend who works for Aer Lingus says you turn up without make up or hair in a certain way, you're not gonna last long...

http://www.cabincrew.com/forums/makeup-requirements/28296/1

What sound do aeroplanes make? Whoosh?!

maudgonner

maudgonner wrote: »

What sound do aeroplanes make? Whoosh!

Far far too subtle.

I'm refusing a whooshing!

DEFTLEFTHAND

Deleted User wrote: »

Here you go. Know it's for Virgin, but a friend who works for Aer Lingus says you turn up without make up or hair in a certain way, you're not gonna last long...

http://www.cabincrew.com/forums/makeup-requirements/28296/1

I know somebody in the profession also. All airlines are very strict on dress code and appearance.

AnonoBoy

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

I know somebody in the profession also. All airlines are very strict on dress code and appearance.

Not so much on rest and soberness though!

Walter H Price

Seeing allot about this today floating around Facebook and the Twitisphere. I agree with most of the sentiment regards it being utterly ridiculous to send anyone home from work for having the wrong footwear. My big issue with allot of the posts articles tweets etc is that its all focused on sexism.

The real issue here is not that she was a woman it's that so many businesses still have pointless draconian out of touch with the modern work force dress codes. Why should men have to be clean shaven , wear a suit or collar and tie , no long hair , formal shoes etc ... and the same for women regards having to wear heels or make up, how does this improve an employees productivity ? i would argue it does the opposite and can be a demotivating , demoralizing factor for both men and women in work.

My fiance previously worked for the Irish branch of the same recruitment company that sent that woman home for not wearing heal.s she had the same dress code and it went beyond shoes you had to wear make up in specific shades and were only allowed were navy or black dresses or skirts and white blouses , it was enforced rigidly by management who were all women , in fact all of them in the office with the exception of one gay dude were women. Dress codes are an issue but id refute that they are a sexist issue they can be equally irritating and uncomfortable for men and women, ever had a buttoned up collar and tie and a freshly shaved neck lady's ? not pleasant.

HensVassal

In fairness a two inch heel isn't going to cripple her.
Corporate receptionists are supposed to give off an air of power and flat shoes just don't convey that. I've worked in many companies with many women and I can tell you that a lot of them wore heels that were in no way "sexy" but they did give them an air of professionalism and authority. The girls who wore flat shoes looked dowdy and meek.

Cuddlesworth

She would have spent most of the 9 hours behind a desk, so that's a lie for a start. It seems like a very stupid thing to do, for the next 10 years a google search will show here setting up a widespread protest on her first day of a job.

ScouseMouse

She was a temp who was supplied by an agency. Doesn't matter if she is right or wrong, you don't turn up on your first day and kick up a fuss. She (quite rightly), will probably be managed out of the place.

Silly cow.

stoplooklisten

court shoes is what the dowdy nuns always told us was appropriate

suicide_circus

Yeah but a dame's gams and rump tend to look smokin in a pair of killer heels...am I right sweet cheeks?

darkpagandeath

ceadaoin. wrote: »

Are ties painful to wear and do they have the potential to cause permanent damage?

Yes if they get caught in machinery.

LizT

ScouseMouse wrote: »

She was a temp who was supplied by an agency. Doesn't matter if she is right or wrong, you don't turn up on your first day and kick up a fuss. She (quite rightly), will probably be managed out of the place.

Silly cow.

They told her to go and buy some heels and return wearing them. I'd kick up a fuss about that too. As long as she was dressed appropriately and her shoes were professional looking, there should have been no issue.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

Look if it's the dress code it's the dress code. If you're front of house/office you need to look presentable. And that means sucking it up and getting on with things

blue note

LizT wrote: »

They told her to go and buy some heels and return wearing them. I'd kick up a fuss about that too. As long as she was dressed appropriately and her shoes were professional looking, there should have been no issue.

Appropriately by whose standards? Yours? Or the company's?

