Most people would agree that dress codes for work shouldn’t be so uncomfortable that they make you wish you were never born. That’s the lesson one woman taught her employers at a casino after they introduced an incredibly restrictive, not to mention excruciatingly painful, dress code.
Reddit user Inconvenientsilence was furious when the casino she worked at forced her and other female workers to wear high heels and “tight dresses,” so that customers would give out more tips. The Redditor decided to teach her managers a lesson, so she wore the uncomfortable clothes for the entire shift, even though her feet hurt like hell and she bled everywhere. Long story short, her managers quickly learned their lesson. Bored Panda contacted Inconvenientsilence and she revealed more details about what happened, so scroll down!
A casino one woman worked at changed the dress code to be more provocative
Image credits: Senlay (not the actual photo)
The clothes were incredibly uncomfortable and were a health-hazard
Inconvenientsilence sacrificed her own well-being for the sake of her female coworkers and to drive home an important point to her employers. Namely that high heels are painful.
The casino that she worked at altered the dress code immediately when they realized how inhumane it was. However, this came at the cost of the Redditor bleeding everywhere after spending half a day walking around in high heels.
Inconvenientsilence talked to Bored Panda about what happened in more detail. When asked how her loved ones reacted to the event, she had this to say: “With the initial changes, my mother was a bit hesitant saying to wait and see what the dress is like and how there wasn't any real need to change it at all, but the heels were a silly idea and a major health and safety hazard.”
“She told me to take flat shoes with me and not to push myself, but when I got home at about 8 AM she was horrified, saying it was ridiculous that they expect us to wear them all shift. And they clearly back-tracked when they saw my feet because they knew it meant potential problems. She was supportive but was really concerned about my injuries saying I should have listened to my coworker,s but was proud that I stood up for myself and others, my mother didn't want me to get hurt. My mother was the one who ended up putting the bandages on [my feet] properly for a while, as she was a nurse.”
“It was about 4-5 years ago now since it happened, but I remember I couldn't even wear comfortable flat shoes without bandages for around 3 weeks to over a month,” Inconvenientsilence revealed. “That was just with the injury to heal enough to not open from the friction. On my days off, I was either sitting because it was sore to walk or pretty much skating around in my socks when it was almost healed.”
Despite the injuries she sustained, the woman said that she would be willing to repeat what she did. “Yes I would if there is no other option or it was given on short notice. Not because of vanity reasons, but companies that expect women to wear high heels for extended periods of time is against basic health and safety for individuals and the company.”
“It can permanently damage a woman's feet and cause unnecessary strain which could lead to further problems. When these dress codes are enforced, they do not seem to consider the individuals comfort in a busy working environment.”
“For myself, I have hypermobility syndrome in my right knee, which I grew up with, which causes my joints to dislocate (especially under pressure). Wearing heels does not help. The pain from that can last days maybe months if my knee gives way. I left that information out of my post because I felt it was irrelevant but it is a basic example of things they do not consider when implementing uniforms, and this is a minor condition, imagine if it was something more serious. Companies should look out for their employee's comfort, health, safety, and overall well-being.”
“If I knew what I know now back then I would have definitely have joined a workforce union,” the woman said. “Also check your company policy is in line with laws and regulations regarding work where you stay, always make sure you know your rights. If they violate it, report it to your union representative.”
“Personally, I think women should not be forced to wear high heels. Heels should be optional, as long as the shoes don't cause harm to the individuals,” Inconvenientsilence expressed her opinion. “Companies could easily say that they want their employees to have professional/smart attire without the inclusion of high heels. There are smart flat shoes available to women as well as heels, so it should be up to the individual.”
Here's how the internet reacted to the Redditor's story
We’ve all heard of incredibly strict dress codes at world-renowned companies and at political institutions. But did you know that there are entire countries that closely regulate how people can and cannot dress? In these countries, failing to comply with regulations can have more serious effects than just being fired from your job.
The World Economic Forum details that in North Korea, for example, men cannot have long hair: they must trim their hair fortnightly (i.e. every two weeks) to keep it 1-5 centimeters (0.39-1.97 inches) long. While North Korean women aren’t allowed to wear pants; rumors say that those failing to comply were fined and sent to do forced labor.
Pants are a big no-no for women living in Sudan as well. Meanwhile, men in this country are banned from wearing make-up. Saudi Arabia prohibits women from showing any bare skin in public, while men are banned from cross-dressing. Furthermore, Uganda is waging war on miniskirts, and France banned wearing burqas and niqabs in public, in 2010. What do you think of such strict country-wide dress codes? What about dress codes at work? Share your thoughts on the topic in the comments!