Woman Lets Her Blood Run In Front Of Managers To Prove New Dress Code With High Heels Is No Good
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!
The fact that she had to go this far to prove something that is obvious to everyone with a half a brain cell is ridiculous. But the woman who did this is a hero and I have the highest respect for her.
Shoes with high heels are made to be worn standing still or sitting down, not to walk in. I mean, they literally signal "Hey man, I cannot run from you".
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It's insane that despite the many scientific reports about the terrible effects of wearing heels that these a-hole managers still insist upon them. She told one for the team. I would have downright just fainted in front of them and applied for workers comp afterwards. Such jackasses!
This is a clear breach of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974. And the Equality Act 2010. She should have reported this to the HSE!! Absolutely disgusting.
Yes, I don't understand this. People have rights. My ex-wife had problems at the US Postal Service and I told her she had rights. She didn't realize it. I booted up the computer and showed her. She made the USPS miserable after that. I don't understand why she chose to inflict pain and misery on herself, rather than stand up for her rights. At your place of work, your rights should be plainly posted up in a place with public access to employees. It's a violation of the law if it isn't, even at the dirtiest fast food restaurant. Government may seem useless at times, but it offers protections if you look for it.
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Just another example of men making decisions for women without ANY input from women. Another reason we need more women in upper management. I would freaking sue for discrimination. BTW, why would management care if you made better tips? Are they taking part of them?
Just what I wanted to say. I'm sick of women's voices not being heard.
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My wife once apologized because she doesn't wear heels and it's not feminine but it hurts so she doesn't want to try harder. I told her if it hurts, don't wear them, being feminine is not about the shoes you were and she is feminine enough. (Even if she had not been, I still wouldn't care). Then on TV they talked how the next big crisis in the near future will be that most women will have destroyed feet because of heels (they distort the shape of the feet to the point where you'd need surgery!) and I was glad my wife decided to be honest with herself and not try to please society's expectations.
And they might look sexy when you're younger, but after years of wearing them, your feet will look horrible & definitely not sexy. I do wear them from time to time, but nothing over 2" heels & definitely not for 12 hours. They should have made management walk around in them for 12 hours.
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Let's ban having to wear dangerous things like that at work? Also if women have to wear them men should, too.
I've read about this and it's b******t. Sooo...make the men wear heels and tight skirts. The end.
better yet: let the employees wear what they want if it's not political or offensive.
Load More Replies... Pretty drastic measures but necessary. What's upsetting is it's not always only males making these unthinking rules. My sister was a social worker in a dialysis unit in the 1990s. Management decided all non-medical female employees needed to wear skirts or dresses. This continued for a number of years. There was no professional reason at all.
Male managers who insist on high heels have never in their lives worn them, guaranteed. If they had, there is no way they'd have instituted this stupid rule.
Unless you start wearing high heels at two, slightly older than foot binding done to women in China, high heels will alway mess up your feet. Women are always described in the news as to what they wear. Never would you read about a man in a dapper pair of oxfords and custom tailored pants. And those speedos at 60 something never really get the play they deserve.
Shoes with heels over 2 1/2 inches should be clearly labeled: not made for walking. If that would help.
Despite the issue regarding the im-practical uniform, this also shows that most men view women as sex objects only.
If they want high heels as a dress code, then maybe the MEN should wear them first. They would last all of 5 minutes.
Sounds like the dress code at some American banks. Which is why I quit my bank job while in college.
EVEN THE PLAYING FIELD: Dress code for men: Half shirts, make sure there's no flab or you're fired. Short shorts, make sure you show lots of basket and a tight perky butt. And be sure to shave your body, no stubble allowed.
Ok, another story from Backwardistan. In any other civlised country the casino would have been proscecuted for endangering worker's health, unhealthy work conditions and outrageous demands. And that's ingnoring the fact the women working in that place would tell the boss to go screw himself and go on strike without having to fear that they will lose their job.
