Would you find this strange? Shoes off 👞 and flip flops 🩴 on

[Speckledhem]

I work in a role where I visit families in their home. I totally get it is expected in some homes that I remove my shoes, ok fine I do this if I must.

But…

I visit a family each week and not only do I need to remove my footwear but I have to wear a pair of flip flops (sliders) that they provide and leave at the front door for me to change in to on arrival.

It makes no difference if I have socks on or not, I am expected to wear pink sliders for the duration of my visit. I then change back into my own footwear when I leave.

I don’t know if these sliders are just for me or for all visitors.

They are a Chinese family- is this cultural? I find it absolutely bonkers.

Anyone else experienced this?

It's genuinely really stressful being from an ethnic minority in this country. Supposing the OP is some sort of professional dealing with this family she's now decided that they're 'pushing' their culture on to others which of course impacts the OP's general view of them. I really don't think people truly understand how the impact of racism / othering can affect ethnic minorities. You spend your existence somehow on edge.

More and more people here are shoes off indoors including me. I teach music from home in a converted garage, which is the only room in the house where we allow shoes on inside the house. I tell people that it is my workroom and I am happy for shoes to stay on in there but that it is shoes off everywhere else in the home. It is amazing how many people offer to take off their shoes before music lessons. I have special indoor shoes that I use to complement my clothes as I like to dress smartly and professionally. We wear slippers and l do not want dirt and germs from outside traipsed inside. OP, I cannot see your problem. Sorry.

I’ve worked with many Asian families and have not ever experienced this, may be because some don’t expect to push their culture on to others.

You are free not to take their money if you don't like the conditions of employment. You sound quite disrespectful generally.

Buy your own indoor shoes or get some over shoes but stop making such a big deal about respecting someone else's house rules.

Thai friends of ours do the same thing; they have slippers by the door for guests to put on. Expensive, leather, multiple sizes :-)

I think it’s just frustrating that I already have to plan what I wear on the day I visit as in wearing slip on shoes that are easy to take off and put on. There is nowhere I can sit down at the front door so I am already having to kind of stand on one leg whilst holding a heavy bag (which is what I need for my work) and if I lean over my rucksack falls over my shoulder and swings around.

Then to be expected to wear some crappy sliders which all other visitors are expected to wear is a bit much. It’s not like I’m some smelly teenager who doesn’t wash or change their socks.

As I said I’m there in a professional capacity.I was going to just bring my slippers. But some of the comments here have been completely over the top. I now don’t want to even go there at all. It’s really annoyed me.

I work for myself and it is a private arrangement so maybe it may be time for them to find someone else. It’s just the last thing in a string of things that have frustrated me over the past few months

By the way, I do not like this expression “pushing their culture in our country” about your clients in their own home. It speaks volumes about you, OP. A home should be the very place where someone can express their own personality and, yes, culture without having to worry about the opinions of anyone else.
@VladmirsPoutine please don’t feel that we are all judging you because you are an ethnic minority. You obviously have plenty to offer and we can learn from each other.

It's a small thing, OP. A respectful thing with logical reasoning behind it. You come across as racially and culturally intolerant.

But some of the comments here have been completely over the top.

If you've read your own posts back and can't see how you are coming across as deeply unpleasant then I don't think anyone here can help you.

I don't generally throw around accusations of racism but your languagenand attitude reeks of it.

I think you should let them find someone else, they deserve better. If you're halfway professional you will pass on details of someone suitable.

I'm surprised you didn't think to bring your own comfortable and expensive slippers or sliders once they "subjected you" to this culture. You had to make a "I think it's bonkers" thread to realise there's an easy solution here.

And by the way- has it ever occurred to you to put your bag down , while you put the " cheap sliders " on. Top tip. Doesn't take many brain cells .....

Why the need for this comment OP?

"Then to be expected to wear some crappy sliders"

@Speckledhem

I think it’s just frustrating that I already have to plan what I wear on the day I visit as in wearing slip on shoes that are easy to take off and put on. There is nowhere I can sit down at the front door so I am already having to kind of stand on one leg whilst holding a heavy bag (which is what I need for my work) and if I lean over my rucksack falls over my shoulder and swings around.

Then to be expected to wear some crappy sliders which all other visitors are expected to wear is a bit much. It’s not like I’m some smelly teenager who doesn’t wash or change their socks.

As I said I’m there in a professional capacity.I was going to just bring my slippers. But some of the comments here have been completely over the top. I now don’t want to even go there at all. It’s really annoyed me.

I work for myself and it is a private arrangement so maybe it may be time for them to find someone else. It’s just the last thing in a string of things that have frustrated me over the past few months

Of course. It's the comments on this post that have made you no longer even want to go there.

Not your subtle prejudiced narrative, not at all.

As I said I’m there in a professional capacity.I was going to just bring my slippers. But some of the comments here have been completely over the top. I now don’t want to even go there at all. It’s really annoyed me.

I work for myself and it is a private arrangement so maybe it may be time for them to find someone else. It’s just the last thing in a string of things that have frustrated me over the past few months

I think your attitude towards them is seeping through your posts. You'll be doing them a favour.

This is fairly standard in some parts of Europe. Shoes in the house are gross. I also have guests slippers, I offer them but most British people prefer being in socks/barefoot which I don't mind either.

When we were house searching, we were asked to take our shoes off in most houses during viewings, I quite liked that.

I would bring my own overshoes or own sliders (as a PP suggested)

Wearing somebody else's flip flops is unhygienic IMO

@poshtonic

And by the way- has it ever occurred to you to put your bag down , while you put the " cheap sliders " on. Top tip. Doesn't take many brain cells .....

I didn't think taking your own sliders if you don't like the ones provided required too many brain cells, but apparently OP didn't think of it...

Yes it's cultural. My in laws do this. I prefer to just wear my socks rather than the flipflops and they do let me do this. The flip flops are meant to be for your comfort so that you don't touch the cold floor I think.

Wow. And you’re a professional?

My Asian relatives abroad have baskets of "crappy sliders" by the front door for visitors. They see it as completely normal and polite.

she's now decided that they're 'pushing' their culture on to others

You can get verrucas or a fungal nail infection from used flip flops - nothing to do with minorities or 'culture pushing'

You need to give it a rest, honestly

Yes I worked for a Japanese family who did this, I didn't have a problem with it except being paranoid about putting on tights with a hole in the toe!

@mustlovegin

she's now decided that they're 'pushing' their culture on to others

You can get verrucas or a fungal nail infection from used flip flops - nothing to do with minorities or 'culture pushing'

You need to give it a rest, honestly

Those are literally the OP's words if you'd bothered to read the thread. You need to avoid posting when you're clearly incapable of reading or indeed comprehension. Why not just google pretty pictures instead?

TBH this post sounds like an excuse to have a bitch about another culture.

If you're as experienced as you say with working with people from other cultures I'm surprised this is the first time you've come across this.

It isn't 'forcing their culture' on people when it's in the confines of their own home.

You sound...at best...a bit unpleasant and at worst...well...a "I'm not racist but..."

This is normal.

“Absolutely bonkers”

LOL, I was going to ask who your employer is, given that most people who go into clients / patients’ homes would have had training about not declaring cultural differences to be ‘bonkers’.

But I see you are a self employed private service.

Figures.