High Heeled Discrimination
Last week a temporary worker made the news after being sent home on her first day of work at a city firm for not wearing a high heeled shoe, reported the BBC. Nicola Thorpe was told by managers she must wear a shoe “with a two to four inch heel” and was laughed at when she complained that male colleagues were not asked to do the same. But is this sex discrimination?
Gordon Dean, partner at Gordon Dean Solicitors and expert in employment law, says “When it comes to the law, it is legal for a company to have different dress code standards for male and female employees – but the “level of smartness” must be the same”. So companies are able to demand that female employees wear heels and make-up, and that male employees wear a shirt and tie. “But it would be a very foolish employer that ordered its female staff to wear high heels. It is not just most women who think it is blatantly sexist,” says Gordon.
Meanwhile, Nicola Thorpe has set up a petition to Parliament to make it illegal for a company to require women to wear high heels at work. Her petition has received over 100,000 signatures so Parliament will have to consider this for a debate. And the staffing agency who employed her is reviewing its dress code and has said that high heels are no longer a requirement.