dress codes that include high heels may be gone soon

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I was reading the other day that a lot of places including the U.K. and Canada are looking into dress codes that force women to wear heels at work, as well as overly sexual outfits like short skirts. While this is a good thing, it sucks for those of us who are used to trans stories that feature a guy following the girl's dress code ...

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If you ever actually wore heels to work

In my time OUT, I have learned that heels, even relatively short ones like 2 1/2 inch, eventually hurt like hell. The reason that you see genetic women in them in our culture is that women are much more er manly um can take a lot more pain than a man.

When I come home, off come the heels, and then the bra. That is a rule.

Heels

Just because the dress code no longer forces women to wear high heels, many will continue to do so as that is what they (and their feet) are used to. So now instead of your young man being forced to wear heels in order to fit the dress code, he will be actively encouraged to wear them in order to fit in!

The falacy

One thing that men don't seem to pick up is that, generally speaking, women tend to weigh 50-100 lbs or more, less than men , so their feet actually feel less wear and tear.

New neurological theory is that women's brains are smaller than men's because there is much less of them for the brain and nerves to manage. I am waiting to see if they decide that women have the same reasoning power as men, and I think they will see that is the case.

Fiction is fiction

Fiction is fiction.

So if you want your story to use that particular TV fiction trope, you can set it in or create a time and place where that rule is still in place, right?

Kris

{I leave a trail of Kudos as I browse the site. Be careful where you step!}

There are medical reasons for wearing high heels

I know it sounds strange. However, I worked closely with a woman who always was wearing high heel (Opera Pumps!) even when 9 months pregnant. When I asked why, she responded. "I have Scoliosis. My back will hurt far more then my feet if I wear low or flat shoes."

Oh the potential lawsuits.

"I was reading the other day that a lot of places including the U.K. and Canada are looking into dress codes that force women to wear heels at work,"

It is proven that repeated use of wearing high heels has shown to damage a person's feet. This opens the regulation to lawsuits on the grounds of the regulation causing injuries which could be avoided.

A timely post

I'm writing a story that includes a part where a business allowed the staff to decide on the dress code. As a result, I have been thinking about this a bit.

Out went things like Flip Flops, jeans with torn knees, shorts for men + sandals with socks and some other things but not high heels (naturally). The staff wanted to be smart and be able to wear what they wanted. If you ban heels then what about the case where a staff member was going out straight from work and their 'dress' included heels. Would there be ambulance chasing lawyers ready to pounce if they saw someone leaving the building wearing heels? You never know. So you make them optional.

Just my worthless thoughts on the matter.
Samantha

Appropriate footwear

While companies may be able to ban flip-flops and running shoes as they do not present a smart professional look, I'm not sure they could ban heels except in terms of safety, in which case the ban should already be in place.

In terms of a story idea, a man gets a job where he is required to wear protective clothing which the company provides. The only shoes/boots in his size were a special order of women's boots with heels. As he is required to go straight out on a job, there is no time for him to go and purchase his own shoes...

I don't do 'forced' anything

But as far as banning heels is concerned then I guess that some Cowboy boots would also have to go. Some of them have 3in heels (for the cough, cough shorter man).
:) :) :)

The two most common.......

D. Eden's picture

Items banned in the workplace in my experience are open toed shoes, and non-leather shoes. This would include tennis shoes, or athletic shoes, and is done as protection for the feet as leather shoes are more puncture resistant. This would also follow with a requirement for steel toed shoes.

In my experience with truck drivers, we usually ban cowboy boots as the leather sole and heel are too slippery. This is usually expanded out to include any shoe with a heel, and rubber soles are encouraged. The legitimate reason behind this is that the steps on the side of the cab are made of aluminum - metal for durability, and aluminum helps to reduce the GVW of the truck. That's Gross Vehicle Weight - commercial vehicles are registered by GVW, with the maximum for a class 8 vehicle being 80,000 lbs. As this is a gross weight, lowering the tare weight of the truck and trailer combination allows for more payload.

The leather soled shoes, especially with heels, are prone to slipping when the steps are wet, icy, or snow covered. The number of drivers injured simply entering or exiting the truck is astonishingly high - hence the shoe rules, and the three point entry system.

