MNHQ here: Have you been made to wear high heels at work?

[RowanMumsnet]

Greetings!

Parliament's Petitions Committee has been in touch to ask whether MNers would like to feed in to its investigation into women being required to wear high heels at work.

The investigation is in response to a petition on the Parliament website asking the government to 'make it illegal for a company to require women to wear high heels at work'. The petition has had nearly 150,000 signatures, and as a result the petitions committee is going to look into the matter more thoroughly.

This is what they say:

"If you've been personally affected by this issue we want to hear from you."

"Your experiences will help us understand the problem. It will also give us an idea of how many people this affects and help us to decide what action to recommend to the Government."

"When sharing your experiences, please include:

• What were the circumstances that led to you being made to wear high heels? For example: what type of work was involved? Were you a permanent or a temporary member of staff?
  
• Did you challenge the requirement? If so, what was the outcome?
  
• Did you think that the requirement was reasonable?
  
• What does a reasonable work dress code mean to you?"
  
  "Please note that the user name you choose will appear with your comment. Please do not name specific companies/employers in your post."
  
  If you prefer, you can respond directly to the Committee via this link.
  
  Thanks
  MNHQ

[Champagneformyrealfriends]

Yes-and in a retail job that involved being stood up all day.

[dodobookends]

They're called 'killer heels' for a reason - they kill your feet.

[EnoughOfTheFootball]

I applied for a summer job while at uni in a retail store in town. During the interview the dress code was explained to me, pencil skirt, shirt and heels. I am 6' 1'', I never where heels for that reason. During my teens and twenties I really struggled with my height. The thought of being 6' 4'' just for a bit of holiday pocket money was unbearable. I did not take the job.

[Everythingwillbealright]

Sir I'm sorry you banged your head. To me, there are parallels. Women, in the heels situation, are forced to wear a uniform which is potentially uncomfortable for them and men are not put in the same position. In the case I outlined, the men are forced to wear part of a uniform which is potentially uncomfortable (due to the heat) and women are not put in the same position. Why should men cover their legs but women not? Ok, so it may not be as emotive an example as high heels but the lack of choice and equality still features.

[LaserShark]

Heels aren't just uncomfortable. There are long term health issues and damage that they can cause (in my case nerve damage) which ties or trousers just can't inflict.

[RaisingSteam]

There is no such dress code where I work but I fell down stairs on a railway station on my way to a meeting recently - essentially lost balance due to my heels. Ironically I work in a very safety conscious industry where we are literally being told not to carry cups of coffee upstairs etc.

To be honest if someone either struggles to balance/walk in heels or is getting pain then it should fall under Health and Safety at Work act. Does anyone know if this is the case? Or would we end up getting heels banned which might be even less popular?

[HamletsSister]

Yes - but it was years, and years ago.

Temp job as a waitress through an agency for a Christmas party "shed" which was behind a pub. About 200 pissed low level (mostly male) executives. So, lower management.

We were told by the caterers to wear black and white, short skirt, white shirt and "heels".

But, that was not at all shocking. The most shocking thing was being trained in how to carry on silver serving turkey slices with a hand up your skirt - the important thing being "that everyone has a NCP time, and no one gets burned"

At 17 I was appalled and managed one shift before refusing all future employment.

[SirChenjin]

Don't be sorry Everything - it's just an expression to signify disbelief.

As Laser explains (along with PPs) high heels are not just 'emotive', they cause long term damage, exacerbate existing conditions and are potentially dangerous - as well as objectifying women in a way that trousers on men never will. HTH.

[specialsubject]

Thank goodness for that time in electronic engineering. None of this nonsense. Dress code was tidy shirt and skirt / trousers, total choice.anyone in a suit without customers visiting would be asked 'did you get the job?'

And this is over 20 years ago . get science qualifications, work with a better type!

[Pteranodon]

I think the important thing is to make sure that the issue of ties and comfortable summer wear for men is addressed.

[dillydotty]

I have never been made to wear heels but have worked in places where it is part of the expected work wear. However wearing a summer dress and kitten heels in a sweltering office seemed a lot more comfortable that a suit and tie so I didn't feel hard done by.