Personally I think it's a stupid rule. But I don't think it's sexist and I think a company should have the right to have a dress code.

alchemist33

LexieOnRale wrote: »

Look if it's the dress code it's the dress code. If you're front of house/office you need to look presentable. And that means sucking it up and getting on with things

And that's what makes it so silly. They've decided heels equals presentable and flat shoes are not presentable, which is just plain stupid.

ceadaoin.

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

She would have spent most of the 9 hours behind a desk, so that's a lie for a start. It seems like a very stupid thing to do, for the next 10 years a google search will show here setting up a widespread protest on her first day of a job.

She says she would be greeting visitors and escorting them to where they needed to be.

HensVassal wrote: »

In fairness a two inch heel isn't going to cripple her.
Corporate receptionists are supposed to give off an air of power and flat shoes just don't convey that. I've worked in many companies with many women and I can tell you that a lot of them wore heels that were in no way "sexy" but they did give them an air of professionalism and authority. The girls who wore flat shoes looked dowdy and meek.

It might. Some people can't wear heels of any height without experiencing pain. Why do heels convey a sense of power? Is it because of the extra height or something? I wasn't aware that receptionists are expected to be amazon like! Maybe short men need to wear them too at work in that case?

blue note

alchemist33 wrote: »

And that's what makes it so silly. They've decided heels equals presentable and flat shoes are not presentable, which is just plain stupid.

I think the Swiss Guards uniform is stupid. I'm not going to sign a petition supporting someone who arrived for work and refused to wear it or a petition asking them to change it.

silverharp

I'd imagine she will miss out on a few second interviews in the future as she will be googleable going forward. if you are being paid to represent a company a particular way suck it up or put a suggestion in the suggestion box if you must but its highly unprofessional to turn something very minor into a cause.

ScouseMouse

LizT wrote: »

They told her to go and buy some heels and return wearing them. I'd kick up a fuss about that too. As long as she was dressed appropriately and her shoes were professional looking, there should have been no issue.

The fact is, an agency employee, on her first day, caused uproar as she did not want to go with the dress code of the employer she was seconded to. She played the womans rights card.

She deserves to be ****ed out the door.

ScouseMouse

Let her go for a job in BA or EI and refuse to wear the expected uniform. "Men don't have to wear skirts, or nylons" P45 would be given double quick and rightly so.

ScouseMouse

ceadaoin. wrote: »

Why do heels convey a sense of power? Is it because of the extra height or something? I wasn't aware that receptionists are expected to be amazon like! Maybe short men need to wear them too at work in that case?

Funny you should say that. Have you ever seen the program Dog the Bounty Hunter? He is a short arse (like me), and wears built in platform heels to make him look amazon like!

stoplooklisten

ScouseMouse wrote: »

Funny you should say that. Have you ever seen the program Dog the Bounty Hunter? He is a short arse (like me), and wears built in platform heels to make him look amazon like!

Tree-riffic?

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

alchemist33 wrote: »

And that's what makes it so silly. They've decided heels equals presentable and flat shoes are not presentable, which is just plain stupid.

They don't look as presentable or as polished as a pair of heels. they're casual wear.

The Randy Riverbeast

ScouseMouse wrote: »

Let her go for a job in BA or EI and refuse to wear the expected uniform. "Men don't have to wear skirts, or nylons" P45 would be given double quick and rightly so.

I doubt engineers Ireland will be too fussy. Probably in shock from having a woman present.

c68zapdsm5i1ru

HensVassal wrote: »

In fairness a two inch heel isn't going to cripple her.
Corporate receptionists are supposed to give off an air of power and flat shoes just don't convey that. I've worked in many companies with many women and I can tell you that a lot of them wore heels that were in no way "sexy" but they did give them an air of professionalism and authority. The girls who wore flat shoes looked dowdy and meek.

I don't agree with that. They're supposed to be polite, pleasant and helpful, not give off an air of power.

I've no problem with uniforms and dress codes, but there are often good reasons why someone doesn't wear shoes with heels including back and knee problems. Specifying no trainers, flip flops etc would be fine. But insisting that female employees wear heels is unfair.