Size discrimination in workplace

[GEC44]

Looking at another current thread on here regarding being weighed in the office, it's made me want to post about my employer.

The role is a uniformed role.

New uniform was recently issued and a memo went out a few weeks beforehand to ask any female members of staff size 18 or above to attend a measuring session in a meeting room, as the uniform supplier doesn't go past size 16 and so anything bigger would need to be specially made.

I found this to be quite humiliating. Fair enough if the supplier doesn't go past a certain size, but the employer could have been a bit more discreet about it rather than getting all the size 18 plus ladies in for a "measuring session".

Presumably the room will be private and no one is going to publish a list of who needed it.

What would you have preferred?

Perhaps discretely emailing my measurements to the relevant department rather than being measured in front of others?

People are crap at measuring. If people measured themselves you can be sure the resulting uniforms wouldn't fit.

I don’t think your size is a secret ( said as a fellow 18j

I feel with the size many people are now and the range of clothing sizes available it's really bad form to choose a supplier who go just to a 16. Feels like it's causing you to be treated differently if you're above 16 for no reason other than they couldn't be bothered to find a better supplier.

Since the larger uniforms are being custom-made, I can see why they don't want to rely on people measuring themselves, as either the employer or the uniform provider would have to cover the cost of any uniforms that don't fit as a result of employees' measuring mistakes.

It makes absolute sense that the uniform contractor would need to measure people themselves if they are taking responsibility for the cost of re-making any ill-fitting uniforms.

IME, it's quite normal to be measured with others for uniforms, similar to how you'd be trying on different sizes together to get the right fit in the uniform store room in a hospital or whatever (admittedly, it might have changed as I haven't worn a work uniform for years!).

Some companies measure entirely differently unfortunately so no you can't rely on people measuring themselves, you'd be surprised how awful people are at it as well.
I think so long as it's in a private room with clothes still on then it's fine.

Sounds like a stupid uniform supplier that doesn’t go above a 16, isn’t that the average size nowadays

This isn't discrimination.

Presumably the measuring won't be a public spectacle.

I don't know about that. I'm a size 18 and whenever I tell people that I get loads of really, really shocked faces and "NO you are NOT" comments.

When I tell them my weight the same thing happens.

People pass on clothes to me that are far too small!

So it's not always obvious.

This. You cannot accurately measure yourself (hence all the devastated bridezilla/bridesmaid threads). How is an email not discreet? And people know how big you are, they can see you everyday.

It’s not discrimination. Honestly, people are just getting offended by everything.

To be honest I'd be happy that I'm receiving a uniform that is specifically made to my own measurements. Having worked in a job previously where I had to wear a uniform that was provided by the company, I have would appreciated this. I have to shop in the petite section so found all shirts etc were an awful fit on me.

It's unlikely that the list of people who are being measured is going to be shared with all of your colleagues. I wouldn't worry about it.

It's not discrimination but they have handled it in an undiplomatic fashion.

I'm sure there are better ways of achieving the same result.

They need to find a better uniform supplier, frankly. Point out that 16 is the average size and since many of their staff are smaller than this, they should expect many to be larger.

This.

And do you know who probably has a good idea of what sizes are normal/common/in demand? The people who manufacture clothes.

I think it’s a good idea they’re only producing the larger sizes to order - less wastage.

It's not discrimination. They are in fact catering specifically for larger sizes.

They could just measure everyone... clothes manufacturers can have random sizes so X who is a 14 in M&S might need an 18 in work uniform for example. But Y needs a 16 bottom and 20 top due to breasts.

A blindingly simple solution would be to have everybody in to be measured.

Nobody needed to know the ins & outs of how the supplier handles different sizes.

It's not discrimination, and tbh, why should your employer have to pussyfoot around anyway?

It is discrimination.

As it stands, ONLY women size 18+ will be going to the measuring room.

I agree.

When I was 16-18 it was hard to get sports clothes as a lot of ranges stopped at size 14. Helpful.

They really should just measure everyone because sizing isn’t that standardized in women’s clothing.

I do think that choosing a supplier that only goes to size 16 is itself discrimination. It will take some new employees longer to get uniforms than others. Not everyone will have equal access to replacement pieces.

TBH I can’t think of a more sensitive way in which this could have been handled.

Measuring session is a description and not an offensive term.

They had to to a generic email because you could never ask people personally - that would be far worse

They need a better uniform supplier.
I guess that they got a really cheap quote for not going above size 16.
I hope, the tailor made uniforms are going to backfire massively!