As she was employed in the UK at this time the cost of medical treatment does not come into question.
theirs attractive uniforms they can get . as for heels the big problem is celebs have bought higher and hire ones but they only walk from limo to event and half are barefoot leaving and theirs attractive shoes and the co have to buy work shoes for industrial jobs the casinos should
So many women seem only too happy to totter around in high heels. Why? Women claim to be "liberated" but they still elect to wear ridiculous foot-wear that not only causes physical problems but emphasizes what are considered to be a woman's "sexy" attributes (lengthens the leg line, causes the hips to sway, etc.) Come on, ladies! Time to give high heels the boot.
A lifetime ago, when I was in nursing, we had to wear "duty shoes', they were an uncomfortable crepe rubber sole shoe with a built in wedge type heel. The built in wedge heel, caught on everything, not a month went by that we'd have a nurse out with an injury, often related to the shoes. No matter how man grievances were filed, nothing changed. Even worker's compensation advised that the shoes were a problem, since they were also being worn with panty hose. That all changed, rather suddenly after a nurses shoes with panty hose caused enough static to ignite an oxygen tank in an ICU in British Columbia , Canada. It took a patient dying and a nurse being seriously injured to change the rules about the shoes. After that, nurses were allowed to wear White Princess Reeboks with whatever socks they wished, while on duty. What people don't realize is that injuries to the feet can cause much bigger problems in the body, including hip and knee issues, if they are diabetic, it's worse.
Good for her! Even women in conservative businesses have to endure the double standard of having to wear heels; even moderately high heels deform the feet and have a negative impact on posture over time. At one of my jobs years ago, a woman from a financial company was explaining their 401(k) plan. She wore a conservative suit and moderately high heels. At one point during her talk she said, "Excuse me, I'm going to take my shoes off -- my feet are killing me." Can you imagine a man ever having to do this? Women will never be liberated until the day when we all refuse to wear clothing and shoes that cause discomfort and pain.
I despise the fact that there are repeated comments on "men" and "male manager" when the reality is that she only stated that management made the decision. A lot of women are profit driven as well, so this could have been (and likely was) pushed by both genders. Good for her for making her point though, and it is sad that it had to go that far. She DOES deserve workers comp, but since this was UK I am not sure if the same rules apply (gov run healthcare vs private), but in the US that would increase costs on the employer. True. End result however is less pay for the workers to cover that expense, so it is double edged. NOT saying they shouldn't pay, they should!
The bare skin part about Saudi isn’t quite true, I never wore a head scarf (except once,, when we were out the day after the crown prince died, the religious police insisted we wear them,) and wore sandals with bare feet all the time, but I did have to wear an abaya (the long, usually black, robe) when I was out in public. On the compound where I lived, and at work (in a private school) I didn’t have to wear it. Funny that men are banned from cross-dressing, yet they had their own robes that many men wore when working.
I used to watch that show 2 Broke Girls and be amazed that the blonde was always working as a waitress in 5 inch stilettos. She never took them off, even at home. I always wondered what someone's feet would like if they really did that. I think they'd last about 30 minutes tops before they were on the verge of tears. You can definitely tell a man produced that show.
I'd have told the managers to their faces that it is f*****g stupid and they could wear that s**t or/and to kiss my a*s. Being a guy I'd just point out how r******d the outfit is. Heels are stupid AF period and are terrible. Personally the higher the heels I see a woman wear in public the farther my opinion on the person tanks. When moving around good foot wear is important. Not inhibiting your ability to breathe or have the heart pump blood through your veins is also very important. Personally if a was a female here I'd see this as a attack on my person and respond with justified vehemence. Sitting around being unhealthy or standing for too long is one thing and that is long term s**t... Heels and constriction are more short term and more immediate body damage. PS this story makes the girl here so metal
One of the smartest, albeit hardest, realizations I've had as an adult is that I can't walk in heels. I owned more pairs then I care to mention, but never was able to move gracefully in them. So, after much debate, I gave most of them away to my students and coworkers, and stocked up on flats. While it makes me sad I that I can't wear some of the latest fashions, it was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I definitely can feel this woman's pain, pun intended.
