To wear leggings to work

[parrotsummer]

We have a uniform and it's just a tunic black or navy trousers. Most people wear leggings and trainers. One woman has been complaining saying it's not professional! AIBU to think if they want professionals they need to pay professional salary not £6.90 an hour!

There's so much wrong with it, I agree. It needs a massive reform, but that won't happen until they treat their workers better. I won't rise to the bait insinuating I don't have any empathy.

I'm not insinuating you have no empathy, that would be very assumptive and disengenuous of me. I just think we place too much emphasis on appearance rather than substance.

I do wear leggings

Thing is chickens, not everyone we care for is old. Illness and accidents happen to everybody unfortunately and sometimes we care for younger people and they might have tattoos and piercings and wild hair colours - so? Why does it matter? Many people smoke - that's another reason clothes have to be washed almost constantly.

Caring isn't a profession, it's a really important job and I agree you have to be clean, but that's a general point I would make to everybody because it isn't nice for you if you're feeling mucky or sweaty.

I get some people dislike leggings but I love them so I want to wear them!

Sorry! "Jeggings" autocorrected to leggings

Honestly lovechicken I'm very middle class and I won't look down on anyone wearing leggings to work when it's appropriate. I think it is for a carer. Or in fact a software developer or tester. I will happily work with a colleague who wear leggings.

A couple of women do. I find denim very hot (some houses we go into are extremely warm) and don't dry as quickly; I don't have a tumble drier so this is important.

I think appearance and substance are important. I'm not sure why people are lowering their standards. Surely everyone wants to appear tidy and look professional in their field? Maybe I'm in the minority, maybe I need to relax my own standards a bit? I would then be worried that people wouldn't take me as seriously if I didn't take pride in my appearance?

I am aware of those things parrot, as I mentioned I did do the job. Maybe my outlook on how I conduct myself at work and the way I want to be perceived is different. Not that my way is the right way. We're just different. I see all work as a profession to be honest. Even on training days we were told to look and appear professional, leggings were part of that. I'm not sure why you asked the question though, I was just answering it as honestly as possible. If I offended you that wasn't my intention. I will try and find the link for you anyway, you will be amazed!

I think you need to be dressed appropriately for work. A carer wearing smart clothes would not be dressed appropriately, as no one is going to want to deal with poo, urine and sick when wearing smart clothes. Similarly nobody wants to be represented in court by a lawyer wearing jeans a a t shirt.

That's what I'm trying to get at..

Even though that lawyer could probably still do a fantastic job, it just doesn't look that great does it...

It isn't because of how it looks. It is because juries and judges have power, and so appearance is important. It is why in major murder cases defence lawyers give advice to a defendant on what exactly to wear to court.

I must be alone in thinking that I would rather be defended by a good lawyer in jeans than a shit lawyer in a saville row suit.

And I would not take the attire of the lawyer as a measure of how good he/she is.

What do people on here constantly say - don't judge by a snapshot?

Caring isn't a profession? of course it is and a very important one. I run a care service and can't help but think that if more carers expected to be treated as professionals they wouldn't be stuck on such low wages. hopefully the new living wage provisions will make some difference. When you think what NVQ level 2/3 jobs pay that are usually done by men it is clear that joining unions and protesting about pay and conditions might make a real difference.

Yes they do, you're right. In my above post I said that lowering my standards make make me relax a bit more but I would worry people wouldn't perceive me as well. If that makes sense.

Leggings are substitutes for tights, not trousers.

They are also very useful sports / sleep and lounge wear. They are not outerwear.

However I plan to revise this opinion temporarily during my last trimester (very imminently) as everything else is blardy uncomfortable.

I wear leggings as tights under dresses, with boots. Other than that I wear them round the house as lounge-wear with a long jumper, but I wouldn't go out (even to nip to the shops) like that. I see them as an alternative to tights, not trousers.

Leggings are a practical alternative to tights. They are not trousers. I think they are a suitable for a carer if they are worn with a long tunic. I have an older disabled child who requires physical help and I live in long tunics and leggings or jeans.

People who have tattoos, piercings , dyed hair do take pride in their appearance.
They just happen to like the above.
Not taking pride in your appearance is not washing your hair or keeping yourself clean. Not how you dress.

By long tunic I mean almost knee length. I can't wear dresses because they swamp me.

I want any carers my son has to be good at their job. I don't care what they look like as long as they are clean.

I'm curious ExConstance, what do you pay your carers?

I agree entirely that carers are hugely underpaid!

Caring isn't a profession if we go by the literal definition of profession which is a role that requires lengthy training and/or qualifications. You need no qualifications to be a carer and you don't need much if any training.

For £6.90 an hour actually less because I'm not paid travel time I am wearing the leggings!

I my experience a pair of £10 George trousers wash and wear better than a pair of £10 m&s Leggings. The material washed much better than leggings which faded much quicker. They also dried quicker. So on that basis YABU.

YABU about caring not being a profession, lots of people choose to go into caring, perhaps those who would have liked to study nursing but haven't got the qualifications? People are needed in lower paid work not everyone can be on £10 plus an hour or £100k a year like most of mumsnet

Agree with Quiero about the underhand snobbery coming through in this. Some people equate certain jobs with being a servant, with little or no standing as to their appearance or comfort/safety doing a job. A while ago this was about things like waiters/waitresses wearing jeans/trainers rather than formal black and whites.

leggings work if under a skirt long enough that no bum can be seen, or if thick enough that no underwear can be seen. The semi-transparent look showing knickers or sanitary towels is not what anyone else wants to see, thank you.

if your job involves lots of bending or sitting on the floor, wear a longer skirt or thick leggings/trousers. 'next week's washing' is never a pretty sight.