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Those were some of the rules in a dress code imposed by a
British recruitment agency on its female workers before one of
them, Nicola Thorp, refused to wear high heels one morning and
was sent home without pay.
After Thorp, 27, started a petition against compulsory high
heels on parliament's website that garnered 152,420 signatures,
her rebellion became a national talking-point and led to an
inquiry by lawmakers into workplace dress codes in Britain.
They reported on Wednesday that sexist dress codes were rife in
some industries and women were routinely being forced to wear
high heels in jobs where they were on their feet all day and
their shoes were causing them pain and health problems.
"This may have started over a pair of high heels, but what it
has revealed about discrimination in the UK workplace is vital,"
said Thorp, commenting on the report.
Under Britain's equality law, company dress codes must make
equivalent requirements for women and men, but the lawmakers
said breaches of the law were widespread in sectors including
hotels, travel, temporary work agencies, hospitality and retail.
The report said women facing discriminatory dress codes tended
to be young and in low-paid jobs with precarious contracts,
making it difficult for them to challenge company practices.
It called on the government to take urgent action including
raising financial penalties against employers found to be in
breach of the law, and promotion of awareness campaigns targeted
at companies, workers and students.
The lawmakers set up an online forum for one week in June last
year, and 730 people came forward with stories.
While high heels were the most prominent issue, the lawmakers
also heard from women who had been required by companies to dye
their hair blonde or wear revealing outfits.
"I came in one morning and my manager was cracking down on
uniform and informed me that I had to look 'sexy', which
entailed wearing heels," wrote one retail worker, who gave her
name as Jasmine.
Jasmine complied, but her job involved standing and walking all
day and she found high heels extremely painful.
"When I asked my manager if it would be OK if I changed to flats
she replied saying 'what girl can't wear heels?' and continued
to tell me I was being pathetic," she wrote.
(Editing by Stephen Addison)
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