I'm confused: How was the blood both running freely out of your feet while management stared and also dried on your heels?
She bled enough throughout the night that it dried into her shoes but was still bleeding freely when she took the shoes off.
Load More Replies... So let me get this straight..your job is literally walking around a casino and bringing men drinks...sure beats sweating your a*s off doing construction.. If you dont like the change in the uniform then simply quit.
You know what? No. It's this kind of mentality that is absolutely gross and unneeded. We are human beings, NOT robots. We want to be treated like humans! There are problems that construction workers face just as well as bar tenders, servers, etc. All problems should have a solution. Workers need to be treated better, PERIOD.
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"suck it up"... ok, fine. The guys can wear heels and walk in circles without standing still for hours. If you still feel the same later, whoop-de-doo. Further more this is sexist in both directions. You're assuming women don't want to see sexy men, but guys want to see sexy women? Get the guys a pair of restricting tight leather pants and then both genders will have equal amounts of blisters. For women, blisters on the feet. For men, blisters on their inner thighs. They ya go. Equality. Or shall we just accept that motion-heavy jobs require different clothing already??
"women are too compliant" this is an article about women protesting a dress code how is that compliant
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Been to Vegas lately? Management in casinos think women are nothing but meat. If someone refuses to wear heels, there are 20 more lined up for the jobs. Unions are not permitted and if someone tries to start one they could pay with their jobs and sometimes their lives. ....///... Wake up and smell the reality.
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Are you an idiot or a kid? People have kids to feed & sometimes relatives to care for & rent & mortgages to pay! I assume you live at home with mommy & daddy or in the U.K. where at least you will get some government assistance if you quit. There is no assistance if you quit a job in the U.S.
Load More Replies... The fact that she had to go this far to prove something that is obvious to everyone with a half a brain cell is ridiculous. But the woman who did this is a hero and I have the highest respect for her.
Shoes with high heels are made to be worn standing still or sitting down, not to walk in. I mean, they literally signal "Hey man, I cannot run from you".
Load More Replies... It's insane that despite the many scientific reports about the terrible effects of wearing heels that these a-hole managers still insist upon them. She told one for the team. I would have downright just fainted in front of them and applied for workers comp afterwards. Such jackasses!
This is a clear breach of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974. And the Equality Act 2010. She should have reported this to the HSE!! Absolutely disgusting.
Yes, I don't understand this. People have rights. My ex-wife had problems at the US Postal Service and I told her she had rights. She didn't realize it. I booted up the computer and showed her. She made the USPS miserable after that. I don't understand why she chose to inflict pain and misery on herself, rather than stand up for her rights. At your place of work, your rights should be plainly posted up in a place with public access to employees. It's a violation of the law if it isn't, even at the dirtiest fast food restaurant. Government may seem useless at times, but it offers protections if you look for it.
Load More Replies... Just another example of men making decisions for women without ANY input from women. Another reason we need more women in upper management. I would freaking sue for discrimination. BTW, why would management care if you made better tips? Are they taking part of them?
Just what I wanted to say. I'm sick of women's voices not being heard.
Load More Replies... My wife once apologized because she doesn't wear heels and it's not feminine but it hurts so she doesn't want to try harder. I told her if it hurts, don't wear them, being feminine is not about the shoes you were and she is feminine enough. (Even if she had not been, I still wouldn't care). Then on TV they talked how the next big crisis in the near future will be that most women will have destroyed feet because of heels (they distort the shape of the feet to the point where you'd need surgery!) and I was glad my wife decided to be honest with herself and not try to please society's expectations.
