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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that they should do a uniform big enough?

31 replies

MummikinsOopNorth · 16/09/2010 09:58

My friend who is a large lady like myself recently applied for a job and got it...hurrah! It's compulsory in the job to wear a uniform, which is supplied in the building (they have a little shop thing so the employees can go and try the uniforms on) so my friend went and they didn't go up to her size. She was so ashamed and now is having to wear her own clothes when she starts until they decide what they can do for her. So embarassed for her, the poor thing :(

OP posts:
HowsTheSerenity · 16/09/2010 10:01

It would be nice but they have to cater for the majority and the majority is a standard size. Perhaps they could issue her with a voucher to purchase similiar items at a store that stocks her size or they could have uniforms made up?

BooBooGlass · 16/09/2010 10:03

If she is that big she can't get clothes to fit, tbh I would think it's the least of her worries. Maybe it will be the push she needs to try and lose the weight? That sounds v harsh, but presumably her weight is affecting her health?

Theflatulentfairy · 16/09/2010 10:11

Yanbu, it must be really embarrassing for your poor friend

SecretNutellaFix · 16/09/2010 10:12

Is it a big company?

I work for a big company and I know that they order the uniform for each staff memeber individually. FWIW, I know that our uniform sizes go up to a size 28/30.

Fel1x · 16/09/2010 10:15

How big is she though? If she is big but perfectly able to find clothes to fit usually then the company is wrong here, but if she is very very big and has trouble finding clothes usually then it's kind of inderstandable

AMumInScotland · 16/09/2010 10:21

I think the unreasonableness depends on the size - you/she can't really expect the company to keep a stock of sizes all the way up to the largest possible human being, just in case they are needed. OTOH if they only stock up to a size 18 say, then they should be more realistic.

MangoTango · 16/09/2010 10:23

What size is your friend? If the uniforms only goes up to size 18 then they are being unreasonable. If the uniform goes up to size 30, then perhaps more understandable

Rockbird · 16/09/2010 10:27

If she is that big she can't get clothes to fit, tbh I would think it's the least of her worries. Maybe it will be the push she needs to try and lose the weight? That sounds v harsh, but presumably her weight is affecting her health?

Wow, so full of assumptions. The company may only have uniforms up to a size 20. I'm a 22, big but perfectly capable of leading a normal life without any complications or hindrances. I didn't realise I should be constantly worrying about it. And where exactly was health mentioned? Oh no, it wasn't. Just another assumption then. Seems like the friend is BU for getting on with her life and not sitting at home contemplating what a sorry state she's in Hmm

notyummy · 16/09/2010 10:35

If it is a size that is pretty rare then I don't think it is unreasonable that they don't have it in stock TBH. Yes, it is a shame for her, but probably someone incredibly petite (size 4?) or really small/tall would have the same problem?

And yes, flame me, but perhaps it might be one of those lightbulb moments (most of us have them over personal issues) that help her get down to a healthier weight. That doesn't mean that I think she should be hidden away at home etc. I would also say the same thing if someone who was unhealthily underweight was put in a similar position.

BUT - she has obviously done well to get work in the current climate, so I hope this doesn't detract too much from her achievement.

LookToWindward · 16/09/2010 10:35

"OTOH if they only stock up to a size 18 say, then they should be more realistic."

It's depressing that you consider a size 18 "realistic".

ruddynorah · 16/09/2010 10:38

i'm at m&s. we have uniforms up to 30. we struggle though for some of our younger staff. we buy our size 4 staff trousers and tops from the shop floor.

BooBooGlass · 16/09/2010 10:40

Yes it is Rockbird. I used to be a size 20 so am an evangelical ex-fatty tbh. But there is no way a size 20 is healthy and doesn't impede on your life unless youre about 6'7 I shoudl think. Flame away.

MangoTango · 16/09/2010 10:41

"It's depressing that you consider a size 18 "realistic".

