To think you shouldn't have to wear business wear clothes working in a call Centre?

[pinipol]

So I've recently got a job working in a call centre.
The dress code is formal and it's black trousers and a smart shirt.
I think it's a bit silly seen as though nobody sees you but anyway yesterday the manager took me to one side and said my black trousers were too tight and they needed to be bootcut rather than straight leg.
Aibu to think this is a bit crazy?

Do you have aspirations to not work in a call centre? Learn to play the game.
Horrendously patronising.

@ClaudiaWankleman

One woman's "horrendously patronising" is another's good advice. Being told to 'play the game' is the best advice I've been given.

Very, very few people get to change the rules. Striving for this is unrealistic.

I would politely say back to them that a particular cut of trousers is a uniform, which they should provide. It is total wank obviously that you should have to wear business attire in a call centre but I think you have to do it if those are the rules. However unless your contract specifies particular trousers this is a different issue.

stillHereStill Really. I work in a call centre too, I have decent pay, good bonus scheme and it allows me work shifts so I can care for my family.

Your response to the OP was rude, not inspiring at all.

Il also add that I get good pay too.
My friend is a flight attendant for BA and I earn more...so I'm quite happy with my job choice just not silly trouser rules.

@stillherestill
Let's not pretend the 'aspirations to not work in a call centre' - ie anywhere else, was said in a supportive way.

Plenty of jobs that aren't client facing have a dress code. It affects the work environment so I think that's reasonable.

Their circus, their rules.

They obviously want a professional working environment and to them that means business dress rather than jeans, t-shirts and crop tops.

It doesn't really matter what you think of the rule. You knew the dress code when you started.

It is very silly.

These places tend to be run by people who are quite silly though.

Do the people running the place seem like they'd be open to some sensible suggestions, or do you just have to suck it up, while knowing that we all agree it is silly?

It's not what I'd call formal dress, it's just black trousers and a white shirt or blouse which are cheap to buy, stop,you ruining your own clothes, save you having to decide what to wear and maybe some employers see it as taking pride in yourself and the job. Who knows.

Bootcut trousers?! Hello 2005👋

Seriously that’s ridiculous. Perfectly reasonable to have a dress code e.g. business formal but if they’re going so far as to insist on a particular cut of trouser in a particular colour then it’s surely a uniform requirement at that point not just a dress code... so potentially they would need to provide this. What does your contract say with regard to dress code?

Maybe the bootcut rule is to deter people from wearing leggings. We had this rule, no leggings and no trainers, most people ignored it and called them skinnies.

Honestly? When you agreed to the terms and conditions of the job, you would have known this. I find this just as irritating as the parents who complain that their kids are being discriminated against for having non-regulation hair colours or school shoes when the uniform guidelines are as clear as crystal. Your opinion about the uniform guideline is irrelevant if you have agreed to it and are being paid to accept it.

What’s silly about looking professional?

"These places tend to be run by people who are quite silly though"

Yep, they're silly. I used to train people up to work in a call centre. They had a tie for men, blouse for women dress code too. It wasn't so bad for me, I ignored the blouse thing but I got pulled aside for wearing pale pink 100 denier tights with a black pencil skirt.
The pink tights were very objectionable apparently, but this only happened after 2 years if working there. Someone higher up must have not liked pink tights. Madness.

I worked in a call centre for several years. I was in one of the first groups of employees trained in.
The original plan was for us all to wear business suits even though we would never meet any clients face to face. They had very lofty aspirations to begin with. My intake group was about 90% university graduates.

The place expanded very rapidly to the point that by the time I left the bulk of employees were 17 and 18 year olds in tracksuits or dresses more appropriate for a night out.

I'm a (low level) manager in a contact centre. Normally I agree that uniform rules are excessive, however we have a dress down day every Friday, and having seen the outfits some people decide are appropriate for work even on a dress down, I can understand the need for some rules. Some of the younger staff look like they've come straight from the nearest club. We do have client visits on site regularly, so implemented a business casual dress code. No jeans or leggings as trousers (under a skirt instead of tights is fine) no beach wear, skirts longer than mid bum cheek etc. Other than that we tend to be flexible, some prefer shirts and ties, others a polo and chinos. I would ask specifically where it says in the uniform policy that you need bootcut trousers, and you will continue to wear your current ones until they can show you that information.

Seems a bit daft to have uniforms for jobs that are not customer facing. It seems very unreasonable to police your clothes to that degree and say you need a certain cut of trousers rather than just specifying colour and smart or something..IMO.

It’s a bit silly really. I can understand smart casual but full on business dress seems excessive when you’re not client facing or particularly senior. Most places have become much more casual over the years. A decade ago I used to wear suits or dress/jacket combos regularly and now it’s generally smart dresses for external meetings with access to an emergency jacket. It’s been at least 5 years since I wore a suit for anything and that would have been an interview. With no external meetings in my pace anything goes really and black skinny jeans are a staple.

I worked in a call centre for a mobile phone company when I was in sixth form and got sent home to change once because my trousers weren’t smart enough. Ridiculous.

If you don't want to abide by the dress code you could always go and work somewhere else. Your employer can tell you what to wear , it's pretty normal in any work place.

I agree OP. It's not as if you agreed to work in the army.

My employer has no dress code, and it works completely fine.

I work in a call centre and we can wear whatever we like as long as it’s not offensive.
I do think it’s a bit ott but is their company and their rules. Maybe they think people will act more professionally if there’s a dress code.

I work for a pretty progressive company though. Our pay isn’t the best but on the whole they are great x

How ridiculous! What's the point of business dress when you're not customer/client facing?? It just makes you feel like a school child.

I love wearing 'smart casual' clothes to work, I work much better when I'm comfortable and warm. Nobody wears business dress, we're all in sweater dresses and leggings or dark jeans and jumpers. Trainers are acceptable as long as they're not the sports kind. Clothes are a good talking point too, in our dept we're always commenting and complimenting clothes and sharing tips. The only rules are no slogans/writing, no scruffy denim and no sportswear or revealing clothes.

Bootcut trousers?! Is your call centre in the nineties?