And they might look sexy when you're younger, but after years of wearing them, your feet will look horrible & definitely not sexy. I do wear them from time to time, but nothing over 2" heels & definitely not for 12 hours. They should have made management walk around in them for 12 hours.
Load More Replies... Let's ban having to wear dangerous things like that at work? Also if women have to wear them men should, too.
I've read about this and it's b******t. Sooo...make the men wear heels and tight skirts. The end.
better yet: let the employees wear what they want if it's not political or offensive.
Load More Replies... Pretty drastic measures but necessary. What's upsetting is it's not always only males making these unthinking rules. My sister was a social worker in a dialysis unit in the 1990s. Management decided all non-medical female employees needed to wear skirts or dresses. This continued for a number of years. There was no professional reason at all.
Male managers who insist on high heels have never in their lives worn them, guaranteed. If they had, there is no way they'd have instituted this stupid rule.
Unless you start wearing high heels at two, slightly older than foot binding done to women in China, high heels will alway mess up your feet. Women are always described in the news as to what they wear. Never would you read about a man in a dapper pair of oxfords and custom tailored pants. And those speedos at 60 something never really get the play they deserve.
Shoes with heels over 2 1/2 inches should be clearly labeled: not made for walking. If that would help.
Despite the issue regarding the im-practical uniform, this also shows that most men view women as sex objects only.
If they want high heels as a dress code, then maybe the MEN should wear them first. They would last all of 5 minutes.
Sounds like the dress code at some American banks. Which is why I quit my bank job while in college.
EVEN THE PLAYING FIELD: Dress code for men: Half shirts, make sure there's no flab or you're fired. Short shorts, make sure you show lots of basket and a tight perky butt. And be sure to shave your body, no stubble allowed.
Ok, another story from Backwardistan. In any other civlised country the casino would have been proscecuted for endangering worker's health, unhealthy work conditions and outrageous demands. And that's ingnoring the fact the women working in that place would tell the boss to go screw himself and go on strike without having to fear that they will lose their job.
As she was employed in the UK at this time the cost of medical treatment does not come into question.
theirs attractive uniforms they can get . as for heels the big problem is celebs have bought higher and hire ones but they only walk from limo to event and half are barefoot leaving and theirs attractive shoes and the co have to buy work shoes for industrial jobs the casinos should
So many women seem only too happy to totter around in high heels. Why? Women claim to be "liberated" but they still elect to wear ridiculous foot-wear that not only causes physical problems but emphasizes what are considered to be a woman's "sexy" attributes (lengthens the leg line, causes the hips to sway, etc.) Come on, ladies! Time to give high heels the boot.
A lifetime ago, when I was in nursing, we had to wear "duty shoes', they were an uncomfortable crepe rubber sole shoe with a built in wedge type heel. The built in wedge heel, caught on everything, not a month went by that we'd have a nurse out with an injury, often related to the shoes. No matter how man grievances were filed, nothing changed. Even worker's compensation advised that the shoes were a problem, since they were also being worn with panty hose. That all changed, rather suddenly after a nurses shoes with panty hose caused enough static to ignite an oxygen tank in an ICU in British Columbia , Canada. It took a patient dying and a nurse being seriously injured to change the rules about the shoes. After that, nurses were allowed to wear White Princess Reeboks with whatever socks they wished, while on duty. What people don't realize is that injuries to the feet can cause much bigger problems in the body, including hip and knee issues, if they are diabetic, it's worse.
Good for her! Even women in conservative businesses have to endure the double standard of having to wear heels; even moderately high heels deform the feet and have a negative impact on posture over time. At one of my jobs years ago, a woman from a financial company was explaining their 401(k) plan. She wore a conservative suit and moderately high heels. At one point during her talk she said, "Excuse me, I'm going to take my shoes off -- my feet are killing me." Can you imagine a man ever having to do this? Women will never be liberated until the day when we all refuse to wear clothing and shoes that cause discomfort and pain.
