Women ‘told to dye hair and look sexy’ at work

WOMEN WORKERS have been told to dye their hair blonde, wear revealing outfits and constantly reapply make-up, a study into workplace dress codes has found.

The “troubling” experiences suffered by female staff were unearthed by a parliamentary report into the case of a woman sacked for not wearing high heels.

More than 150,000 people signed a petition in support of London receptionist Nicola Thorp, who was sent home from work after refusing to wear high heels.

The 27-year-old arrived at finance company PwC to be told she had to wear shoes with a “2in to 4in heel” and when she refused and complained male colleagues were not asked to do the same, she was sent home without pay.

The Petitions Committee and Women and Equalities Committee said it became clear in the course of its inquiry that this was not an isolated incident.

“We heard from hundreds of women who told us about the pain and long-term damage caused by wearing high heels for long periods in the workplace, as well as from women who had been required to dye their hair blonde, to wear revealing outfits and to constantly reapply makeup.

“The Government has said that the existing law is clear, and that the dress code that prompted this petition is already unlawful. Nevertheless, discriminatory dress codes remain widespread.

“It is therefore clear that the existing law is not yet fully effective in protecting employees from discrimination at work. We call on the Government to review this area of the law and to ask Parliament to change it, if necessary, to make it more effective,” said the report.

The Fawcett Society told the inquiry that requiring women to abide by gendered dress codes, often of a sexualised nature, sent out the message that their appearance was of more value than their skills, experience or voices.

“There have been statements from women expressing that being asked to look “sexy” in the workplace leads to the uncomfortable realisation that the business they work for is profiting from their bodies,” said the campaign group.