A London receptionist refused to wear heels and was dismissed from her job. Now she’s petitioning...

[Orrex]

24. I agree--it should be changed.

Last edited Thu May 12, 2016, 02:05 PM - Edit history (1)

Unfortunately, as a temp worker (i.e. a low-value disposable employee), she has little hope of getting them to change their policy unless they want to.

I fault the supervisor a lot here. Apparently Ms. Thorp did sign the dress code.

Full stop. That's the end of it. A temp worker agreed to the terms of employment and now wants them changed. She doesn't have much more leverage to call for that change than I do. It speaks well of the company that they decided to implement the change.

But let's face it, many of these dress codes are out of date and often not strictly enforced.

I'm not sure that's accurate, or at any rate I'd like to review your sample pool. My office will send someone home for a dress code violation, with repeated violations resulting in termination. A temp who knowingly (i.e., after signing) violates dress code will not be invited back, and a very new hire or provisional employee will likely be given one warning before dismissal. I don't imagine that my office is unique in this regard, though obviously many places are more flexible in their dress codes.

Heels for a woman working in an office may have been standard in the mid to late 20th century but this is 2016. Ms. Thorp is correct. Demanding that women wear heels is sexist and there is plenty of evidence that they are not healthy for a woman who has to be on her feet a lot.

I agree completely, and I already stated as much.

Sometimes common sense trumps dress codes.

Maybe, but common sense does not trump one's acceptance of legally permissible terms of employment.