My manager has banned all vests, skirts and shorts

@itsjustthepricewepay

just to highlight this very helpful post !!

Have people been taking the mick and coming dressed as if for the beach? Strappy vest tops are not suitable for work.

Men have to suffer in long trousers and sleeved shirts however hot it is.

Perhaps- but say someone's woken up to a heatwave, doesn't have that in their wardrobe, and its a choice between sweating in a suit or (shock horror) wearing shorts to the office... I know who I'd rather be sat next to.

(Signed, an ex-EA who spent many a hot summer sat in a stuffy boardroom next to a senior leader who'd sweat through his suit jacket and smelled like a charity shop)

Ankle length skirts are casual/hippy!!

Is she devoutly religious?

And can she impose arbitrary rules in one dept?

See we're allowed smart shorts in our staff dress code policy (I'm NHS too) so the inconsistency is just daft.

Mind you I'm community in a part of the Trust that usually gets forgotten about so no one is on our cases - and yes I'm wearing flip flops on client visits today and no, I don't care, and my line manager is fully aware of what I'm wearing cos I was sat next to her in the office - before we both declared it too fucking hot and went to do Teams calls from home all afternoon. Metal roof in the sun like this, and lots of glass windows = fucking no way!

Vests, I personally don't like and won't wear myself (I hate my arms), but I see no issue with other people wearing them. Shorts - likewise - not for me outside of the garden but if you like them crack on. I tend to wear jeans and smarter jumpers most of the winter as well - management know full well how our community teams tend to dress and have never raised it as a concern.

Some would argue that a light shirt and trousers are cooler. Like men would wear in southern Europe.

No need to see those hairy, sweaty armpits in the office.

😂😂😂

on me that neckline would plunge very very indecently & id be tripping over the hem.

Wow! I also work in a University, and yesterday I wore a summery dress (cotton, calf length, cap sleeves), and today loose linen trousers and a floaty short sleeve top. We've no aircon or fans, but I dug out my little neck fan I used last summer, and it's good for when I feel too hot.
My colleagues here are all wearing similar to me, and no-one is in shorts (even the IT guys!)

We can’t wear vests or opened backed or toe shoes.

skirts and shorts have to be knee length.

I think banning them is horrendous. Dress code - yes.
But utterly unpractical - no.

do you have a union? You may be onto something if she’s in an air conditioned office and you aren’t and this is risky the health of employees.

Pirates are wearing wellies these days??

I think I'd go to local charity shops and seek out the most outlandish, colourful, garish, migraine-inducing meringue of a dress and wear that, as long as it was below your knee you'd be good. Madness! Although I agree about the armpits.

My Dr was wearing a sleeveless top the other day, with a knee length pencil skirt.

Didn’t concern me in the slightest.

I work in a hospital in a hot country, we have a “not uniform” dress policy for all staff which includes no jeans, no short shorts, no singlets, shoes must be enclosed etc.
The rules are due to a mixture of health & safety and expectations of the tax paying public that we’ll look respectable.

Minions at 35c

It’s like that weird thing where apparently feet are now inherently offensive to many people.

Well yes quite. It still surprises me how outdated some approaches to work are here. My nhs boss used go on and on about how she had to wear tights in the NINETIES as if that was still somehow relevant from 30 years ago. She was a total bully though, telling people off for earrings or shoe color.

My current COO came in in Birkenstocks. We all do our jobs really well. And not having to worry about measuring my skirt allows me to focus on work.

I'm in an office right now with two men in shorts and tshirts.. its not affecting me in the slightest and wouldn't even if they were wearing vests

If you're NHS, have a look at your uniform policy. Every trust will have one, and your manager will not be able to dictate otherwise. I've just had a quick look at ours, and it says no spaghetti or thin straps, but sleeveless tops are acceptable. Also, we can wear skirts that cover 'most of the thigh' and shorts between April & September.

I don’t work in an office but surely out of the office we all manage to interact with each other in normal summer clothes without swooning with horror at the the sight of an uncovered armpit for maybe one second once a day or once a week or whatever?

Would you prefer them even sweatier in warmer clothes?

It's subjective isn't it though. Back in the 90s a community midwife came to my house in jeans and stripy top, yellow Souwester and very dangly earrings. She came off as very unprofessional and didn't listen to my history.

FWIW I have banned sight of bra straps and thighs and flip flops. We are customer facing though.

When I started work in 1980/1 in the City the rules were thus for women:

No trousers
No sandals
No bare legs
Arms covered to mid upper, preferably elbow
No thick tights; tights to be natural shades.
Smart appearance at all times.

I recall a secretary being sent home fkr wearing a trouser suit and a banker for wearing brown shoes.

How times have changed.

I think it's deeply unfair of her to impose that while her office is the only air conditioned space .

The last thing I want is sweaty blokes in the office wearing shorts and vests. Grim.

I agree that there are business-like sleeveless tops which look great for the office.

I guess it's a matter of definition - some people wouldn't get the difference between these and vest tops.

Personally I find,rather than revealing lots of flesh, by far the coolest things are loose cotton shirts or dresses. I've never found 'reveal as much as you can to feel cooler' very effective.

I think this boss is being unreasonable because the weather conditions are horrendous for working at the moment. It's something that workplaces need to consider carefully for the future.

But I also know that with some people if you give an inch they take a yard!