to wonder whether it is discriminatory to insist on women wearing heels to work?

[Barbierella]

Am I wrong in thinking some professions insist on women wearing heeled shoes to work, such as airlines?

Bearing in mind heeled shoes are known to cause pain and long term damage to feet this is a very unreasonable request. And if men are not required to wear them then women should not either.

I couldn't work for anywhere that had such a policy, as not only do I not wear heels (never have never will) but I also don't wear make up. It seems to me extraordinary that such specifications are legally allowed as they are quite clearly discriminatory as well as totally unnecessary.

I wear smart flat black shoes (essentially Mary Janes, sometimes brogues) for work. Recently I had to buy a pair of work shoes in a hurry and ended up with a half inch heel which I find uncomfortable very quickly if I have to walk about too much. They are prettier than my normal style but I don't really see that as a good trade off. I've never really understood why people get so bothered about shoes. To me they are functional items, so comfort is no1. Luckily I've never worked anywhere that had rules about shoes beyond health and safety guidance (including no flip flops).

I used to work for 'the Worlds Favourite Airline'. I didn't have to wear heels, and shock horror I wore trousers. Also, in the uniform handbook make up was optional. Although, your hair had to be tied up if it was longer than a bob length for a few reasons, such as hygiene reasons (serving food), and a Health and safety aspect, putting a a smoke hood on if one happens to need to put a fire out on board.

Well that makes sense
And presumably the same rules apply to the men.
Though I doubt men would be allowed long hair? Which I also think is sexist.

Ooh Long, you may be able to answer this: do airlines still have a prescribed weight range for female cabin crew? Many moons ago, I knew a (female) cabin crew member for that airline and they had to have regular weigh-ins to check. If she put on a certain amount she was told she'd have to lose it. I'm intrigued to know if that's still going on in some airlines.

It does sound discriminatory if some airlines have that policy although I'm sure that it would be easy to get a doctors note to say that the heels were causing pain. I doubt that airlines would get away with such a policy if they applied it rigidly.

I'm amazed by the posters that think it is okay to insist on heels because people don't have to apply for the job. Apart from the fact that it would be discriminatory if it meant that it was more difficult for women to do the job than men, there is also the fact that people may have no problems wearing heels when they apply for the job and the problems may occur many years later. Should women resign from their job at that point?

Whatever
I am also amazed that a minority of posters think it's ok to insist on wearing heels because people don't have to do the job.

I wonder if they would have the same feelings should the job be a profession such as law or medicine. I think not!

Lara

I am not sure what the average age is where you work Lara but I would imagine some girls just put up with the pain and may end up experiencing problems later on in life.
Shop work all day on your feet in heels is terribly bad for your feet and body long term.

Hi barb

I have 70 employees. Age ranges from 18 to 68 with lengths of service between under 1 year and 17 years

Lara,
Really and no one ever complains about wearing heels all day? I am astonished. My view is that it's a case of just putting up with it.

Barbierella, I agree, the 'well you don't have to do it' attitude is shocking.

And of course it's discriminatory to insist on heels, unless you insisted on heels for both genders.

I know men's ties and collars can be a bit uncomfortable and restricting, but I can't think of an item of men's clothing that causes physical problems to the extent that heels do. It's a woman-specific issue.

Lara you said minimum 2 inch heel right?

I hate heels. I have one pair of black ones which I wear when it is necessary (dress code/social "rules"). I couldn't do a job that required me to wear them and think it's disgraceful any job requires them.

The thing I find most puzzling about shop workers or stewardesses wearing heels is that in these places have strict health and safety audits. They cover every inch of the building and try to minimize hazards. This includes trip and slip hazards. It also includes potential dangers to staff such as guidance and procedures for using anything that could cause short or long term damage to health.
And then they insist on staff wearing heels which are proven to cause slips, trips and long term damage to health.

I think what happens is that some jobs have a reputation for "glamour" and attract people who would choose to wear heels / make-up etc.

I wouldn't choose such a job that is known to focus so much on outward appearance so I'd never be in the position of complaining about wearing heels.

It's interesting what different professions consider "smart and professional" I think female police officers look "smart and professional" but you don't see them in heels or overt heavy makeup.

As a school child I worked in shoe shops but nobody ever suggested heels, the only rule was "smart" shoes from the shop. It was the 90s so I wore loafers.

Hi

Yes the minimum is 2 inch heels but no one has ever got a tape measure out.

The only people who have brought up that they are struggling with heels have then got a docs note and then worn smart flats

I've worn heels every day of my working life and have no issues. I think people are either heels people or not.

Some customer facing roles do require a certain standard of grooming and presentation to fit in with the brand/company image

I can understand 'grooming and presentation' in the sense of hair, make-up, nails etc, but I genuinely don't see how a pair of heels is automatically more smart or glam than a pair of nice flats.

I think it depends on the uniform- if it is a dress then generally heels do look better.

Trousers could be either flats or heels.

TheGirlonthelanding I was a size 16, 18 at one point. No one batted an eye lid. Maybe a few years back they may have said something. But, i worked for them for near 15 years, and no one said anything. As long as the uniform guidelines are followed, and you don't look scruffy. I used to wear flat ankle boots with my trousers, so I didn't need to change my shoes for take off and service. I was comfortable. If I'm doing a long day, and wanted to run through terminal 5, I could as the skirt and heels was restrictive.

I miss that job :(

No, I simply don't buy that idea. Flats with a dress look just as good. Obviously it's got to be the right shoes and dress, but that's also true for heels.

I would concede that heels with a dress look more conventionally 'correct' and do things like making the wearer look taller, their legs look longer, emphasising their curves etc; to an eye that's been conditioned to expect to see women in heels (and I think that's all of us!) they look more usual and possibly 'better'.

But I think this conditioning is questionable in itself, and compelling employees to wear things that are potentially uncomfortable and bad for health because women are expected to look a certain way is deeply questionable too.

"The only people who have brought up that they are struggling with heels have then got a docs note and then worn smart flats"

I think it's absolutely ridiculous to have to produce a doctors note to not wear something that for the vast majority of people is harmful.

We all know smoking harms health even though SOME people smoke all their lives with no ill effect.
We all know heels are bad for feet and body even though SOME people can wear them all their lives with no ill effect.

It is the fact that many girls will be forced to wear these shoes not even realising the damage they cause in later life.

I cannot believe anyone would support this discrimination. Yes fine if girls want to wear them but to enforce women to wear them in a job that requires long hours on their feet is outrageous.

Long distance

That is good to hear. Can I ask though, if you chose to wear a skirt did you then have to wear heels to and from work? This is what I have heard.

High heels are dangerous, not just immediately in terms of an accident but they can be extremely detrimental in the long term. This from College of Podiatry website
www.scpod.org/foot-health/foot-health-focus/articles-archive/killer-heels-a-survival-guide/
"However, ‘high’ heels can become ‘killer’ heels causing problems ranging from blisters, corns and calluses to serious foot, knee and back pain."
Any employer insisting on heels "or a doctor's note" obviously does not care for their employees' welfare.