• London receptionist 'sent home for not wearing heels'
    87 replies, posted
[QUOTE]A London receptionist was sent home from work after refusing to wear high heels, it has emerged. Temp worker Nicola Thorp, 27, from Hackney, arrived at finance company PwC to be told she had to wear shoes with a "2in to 4in heel". When she refused and complained male colleagues were not asked to do the same, she was sent home without pay. Ms Thorp said she would have struggled to work a full day in high heels and had asked to wear the smart flat shoes she had worn to the office in Embankment. "I said 'if you can give me a reason as to why wearing flats would impair me to do my job today, then fair enough', but they couldn't," Ms Thorp told BBC Radio London. "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."[/QUOTE] [url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-36264229[/url]
That's pretty awful, why would she be forced to wear heels? I can understand a requirement for business dress but this is a joke.
Yea that's fucked, especially if male employees didn't have any specific shoe requirements.
[QUOTE=Limed00d;50298584]Yea that's fucked, especially if male employees didn't have any specific shoe requirements.[/QUOTE] Most likely they are required to dress shoes. The big wigs probably don't want their male employees walking around with heels on. Crossdressing is considered more taboo than enforcing dress codes.
Nine hour shift?! Even women who like to wear heels can't do that lol
High heels can be pretty damaging and risk injury for people wearing them, especially on nine hour shifts. Anyone who thinks wearing high heels should be mandatory is a bloody moron, especially since I know someone who can't actually wear them anymore due to a previous injury. [QUOTE] When she refused and complained male colleagues were not asked to do the same, she was sent home without pay.[/QUOTE] I sense a discrimination suit incoming.
[QUOTE=GordonZombie;50298691]High heels can be pretty damaging and risk injury for people wearing them, especially on nine hour shifts. Anyone who thinks wearing high heels should be mandatory is a bloody moron, especially since I know someone who can't actually wear them anymore due to a previous injury. I sense a discrimination suit incoming.[/QUOTE] High heels are associated with increases in stress fractures, and they are likely not comfortable at all. Seems pretty clear cut under the health and safety at work act or equality act, there should at least be a flats option.
A friend of mine was sharing a news article on Facebook recently about a girl who got sacked for not wear high heels after injuring her feet while wearing high heels. See if I can dig it up. [editline]11th May 2016[/editline] Apparently wasn't sacked but sent home: [url]http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/7142099/Woman-shares-picture-of-bloodied-feet-after-being-forced-to-wear-high-heels-during-waitressing-shift.html[/url] [url]http://globalnews.ca/news/2052233/original-joes-boston-pizza-servers-claim-mandatory-high-heel-policies/[/url]
9 hour shift in high heels is fucked
What is the equivalent to OSHA in the UK? Its fucked and is a pretty fucking obvious hazard to have high heels for a 9hr work day. And its pretty fucked that this is obvious fucking discrimination.
[QUOTE=LoneWolf_Recon;50298827]What is the equivalent to OSHA in the UK? Its fucked and is a pretty fucking obvious hazard to have high heels for a 9hr work day. And its pretty fucked that this is obvious fucking discrimination.[/QUOTE] The Health and Safety Executive. [url]http://www.hse.gov.uk/[/url] They keep a pretty funny myth busting section, too. [url]http://www.hse.gov.uk/myth/[/url] [quote]Case 389 - Nightclub refused to serve salt and lemon with Tequila shots Issue Bar manager refused to serve salt and lemon with Tequila shots to customers in a nightclub due to health and safety. Panel opinion There is no workplace health and safety legislation that prohibits the service of salt and lemon with tequila. This looks like a case of quoting an easy excuse – possibly to cover up poor customer service. The bar should simply serve the drink in the traditional way as requested, and not misuse health and safety legislation in this way.[/quote]
i guess this isnt entirely on topic but fuck formal wear
I actually read a similar article yesterday, shit's terrible. (basically same spiel, women are required to wear heels and a uniform that they must buy, except this time the men can wear whatever black attire they have from their own wardrobes) [img]http://i.imgur.com/zQgsUh2.jpg[/img] ^ That's someone's feet after their shift.
I honestly don't see the appeal of high heels.
Who the fuck makes rules like these
[QUOTE=KillerJaguar;50299031]I honestly don't see the appeal of high heels.[/QUOTE] They're a traditional and familiar part of women's business attire, but they really are not healthy for every day wear. They usually complement a sharp suit jacket and skirt that emphasize bust and waist (the equivalent for men would be a suit that emphasizes shoulders and waist). The heel affects the wearer's gait, generally causing them to walk with a more upright posture with more sway. Personally I work in a fairly white collar field and have come to rather like the look, but it's not something I'd ever force on someone or really even suggest because they can really fuck up your feet and hips.