Size 18 is hardly unheard of in this country and the uniforms should reflect that

Rockbird · 16/09/2010 10:42

Notyummy that's absurd. She has been given a job somewhere that requires you to wear a uniform. So the uniform should be available to all who need it. Why should it have to be a 'lightbulb moment'? (which is a really crappy phrase btw). She might be happy as Larry the way she is. From the op it seems she now feels humiliated because she doesn't have a uniform, she might not have felt humiliated before this. Ah but she should, shouldn't she? Because she's fat and being humiliated is what we do best, apart from stuffing ourselves obviously Hmm

BuntyPenfold · 16/09/2010 10:43

My friend would have the opposite problem she is the size of a slim 8 year old. I bet they couldn't kit her out either.

Rockbird · 16/09/2010 10:43

Really BooBoo. I'm glad you are in a position to speak for all of us then...

BooBooGlass · 16/09/2010 10:46

Rockbird, let's not make this personal. In my experience and opinion being a size 20 does negatively affect your life. I know it did terrible things for my confidence and health, my ability to run after my dc, take them swimming, be able to enjoy going out with my friends, go shopping for clothes that looked nice rather than just fit. I would have been mortified had I not been able to get uniform to fit, but I'm not sure the employer is to blame

BooBooGlass · 16/09/2010 10:47

And fwiw, I don't think it's helpful that it's soooo un-pc to voice that opinion.

notyummy · 16/09/2010 10:53

Rockbird - as a manager of an organisation, I would base my uniform buying decisions on what is needed by the large majority of people. If that was size 6 to 20, for example, then that is what I would buy. I wouldn't keep stock that may never be used because it is so tiny or outsize - it just isn't good business sense. I wouldn't be basing my decisions on whether people felt humiliated on the rare chance that we didn't have one to fit them. They probably had little notice that she was coming in for a fitting.

Yes, they should supply a uniform, but she can't expect it to be waiting there.

I am sorry you took exception to my thoughts on whether it could potentially influence her to change her weight. I have been overweight, as have many of my friends - and most of us obviously knew we were....but it generally took something to galvanise us to change. This may not be that point for her - but who knows, it could.

AMumInScotland · 16/09/2010 10:55

LookToWindward - what I said was that, if they stop at 18, they need to be more realistic than that. Not that 18 is the highest they should stock, but that they are being unrealistic if that is the highest. If you get me?

I'm a size 18 or 20 atm, though my BMI is just a bit above the healthy range. I don't think 18 is a bad size to be, for many people.

salizchap · 16/09/2010 10:59

For any one who is fat, like myself (just recently found out my size 22 trousers are a tad too tight for comfort), being humiliated does NOT constitute a ´light-bulb´ moment! All it does is send me to the bread bin in despair!

Feel for your friend. Hope they manage to sort out the problem sensitively.

musicmadness · 16/09/2010 12:54

I feel sorry for your friend, but like others have said it depends what size they are stocking the uniform to. If they are only stocking to a size 20 then that won't cater for everyone, if they are stocking to size 30 then TBH very few people are over that size so it is understandable.

mrsgordonfreeman · 16/09/2010 12:58

I had a christmas job at Debenhams. I was constantly bollocked by my manager because my uniform was too big. It was the smallest size they had and I was swamped in it.

taintedpaint · 16/09/2010 12:58

This happened to someone I used to work with occasionally. We worked for a high street clothes shop where the uniform catered for sizes up to women's 22. My former colleague is a man and I don't recall the size they went up to for men, but he was nowhere near fitting into the uniform. He just wore his own (smart) clothes with a name badge like the rest of us and the company accepted that. I agree it's probably very embarrassing for your friend, and that sucks, but hopefully they'll find a way around the problem.

ChooksAway · 16/09/2010 13:33

My neighbour went for a job at a hairdressers - the uniform for junior stylists ranged from size 6 to size 14.

My friend (size 12) got the job, the girl she was being trialled/interviewed with (size 16) didn't, even though she was far better at the job that my neighbour.

After she started the job, one of the other girls she worked with complained at the number of people turning up whose size just wasn't acceptable in a place like that Angry My neighbour left soon after. Couldn't stand the attitude of her bosses and co-workers.

Isn't the average size in this country a size 16? in which case a size 18 certainly isn't abnormal. If someone wants to lose weight, surely it should be up to them to decide?

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