To ask for reasonable adjustments at work?

[wingsnthat]

Hi, I suffer from a chronic form of eczema. Currently my skin is super sensitive - I saw a dermatologist this morning. The goal is to manage my condition long term but at the moment it’s pretty much the worst it’s ever been. “Friction” is my biggest trigger; my body can’t tolerate it and produces an OTT reaction

At work my dress code is formal and women are expected to wear heels. Heels all day are a physical irritant for most people, but I get an extended reaction. The areas affected by friction get a large rash which gets a bit scabby, the pain/redness lasts for weeks and it turns into post inflammation hyperpigmentation. It then can’t wear other shoes that touch the same area eg back of ankle.

I want to avoid this rigamarole as much as possible, so would it be reasonable to request that I am allowed to wear flat shoes at work? Something similar to what men are allowed to wear ie smart loafers

Other triggers are air conditioning and fragranced products. Could it be deemed reasonable if I ask to permanently sit away from the air conditioning as typically my desk is right under it? And with fragranced products, if i bring in my own hand soaps/sanitisers to use? The problem here is that after WFH, hot desking is the current policy so I would be going against that by asking for a permanent desk

Heels are dress code? Nah. Fuck that

I don't think you'd be unreasonable at all. I guess it depends on your employer as to how they''d react. Personally I'd have a thorough read of ACAS first

I can’t see anything wrong with any of those requests. Surely requiring women to wear heels was a rule that went out in the 80s.

I recently broke my elbow, and asked my work to ruin the bubble system (in a school) so I didn’t have to lug all my books/tech/belongings around the building. They said yes. Your request sounds so easy, you work would be utter idiots not to grant it.

@Yokey

Heels are dress code? Nah. Fuck that

Honestly! Can you guess I enjoyed working from home?

Completely reasonable, in my view.

Are high heels actually part of the dress code or is that just what people tend to wear? What does it actually say?

It's illegal for heels to be dress code for women, isn't it?

Where the fuck do you work that is so antiquated as to enforce heels onto female staff?

I suspect some male-dominated industries such as banking still peddle this bullshit.

Sounds totally reasonable to me. The heels dress code however!!

I thought there was a precedent about high heels policy not being enforceable. Is eczema covered by DDA?

@Voomster953
You would suspect wrong then.
Finance may be male dominated but no bank would dare have this in their dress code

Tilly, thanks for the link! I’ll have a read

Green ahh your school sounds amazing! Hope you feel better soon.

Theta (and others re heels at work!) you could be right. I haven’t seen my handbook in years so it may be more of an unwritten rule. We are client facing. My manager does jokingly “call people out” on things like lack of makeup so I am assuming he would do the same here. I could be wrong. I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen another women in flats actually but we have been wfh for a while !

I plan to contact my manager on Monday so all your replies are super helpful. Helps me get my thoughts together

@LIZS I think it depends on how serious a person’s condition is? I don’t think mine would count as a disability. I was only diagnosed in Feb and my skin is essentially a ticking time bomb at the moment as it has been unmanaged. Hoping it gets better in time

We’re going to hot dealing and HR have said anyone who needs an adjusted desk will get a permanent one allocated. Seems pretty basic to me. As to requiring make up and heels...unless you’re selling the products or acting I simply can’t imagine it’s legal (unless they make the men do the same?!)

[quote QuitMoaning]@Voomster953
You would suspect wrong then.
Finance may be male dominated but no bank would dare have this in their dress code[/quote]
I hope you’re right. I have a chum who works for one of the top investment banks who told me that female secretaries and client facing women were required to wear heels.

It could be of course a workplace culture thing and they’re not so daft as to put it into writing.

@Voomster953

Where the fuck do you work that is so antiquated as to enforce heels onto female staff?

I suspect some male-dominated industries such as banking still peddle this bullshit.

Not all banks! I’ve worked for banks all my career and as I’m not client facing I can wear what I want, which is usually jeans, T-shirt, a cardigan and walking trainers.

Do you work on the 1950s?! That’s crazy that high heels are compulsory!

I can't believe I am reading this in 2021. If you don't want to wear heels or make up, don't wear them. If anyone on god's green earth has a problem with that, come back here for advice and retorts aplenty. We've got you sister.

Ask for a review with the occupational health dept who will make appropriate recommendations. You are NOT being unreasonable x

I worked with someone who had a humidifier on their desk. It looked like a mini steam volcano thing. I think it helped her.

Try cross posting on the feminism page, they will probably be able to give you chapter and verse on the legalities so you can have that in your back pocket.

I have a chum who works for one of the top investment banks who told me that female secretaries and client facing women were required to wear heels.

I think they were pulling your leg. I have worked in several investment banks since the 1990s and have never come across such a dress code.

A fixed desk is a very common adjustment, we hotdesk but have loads of people with set desks due to adjustments (commonly back issues requiring specific chairs/keyboards/monitor height or any of the above)
I've also known people ask to be sat away from air con systems due to having conditions that affect circulation (eg Raynaud's)

[quote wingsnthat]@LIZS I think it depends on how serious a person’s condition is? I don’t think mine would count as a disability. I was only diagnosed in Feb and my skin is essentially a ticking time bomb at the moment as it has been unmanaged. Hoping it gets better in time[/quote]
Any skin condition can be a disability if it has a long term affect on your ability to carry out daily activities under the Equality Act 2010 (DDA no longer exists). See Glass V Promotion Line LTD: https://www.xperthr.co.uk/law-reports/tribunal-finds-individuals-severe-eczema-to-be-a-disability/116442/?cmpid=ILC%7CPROF%7CHRPIO-2013-110-XHRfreeecontentlinks%7Cptoddarticle&sfid=701w0000000uNMa

You would be perfectly reasonable to ask for these adjustments under this precedent.

A manager who thinks it's OK to "call women out" for not wearing heels or make up is absolutely awful. I am genuinely shocked that this sort of sexist bollocks is still going on. I'd be asking for him to follow whatever equality policy you have, rather than asking for "special treatment" in order to dress in a way that doesn't damage your body.