Sexism: Can my employer make me wear make-up and heels?
After reading this article on the BBC’s website titled Sexism: Can my employer make me wear make-up and heels? It started my thinking on dress codes. I’m heading into the office tomorrow. Once upon a time that would have been wearing the most casual outfit that I could get away with, long hours at the desk and comfort came first.
Lock down and time at home has changed this for me, I’m not a PJs at home person, my day doesn’t start until I am dressed properly. However, going into the office is now is a lovely novelty and I spend more time in meetings, seeing people in the office and making the most of the social time with team members I don’t see very often, and I like to dress for the occasion.
That often means heels, and more often than not make up. However, no one has ever told me that it is compulsory. I love high heels, more perhaps than is normal, but in the event they were part of a forced dress code I am not so sure how I would feel about that.
High heels, I believe do look very smart, they elongate your legs and give the wearer a certain ‘sway’ if they can walk in them. Often they can be considered ‘sexy’. There are companies and organisations that mandate high heels for women. Invariably they do not mandate them for men.
If they are considered ‘smart’ and in keeping with the look/image of a business, then why not? I’m all for equality here and given the chance to compare Loubies with a male colleague at the water cooler, I’m there with bells on.
So why are they not mandated for men? Let’s be controversial here, women look sexy in them. Smart yes, but sexy none the less. Many male decision makers have no interest in seeing a man in high heels. I would bet my mortgage that 99% of dress codes that require high heels do so only in relation to women.
There are a huge range of extremely smart and sophisticated flat shoes available for women. I’m not advocating trainers, pumps or the like. Men and women can look equally smart and professional in flat shoes, but I can see no reasonable reason to mandate that a woman wears heels at work.
How bad could this get? What about compulsory bikinis at work? On a world stage?
The Norway handball team was fined 1,500 Euros for wearing shorts instead of bikini bottoms. When you take a look at them with the mens’ team, its hard to understand what possible performance edge is afforded by the clothing given the uniform provided to the men. If the bikini was required for performance surely there would be significantly less material on the mens’ side?
So what if you are an employer and you want to mandate a dress code or uniform? Employers can reasonably dictate clothing for safety reasons, company branding and require employees to look smart and professional. Requiring items of clothing or accessories that are arguably unnecessary and causes a detriment (sore back and bunions anyone who works in high heels?) could potentially be discriminatory.
I do think the world is changing, my professional upbringing in a corporate firm saw me being criticised in a one to one with a senior partner for having a small tattoo on my inside wrist that was completely hidden by a watch strap, and being informed it was an ‘issue’. I saw a paralegal (non client facing) told off for putting a knitted jumper on when the temperatures dropped below freezing in winter. I would hope such attitudes are now a thing of the past.
Employers should consider what actually looks smart and professional and what is required for the job, though I wouldn’t take any tips from Ukranian Cabin Crew at Sky Up, but then orange really isn’t my colour.