I like high heels on girls when they wear them in bars or clubs or whatever. But mandatory high heels at work just sounds like hell. That picture above is just gruesome. I mean steel toe capped boots aren't the most comfortable thing ever either but at least me feet don't bleed after a work day.
I'd understand if it was a requirement of smart shoes, but it shouldn't specifically be heels.
I can understand having strict requirements but I also understand that high heels are fucking torture.
[QUOTE=Zero-Point;50299027]I actually read a similar article yesterday, shit's terrible. (basically same spiel, women are required to wear heels and a uniform that they must buy, except this time the men can wear whatever black attire they have from their own wardrobes) [img]http://i.imgur.com/zQgsUh2.jpg[/img] ^ That's someone's feet after their shift.[/QUOTE] No it's not. She's clearly still wearing socks of some sort. Yeah there's obvious potential issues, like rolled toes, but calling a sweaty sock a foot is incredibly misleading.
[QUOTE=Zephyrs;50299641]No it's not. She's clearly still wearing socks of some sort. Yeah there's obvious potential issues, like rolled toes, but calling a sweaty sock a foot is incredibly misleading.[/QUOTE] Do you sweat blood from your feet?
[QUOTE=Zephyrs;50299641]No it's not. She's clearly still wearing socks of some sort. Yeah there's obvious potential issues, like rolled toes, but calling a sweaty sock a foot is incredibly misleading.[/QUOTE] The blood stained her stocking, it's not a colored sock. There's also blood on the inside of the heels.
I'm not saying that women should be forced to wear heels, but this was a temp job at a high-profile accountancy firm where her main role was to greet clients. Half the job is to look attractive and welcoming.
I'm glad she set up a petition to change it, such a stupid fucking requirement.
[QUOTE=SpartanApples;50299687]I'm not saying that women should be forced to wear heels, but this was a temp job at a high-profile accountancy firm where her main role was to greet clients. Half the job is to look attractive and welcoming.[/QUOTE] Which she can't do without wearing heels all day?
[QUOTE=POLOPOZOZO;50298874]i guess this isnt entirely on topic but fuck formal wear[/QUOTE] my lefty dads business (a law firm) deliberately didn't have very strict dress codes for receptionists, they requested one was created themselves a lot of people like uniforms, looking smart and being part of a team.
[QUOTE=SpartanApples;50299687]I'm not saying that women should be forced to wear heels, but this was a temp job at a high-profile accountancy firm where her main role was to greet clients. Half the job is to look attractive and welcoming.[/QUOTE] Heels and other formal wear is seen as "sharp" [I]only[/I] because we've always been exposed to previously existing social norms that make us think about it that way in the first place AKA a social construct. It seems necesary because "well why not? it's always been like this, it's the way to look sharp", despite giving priority to form over function and us not having a say in it. It's only a formality, and a carryover of obsolete social norms. [IMG]http://www.vam.ac.uk/__data/assets/image/0006/221973/2006aa1677_mens_formal_ensemble_about_1765_290x435.jpg[/IMG] I'm thankful I don't live in a time where I have to wear this to parties. Heels and ties and other shit will eventually disappear and seem as obsolete and extravagant. (Disclaimer: That 18th century suit is pimpin'. If I were part of the 18th century elite I'd totally use it. Just not for 9 hours.)
[QUOTE=SpartanApples;50299687]I'm not saying that women should be forced to wear heels, but this was a temp job at a high-profile accountancy firm where her main role was to greet clients. Half the job is to look attractive and welcoming.[/QUOTE] Being in pain because you're being forced to wear uncomfortable shoes isn't attractive.
[QUOTE=SpartanApples;50299687]I'm not saying that women should be forced to wear heels, but this was a temp job at a high-profile accountancy firm where her main role was to greet clients. Half the job is to look attractive and welcoming.[/QUOTE] She can do that without being forced to wear heels.
[QUOTE=The Un-Men;50299923]Heels and other formal wear is seen as "sharp" [I]only[/I] because we've always been exposed to previously existing social norms that make us think about it that way in the first place AKA a social construct. It seems necesary because "well why not? it's always been like this, it's the way to look sharp", despite giving priority to form over function and us not having a say in it. It's only a formality, and a carryover of obsolete social norms.[/QUOTE] You've just automatically assumed that 'social norms' are necessarily a bad thing without any evidence whatsoever. They [I]can[/I] be a bad thing. But they can also be a good thing. I would say that formal wear in certain places is very much a good thing. Way of dress is a way of sending a signal to those around you, and formal wear, whatever it entails, is an example of doing that. I don't think that social signal are ever going away, and nor should they, because life would be very confusing without them.
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