Do you think high heels should be banned in the workplace? If the TUC (that’s the Trade Union Congress) get their way, that’s what could happen: they’ve proposed a motion saying that as high heels are bad for the feet, “hazardous” and “demeaning to women”, a height limit should be imposed, with women being required to wear “sensible shoes” in the interests of health and safety.
The motion states:
“Congress believes high heels may look glamorous on the Hollywood catwalks but are completely inappropriate for the day-today working environment.
“Feet bear the brunt of daily life, and for many workers prolonged standing, badly fitted footwear, and in particular high heels can be a hazard. Around two million days a year are lost through sickness as a result of lower limb disorders.
“Wearing high heels can cause long-term foot problems, such as blisters, corns and calluses, and also serious foot, knee and back pain and damaged joints.
“Many employers in the retail sector force women workers to wear high heels as part of their dress code.
“More must be done to raise awareness of this problem so that women workers and their feet are protected.”
Clearly, as a high-heel wearer, I’m not particularly impressed by this, and tend to think that what’s REALLY demeaning to women is a predominantly male group trying to dictate what we should and should not be “allowed” to wear: I also find it very patronising that women workers are apparently not deemed able to make informed decisions about our footwear for ourselves. I’m fairly sure that most adult women are well aware of the problems high heels can cause, and capable of deciding for themselves whether or not they still want to wear them, without being forced into flats (some of which can also be bad for the feet and legs).
What does everyone else think about this proposal? Should we be allowed to decide the height of our heels for ourselves, or should our employers be allowed to decide for us?
[source]
OH. MY.GOD.
I really want to swear now, but I won’t because this is a public arena and I don’t wanna offend.
I mean:
“Many employers in the retail sector force women workers to wear high heels as part of their dress code.”
no one should obviously be forced to wear high heels, but in the same breath, no one should be forced not to either. Is personal choice not an issue here? Are people honestly seen by the US government as being too stupid to make up their own minds?
Aaarghhh…. I find this so insulting and so patronising. Credit me with enough intelligence please to judge what footwear is suitable for whatever activity I choose to participate. I am not an idiot, I am a human being with a brain, I do not need to be babied.
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I think I am sound enough of mind to decide what I put on my own feet, thank you very much.
What’s next? A high-heel proficiency test?
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I don’t necessarily agree with being forced to wear high heels in the work place, but this law is just stupid.
Surely discrimination against women, against pregnant woman, colossal pay gaps etc should be ticked off before they start to deal with the little things like shoes??
Gah. I’d love to have sat in the board room when they came up with this one.
No, no, no, no, no!!!!! No one will tell me what kind of shoes I should wear. I work in an office & sit down all day, but that is still the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. Does the U S Government not have anything better do than that? Are we going to get a stimulis package to buy new government approved shoes?
First of all, I would have thought that the government would have much more important things to worry about than shoes. Second, it’s just ridiculous to tell someone what type of shoes to wear for work. I don’t agree with forcing women to wear high heels, but I’m pretty sure that grown, working women are capable of deciding for themselves what type of shoes to wear.
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This is so sexist and patronizing, I’m speechless.
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Does anyone realize that the TUC is not a part of the US government? The TUC is in the UK. Anyway, I do find it offensive that the right to wear heels might be denied to women.
Such a stupid law. If the women want back/foot poblems, let them wear heels! It’s their loss, not the TUC’s.
Ps, I really like those shoes in the picture. Do you know where to get them?
I can’t be 100% sure, but I think they’re from Zara – they definitely had some shoes very like them in a few months ago, anyway.
NO no no no no no no no no. Absolutely not. We’re big girls… nobody is MAKING us wear heels.
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Who do these people think they are? If women want to ruin their feet by wearing high heels, they should be allowed to! It’s their CHOICE. You know, where you get to CHOOSE what you wear?
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I work retail…and while we are we technically can wear heels (as long as they are a closed toe) nobody does!! It is purely functional. I stand ALL day long on a tile floor. In a home improvement store. In such an environment, it is dangerous to wear heels. We wear tennis shoes. I do have a pair of boots with a very short (1 1/2 inches) heel on them that I wear occasionally, but I find that my feet are killing me by the time the day is over. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my heels, but wearing them at any retail job is INSANE. An office job would be fine though, since you spend most of the sitting.