Should Wearing High-Heeled Shoes Be Mandatory?

[jim360]

I mean... really?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-36264229

[mikey4444]

Prudie..what do you change into when you get home ? High heels or flats ?

[EDDIE51]

If this rule only applies only to females surely it is illegal as it is 'sexist'?

[agchristie]

A lot of office workers go round in bare feet! Unacceptable in my book. The women are just as bad.

[jim360]

Thanks Prudie, although presumably the point is that women ought to have the choice between smart heeled shoes and smart flat shoes. If they are happy with wearing heels then fine. If they aren't, perhaps because they do find them too uncomfortable, it seems harsh to make it a job requirement -- and one that applies to a surprisingly large number of jobs too.

I'm not sure that ties are in the same league for discomfort. I found them annoying, but hardly painful.

[naomi24]

Mikey, it wouldn’t affect her ability to do the job, but the company has standards it wishes to maintain, it’s as simple as that. She is a temp. She has no business complaining about the company rules. If the job didn’t suit her for whatever reason she could have gone elsewhere. I’ll ignore the rest of your post. It's coarse.

Mamyalynne, as a receptionist in a city office I doubt very much that she was on her feet throughout her nine hour shift.

[Lie-in King]

To the Q - no, ridiculous notion. Smart, comfortable shoes to match smart clothes by all means.

I have the utmost admiration for anyone that can wear heels *by choice* successfully. My own experience of them brings back memories of vertigo & aching feet, legs & back.

[naomi24]

Prudie, //wouldn't dream of wearing flats to work //

Neither would I.

[mikey4444]

"Mamyalynne, as a receptionist in a city office I doubt very much that she was on her feet throughout her nine hour shift"

Naomi...if what you say is true, and it would seem to be common sense to presume it is, then what difference would it make if she wore flat shoes instead of heels ?

Does wearing heels, when sitting down make a difference ?

[shoota]

Reading the article again it seems the rule was made by the temp firm not the company she was working at.

[jim360]

It's not an isolated incident that high heels are part of the dress code, so this specific case is just illustrative.

I just don't see why flats are so frowned on -- unless it's just societal expectations that dictate that high-heeled shoes are "better"? But there's no real reason behind it other than convention.

It's well-known that high heels are uncomfortable. So, as far as I can see, it should be a choice to wear them, not a necessity.

[Mamyalynne]

I gave my reply based on the contents of the article.


Maj, fishnets too?

[naomi24]

Mikey, part of her job as a receptionist was escorting clients to meeting rooms. Frankly, if she'd have been a temp in any office I've managed, I'd have called the agency for an immediate replacement.

[Ellipsis]

The issue is in requiring a type of footwear in women that is not required in men. As a man, I would highly object to being required to wear heels that caused the following health problems:

http://www.osteopathic.org/osteopathic-health/about-your-health/health-conditions-library/womens-health/Pages/high-heels.aspx

That's not to say that women should not be allowed to wear high heels if they want to, just that it should be their choice. Fine to demand smart shoes, not fine to demand high heeled shoes ...

[Lie-in King]

Mamya - "Maj, fishnets too?"

Oh yes.

[Mamyalynne]

Brilliant!

[agchristie]

Naomi - I bet you were sharper than Karen Brady :)

[viv41]

No, it shoudn't !

[shoota]

Interesting that the girls are (mainly) pro heels and the blokes are anti.

[naomi24]

Ellipsis, the demand was not for her to wear 'high heeled' shoes. She was required to wear shoes with a minimum heel height of 2 inches and a maximum of 4 inches. Two inch heels are not 'high'.

[ladybirder]

Article says she was told when she got there about the high heels policy not before she went or when she accepted the job. Also, nine hours spent escorting clients to meeting rooms would be very hard on the feet. I don't see why smart flats or at least a smaller heel weren't acceptable.