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Original poster

Plus size shop employment - is this legal ?

121 replies

laceygo · 07/09/2018 19:49

DD 16 has just filled in an online application for a Saturday job in a plus size clothes shop, and right at the end it says ' all employees are required to wear our clothes as uniform , size range starts at size 16, please tick if you can fulfil this requirement '
Is this legal ? Just sounds a bit off to usHmm

OP posts:
BrieAndChilli · 07/09/2018 20:08

Models and actresses are picked for thier looks/sizes/ethnicity etc so there is probably a loop hole

Victoria secrets models are all tall and skinny.

NeedingAdvicePlease · 07/09/2018 20:09

My friend had this a few years ago, think it was Evans shop. They had to buy all the work clothes from there. She was very slender, maybe size 10.

UnderMajorDomoMinor · 07/09/2018 20:09

I don’t think you could say ‘you’re a size 24 you can’t work here’ in top shop though. I see this as a form of positive discrimination. It shouldn’t happen the other way round.

clarrylove · 07/09/2018 20:14

So what if you change size during your employment which means you cannot fit into the clothes any more? Do you get fired?

ShalomJackie · 07/09/2018 20:18

Fat Face you have to wear their clothes too whilst working and they go up an 18 so it works both ways.

Ballsofmush · 07/09/2018 20:19

There are so many shops where a size 16+ woman could not get a job, again because of the need to wear the store's clothes! Why not let them have this?

EdWinchester · 07/09/2018 20:19

So they are basically saying they only accept applications from fat people?

Ballsofmush · 07/09/2018 20:20

But wait, what happens if a man applies, he can't wear their clothes? And that's certainly is a protected characteristic issue.

ellav · 07/09/2018 20:21

Didn't Hollister used to do this? But advertise jobs as 'models' for the shop?
If so, I'm guessing then that they can get away with that

LittleBookofCalm · 07/09/2018 20:22

Well she can wear the size 16, but with a belt.

TheFairyCaravan · 07/09/2018 20:23

Could you imagine the uproar if the application form said the same thing but “our sizes go from 6-14”? There would be a Social Media frenzy, it would be all over programs like This Morning, GMB and Loose Women and people would be talking about boycotts.

It might be legal but just because you can doesn’t mean you should

Judydreamsofhorses · 07/09/2018 20:25

I worked in Evans as a student, and a size 8/10. I used to wear clothes from other shops within the retail group, usually fairly plain and dark, and accessories (scarves, jewellery etc) from Evans. I was hired because I was a good salesperson - had worked in shoe and clothes shops while I was at school - and experienced at advising on creating outfits, which a lot of the customers liked help with. Some of the other women who worked in the shop were customers, and wore the clothes, but others were size 12/14.

Dahlietta · 07/09/2018 20:25

I see this as a form of positive discrimination. It shouldn’t happen the other way round.

I don't think it's that uncommon for clothes shops to ask their staff to wear their clothes though? All the staff in Gap are always dressed in the stuff. I don't know what would happen if you said, "Sorry, I'm too big for your clothes" but then the form your daughter has doesn't actually say what will happen if you can't 'fulfil the requirement'.

Hayles88 · 07/09/2018 20:26

I agree its discrimination and not very healthy.

Namechange8471 · 07/09/2018 20:28

Yours?

I applied for that job too..

thesendiaries · 07/09/2018 20:29

I can kind of see where they are coming from. So many of these clothes shops are served by under 21s who are very skinny and if I as a size 16-18 walk into these shops I always feel a bit judged (my problem I know) when I'm buying my tent sized dress from someone who could fit a size 4. It would be nice to feel comfortable when shopping.

I've looked at jobs in a few places where this has been the case but they only go up to a 18 and the 18 is tiny

AnnieAnoniMoose · 07/09/2018 20:30

So they are basically saying they only accept applications from fat people?

No, they’re saying you need to wear their clothes as uniform. They start at size 16.

Stop being bitchy.

Original poster
laceygo · 07/09/2018 20:31

@Namechange8471 yes , that's it

OP posts:
Squidgee · 07/09/2018 20:34

You know how hard it is to get a job as a fat chick?

SO many employers wont employ fat people because we're 'lazy'

So how about you all fuck off with your 'its discriminatory'

DieAntword · 07/09/2018 20:35

Even if it was a protected characteristic this would be ok in the same way that there is an exemption for having e.g. all Chinese waiters in a Chinese restaurant.

thesendiaries · 07/09/2018 20:35

I presume it already occurs TheFairyCaravan.
I know several stores where you have to wear their brand as uniform where they don't sell bigger sizes. I've also never seen anyone over a size 10 in Hollister staff!

laceygo · 07/09/2018 20:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Chugalug · 07/09/2018 20:36

Well,no job in top shop for me then ..shame

tillytoodles1 · 07/09/2018 20:37

I quite often shop in the Evans shop and I'd hate to see a thin teenager working there. It's their business to sell clothes to larger ladies.

GasLightShining · 07/09/2018 20:37

I thought Evans started at size 14

And I've seen assistants who looked smaller that that

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