One in four women have been cautioned about their appearance in the workplace, according to new study
The survey of more than 2,000 Britons found that women are singled out for their looks far more than men. Just nine per cent of male respondents had been told off for what they looked like.
When a woman hit the headlines after being sent home from her temp job for refusing to wear high heels, the government pledged to publish new dress code guidelines for employers this summer. But the guidelines are yet to appear.
And it’s not just dress codes that are the problem. Alarmingly, managers deemed female workers “a distraction” to their male ｃounterparts in 35 per cent of cases.
“Too much make-up” was the most complained about appearance issue, closely followed by skirt length.
Nancy Roberts was working for a well-known book publisher when she was cautioned for her skirt choice: “I was told on my second day in my very first job that I was dressing ‘too provocatively’ – in a knee-length black skirt and flat knee-high boots.
“My boss was a woman.”
Bridie Pearson-Jones, a former retail assistant at a popular department store, said: “Loads of us used to get told off for our skirt length. I once got told off for a knee-length pencil skirt that was clearly for business dress.
“My manager said: ‘It's nice for clubbing, not so much for work.’”
Other warnings included tops deemed too revealing (30 per cent), slogan t-shirts (18 per cent), and outfit flamboyance (15 per cent.)
Men were reprimanded mainly for not being clean shaven and their choice of footwear.
George Charles, spokesperson for VoucherCodesPro.co.uk, who conducted the survey, said: “It’s OK to pull up a member of your staff on their appearance if you genuinely believe that they’re breaking their contract in anyway, or even if it poses some sort of health and safety risk, but you just can’t tell women to change their appearance because they’re possibly going to be distracting to their male colleagues. That's outrageous.”
Article Source: http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/one-in-four-women-cautioned-about-their-appearance-in-the-workplace-a3595956.html
Image Source: https://azemploymentattorneys.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/dress_code-300x169.jpg
VOCABULARY WORDS:
1. Caution (v.) ~ say something as a warning
2. Pledge (v.) ~ commit (a person or organization) by a solemn promise
3. Flamboyance (n.) ~ the tendency to attract attention because of one's exuberance, confidence, and stylishness
4. Reprimand (v.) ~ rebuke (someone), especially officially
5. Pose (v.) ~ present or constitute (a problem, danger, or difficulty)
6. Outrageous (adj.) ~ very bold, unusual, and startling
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1. Is there a dress code in your office? If yes, what is it? If no, do you think there should be? Explain your opinion.
2. What is your definition of "dressed provocatively"?
3. What do you think is the reason why there are stricter rules about women clothes in the offices and in society in general?