[Feckitall]

The company I work for has uniform which includes cargo style trouser and a skirt option. Shoes must be black, enclosed toes and not high. On the shop floor 99% wear the trousers with flatish shoes..think school shoe styles!
Anyway, a few years ago the manager thought it would be a good idea to get young, pretty girls in, get them to wear short skirts, high heels, with the idea sex sells..the rest of us were told we were to do this too using the work skirts...
I flatly refused.. sulked like a teenager and never did it...all the girls dropped the skirts/heels after builders perved on them and most left within weeks months anyway...idea was soon dropped and common sense prevailed. and the managers were a laughing stock

[dillydotty]

Now I work for a great company. Hardly anyone wears heels. It is very 'old money' which surprisingly allows much more individuality than anywhere else I have worked. Men in mustard cords, women with lilac hair. A large percentage of staff wear clothing liberally coated with dog hair. It hasn't affected our profits or reputation.

[checkingthedetails]

I was required to wear heels as a temp receptionist. I worked for an agency, so only ever did about two weeks in one place. If I didn't look right, I didn't get the jobs I needed to pay the rent.

I was skint, so had to borrow the shoes from my mother and the suit from sister. The too-small heels really hurt me, even when I kicked them off under the desk as often as possible.

I also worked on customer service desks in major department stores. Standing in heels for eight hours each day is an experience I will never forget, and I have the bunions to prove it

[Ormally]

This has never been an issue that I have had to address, but thinking of some of the things I do currently in very low-heeled shoes for work, I'd say that high heels would make these cross the line into unsafe in some cases, and basically slow me up a lot in others where I need to be kitted out for speed to do the job efficiently. It does seem to be that high heels suggest the 'enforcers' consider there is more value in standing looking decorative and not pitching in to do things that can be a little risky, than working in the same as someone not hampered by impractical clothing.

[Ormally]

(Incidentally, my male colleague, who also has to rush about quite a bit, also frequently kicks off his shoes under the desk when he gets chance, and rightly so).

[HamletsSister]

NCP time? Nice time, obviously.

[carelesswhisper27]

Yes, in retail in my first ever job, on my feet all day and I still haven't regained full feeling in a couple of toes (it was 10 years ago!!!)

My manager made all women in the department wear heels. I wouldn't put up with it now!

[tribpot]

How is it not a safety issue that cabin crew have to wear heels? Their primary role is safety and that would surely mean practical shoes - unless everyone has time to put on different footwear in the event of an emergency. (I think cabin crew do wear lower heels on the plane and higher heels on the tarmac but even so, lower does not equal flat).

[rogueelement]

I've never been asked to, but the unofficial dress code for women at my company tends to involve very high heels. It's very odd - the men dress quite casually but the women dress more formally, with spiky high heels part of the look. I have osteoarthritis and have to wear very chunky flat shoes - high heels are out of the question. But I genuinely think that it may count against me.

[DioneTheDiabolist]

When I was in my teens I worked part time in 2 High Street fashion chains. Both required me to wear high heels. In a job that involved standing, sometimes in one place for four hours at a time!

[Want2bSupermum]

Ironically I've had a few conversations with new hires in private and had to tell them to ditch the high heels because they don't look professional when they can't walk.

As said by the employment lawyer further up it is discrimination to force a female to wear high heels. My employer has a dress code and the only type of shoe you are not allowed to wear are flip flops. Flats are absolutely fine.

What is important is how I present myself and if my employer made me wear heels I would be looking for a new job and before leaving say something.

[PixieGio]

Cabin shoes are put on once on board. Heels put on again once all passengers off and crew are ready to disembark. The heels are just for waltzing through airports really. My cabin shoes had a 1cm heel. Very comfy and soft leather. It was the commuting through airports and London that made my feet hurt especially as they were usually swollen after flights.

[willhazboz]

I was told to wear heels in a previous job. I was a permanent member of staff in a high street jewellers. I didn't challenge it as was only 19. Interestingly a male manager took over a year later and was much more reasonable and didn't make us wear heels unless the big boss was in. I used to just change into ballet pumps if I was in pain and change back when I got told off by the manager. I don't feel it was reasonable as we weren't allowed to sit down during the day. However I know various people working in jewellers and all but one of them had the same rule. (We also had to wear a certain denier of tights and matching nail polish and lipstick-thankfully that wasn't enforced but was in our uniform policy)

[specialsubject]

1cm is about right - dead flat shoes are not good on hard surfaces, and you'll all recognise the ballet flat waddle, only marginally less stupid than the high heel teeter.

Where can you buy smart.shoes with a 1cm heel? I will stock up!