Personally, since transitioning at work I always wear heels. Usually 2 to 2 1/2 inches, but I have been known to go higher. I wear flats in the car, or boots depending on the weather, and then change either in the parking lot or in my office in bad weather. Driving in heels tends to cause scuffs and wear marks on them. I spend too much on a pair of shoes to ruin them driving. The only restriction I have is that I cannot wear open toed shoes if I enter the production floor - in the office is not an issue. But as I usually walk the floor at least four times each day, I stay away from open toed shoes at work.

Either way, I love the way heels make my legs look. I just wish I wasn't 5'11" so I could wear higher heels without looking freakishly tall. I am already taller than all of my staff (including all of the men), and even a high percentage of the male employees on the production floor are shorter than I am. This doesn't bother me, but add a three inch heel and I am suddenly 6'2". Going higher starts to look a little ridiculous in a crowd.

I believe that any company trying to institute a requirement for heels in the US would be hard pressed to do so, but you would be amazed what you can get away with if you make it a requirement for hiring. If your potential employees sign off on a dress or grooming code prior to employment, then the law allows it as it was part of the terms of employment. Case in point, UPS has always had grooming standards for it's delivery drivers which include the length of their hair, not to mention facial hair - although facial hair restrictions are allowed as it can be considered a safety hazard if they are required to deliver to any facility which may require a respirator in the event of an emergency.

So, if you are going to institute a requirement for heels, you would pretty much have to do it right from the startup of the company. You can require appropriate dress shoes in a dress code - but suddenly putting a height requirement for heels into an existing office would be a law suit in the making.

D

D. Eden

Dum Vivimus, Vivamus

Dress Code

Dress Code where I work has a choice of uniform for all at work and it is rare for our ladies to wear skirts or dresses to work as it is grocery store and the only time I have seen Males in a dress or skirt was fancy dress charity day. Lower heel shoes are more encouraged for safety reasons

For me - even after all these years I am know I am male who loves to dress as a female - does not own trousers (pants) and prefers dresses and skirts.

Any dress code should be appropriate and not forced on any gender

I read a story a few years ago about dress code rules in an office, I think it was in a lawyers office, where both genders were on the small committee to draw up the code. They agreed and all had to wear the dress code. The only thing was the dress code was very feminine for all including male employees. OK the story has a serious side in that you have to consider everyone opinions.

The initial news story was of woman sent home from her new employer within 20 minutes as her heels were not high enough and I think though not sure her dress skirt was too long. She took them to an Industrial Tribunal and WON

SamanthaAnn

Daily Hate

When this was first mooted years ago, the delightful and utterly balanced respected newspaper (I lie) the Daily Mail reported a proposal to stop firms being able to force women into heels as "They want to ban women from being able to enjoy wearing heels"

When I go to our, ahem, Head Office in London, half the women there are in silly heels because they want to wear them, for a number of reasons. They can't be forced to wear them. When I am 'on the front line', heels are banned, because the uniform requires safety footwear for very obvious reasons (moving vehicles and heavy machinery)

Years ago, I worked with a particularly obnoxious and extremely vain woman who turned up for work in 3" stiletto court shoes. I asked her what would happen if her punter did a runner.

"Oh, it's the job of the men to do all that stuff"

The person I based Stewie McDuff on then asked her if she fancied taking a pay cut as she didn't want to do the full job.

Proposal here, in a nutshell, is that there will be no power for employers to force women into heels, but there will remain situations where heels can be specifically banned for safety reasons.

I present a conference in a week's time. I will be in a skirt and long boots. Flat ones. I own a number of pairs of heels, but I am not spending all day on my feet in a pair.

I don't generally stand all day......

D. Eden's picture

But occasionally am required to for hours at a time.

I find that the proper toe box on your shoes makes them comfortable - irregardless of the heel height. Now obviously there is a point where the heel height would simply be uncomfortable no matter what, but what causes a lot of the foot pain and issues for women isn't the heel itself, but rather the stupid shape of the toe box. Narrow, pointy toes are not made to fit the human foot and they result in not only pain - but permanent injury to the foot.

A more rounded toe box helps to prevent this and is infinitely more comfortable.

D

D. Eden

Dum Vivimus, Vivamus