I despise the fact that there are repeated comments on "men" and "male manager" when the reality is that she only stated that management made the decision. A lot of women are profit driven as well, so this could have been (and likely was) pushed by both genders. Good for her for making her point though, and it is sad that it had to go that far. She DOES deserve workers comp, but since this was UK I am not sure if the same rules apply (gov run healthcare vs private), but in the US that would increase costs on the employer. True. End result however is less pay for the workers to cover that expense, so it is double edged. NOT saying they shouldn't pay, they should!
The bare skin part about Saudi isn’t quite true, I never wore a head scarf (except once,, when we were out the day after the crown prince died, the religious police insisted we wear them,) and wore sandals with bare feet all the time, but I did have to wear an abaya (the long, usually black, robe) when I was out in public. On the compound where I lived, and at work (in a private school) I didn’t have to wear it. Funny that men are banned from cross-dressing, yet they had their own robes that many men wore when working.
I used to watch that show 2 Broke Girls and be amazed that the blonde was always working as a waitress in 5 inch stilettos. She never took them off, even at home. I always wondered what someone's feet would like if they really did that. I think they'd last about 30 minutes tops before they were on the verge of tears. You can definitely tell a man produced that show.
I'd have told the managers to their faces that it is f*****g stupid and they could wear that s**t or/and to kiss my a*s. Being a guy I'd just point out how r******d the outfit is. Heels are stupid AF period and are terrible. Personally the higher the heels I see a woman wear in public the farther my opinion on the person tanks. When moving around good foot wear is important. Not inhibiting your ability to breathe or have the heart pump blood through your veins is also very important. Personally if a was a female here I'd see this as a attack on my person and respond with justified vehemence. Sitting around being unhealthy or standing for too long is one thing and that is long term s**t... Heels and constriction are more short term and more immediate body damage. PS this story makes the girl here so metal
One of the smartest, albeit hardest, realizations I've had as an adult is that I can't walk in heels. I owned more pairs then I care to mention, but never was able to move gracefully in them. So, after much debate, I gave most of them away to my students and coworkers, and stocked up on flats. While it makes me sad I that I can't wear some of the latest fashions, it was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I definitely can feel this woman's pain, pun intended.
I'm confused: How was the blood both running freely out of your feet while management stared and also dried on your heels?
She bled enough throughout the night that it dried into her shoes but was still bleeding freely when she took the shoes off.
Load More Replies... So let me get this straight..your job is literally walking around a casino and bringing men drinks...sure beats sweating your a*s off doing construction.. If you dont like the change in the uniform then simply quit.
You know what? No. It's this kind of mentality that is absolutely gross and unneeded. We are human beings, NOT robots. We want to be treated like humans! There are problems that construction workers face just as well as bar tenders, servers, etc. All problems should have a solution. Workers need to be treated better, PERIOD.
Load More Replies... "suck it up"... ok, fine. The guys can wear heels and walk in circles without standing still for hours. If you still feel the same later, whoop-de-doo. Further more this is sexist in both directions. You're assuming women don't want to see sexy men, but guys want to see sexy women? Get the guys a pair of restricting tight leather pants and then both genders will have equal amounts of blisters. For women, blisters on the feet. For men, blisters on their inner thighs. They ya go. Equality. Or shall we just accept that motion-heavy jobs require different clothing already??
"women are too compliant" this is an article about women protesting a dress code how is that compliant
Load More Replies... Been to Vegas lately? Management in casinos think women are nothing but meat. If someone refuses to wear heels, there are 20 more lined up for the jobs. Unions are not permitted and if someone tries to start one they could pay with their jobs and sometimes their lives. ....///... Wake up and smell the reality.
Load More Replies... Are you an idiot or a kid? People have kids to feed & sometimes relatives to care for & rent & mortgages to pay! I assume you live at home with mommy & daddy or in the U.K. where at least you will get some government assistance if you quit. There is no assistance if you quit a job in the U.S.
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