Is It Legal To Force Women To Wear High Heels?

A 27-year old woman has recently claimed that she turned up for work wearing flat shoes on her first day as a corporate receptionist for a City accountancy firm, only to be told that she had two choices – be sent home without pay, or go buy a pair of heels between two and four inches high.

Nicola Thorp says that she was laughed at by bosses, and has since set up an online petition which has attracted over 100,000 signatures. This means that the issue will be considered in Parliament for debate.

Perhaps the most shocking thing about these events isn’t that they happened (because let’s face it, sexism is often still a very real issue in workplaces), but that the business in question wasn’t actually breaking the law.

Employers in the UK are within their rights to dismiss a member of staff if they fail to adhere to ‘reasonable’ dress code standards, and different codes of dress for men and women are still permitted. Though the legislation doesn’t explicitly address high heels, and is open to interpretation, it’s not possible to say that the accountancy firm was flouting their legal responsibilities.

But let’s forget about the law for a second, and apply a little bit of common sense. High heels can be uncomfortable, even painful, and have zero impact on anyone’s ability to do their job. If you’re asking your female staff to turn up to work wearing anything other than a formal shoe, or if necessary, safety footwear, then now’s the time to seriously rethink your practices.

Ditch the outdated requirements, and bring your business into the 21^st century. Not because they might soon become illegal, but because it’s the right thing to do.

If you’re concerned about the impact that old people policies and practices could have on your business, now’s the time to take action. We can review your full HR agenda, identify any potential issues, and make sure that you’re firmly on the right track. Get in touch today with TheHuman Resource, the small business HR consultancy, on 07884 475303 or email enquiries@thehr.co.uk for a no-obligation chat. 

Brexit uncertainty and recruitment

Is the possibility of a Brexit vote on 23rd June making you uneasy about greater risks if you recruit into your business right now?

You aren’t alone.  There are signs that uncertainty about whether or not Britain will stay in the EU is dampening down recruitment levels.  “City hiring grinds to a halt as Brexit poll looms” screamed a recent Financial Times headline.  With opinion polls tight, surveys suggest that companies are delaying making hiring and investment decisions until after the 23rd June vote on Britain’s membership of the EU.

At the same time, you still have a successful business to run.  There may be threats just around the corner, but you still need to retain the ability to react quickly to them, and to be geared up to meet increasing demand without running your existing staff into the ground.  

What are your alternatives to hiring more permanent staff? 

• Hire a temp through a recruitment agency instead. This person would be the agency’s employee not yours and this can be a flexible, obligation-free way of covering the work without making a long term commitment.  

• Take on a fixed term contract employee for a finite length of time until the impact of the referendum on jobs in your company becomes clearer, to work on a particular project.

• Find a self-employed freelancer with specialist skills and experience to enhance the know-how in your company over a finite period of time, invoicing you on a day rate basis. 

Now would be a good time to think through your just-in-case strategies, especially if your business has a presence in other EU countries.  One of the basic principles of the EU is freedom of movement and at the moment there are no real restrictions.  Depending on the terms of the Brexit, in the medium term it’s likely to be harder to hire EU workers.

If demand for your company's goods and services is affected by the stock market and overall business confidence in the economy, a Brexit vote is likely to have a negative impact, as the IMF has warned today.  Financial modellers in investment companies anticipate a fall in stock market values if Britain leaves the EU, and a small bounce up with a remain vote.

Even if the UK does break away from Europe, the process won’t happen overnight. There would be a two-year period to negotiate the mechanics of the withdrawal, and the exit itself is likely to take even longer.  For now, there are so many unknowns that there’s very little planning employers can do to mitigate the risks associated with the referendum and a possible Brexit. But a prudent employer will be cautious about entering into lengthy commercial agreements - in employment or otherwise.  Staying agile is key.

Newish to recruitment? - there’s more advice with the practical steps to consider here.  And to explore how to make the best recruitment decisions for your business, contact The Human Resource on 07884 475303 or email enquiries@thehr.co.uk.