INTL Women working at home told to "dress sexier" - UK

[Melodi]

This is the kind of idiocy that still exists in some professional work-places that has let to the over-the-top PC reactions and demands that are starting to polarize society. It is totally appropriate for a professional office (finance especially) to remind employees to dress in a professional manner even when working from home. It is totally INAPPROPRIATE for an office to tell WOMEN workers ONLY to dress sexier!"

That even in the UK is a lawsuit waiting to happen, I wish the ladies do as well if they chose to do so (no idea if they will or not) and I just hope the idiot office manager or Corporate HQ that came up with that "suggestion" put the "request" in writing...Melodi

Coronavirus: Women told to dress 'sexier' when working from home, survey finds

Workers are being told to change their appearance to "help to win new business" or "look nicer for the team", a poll has found.

news.sky.com

Coronavirus: Women told to dress 'sexier' when working from home, survey finds

Workers are being told to change their appearance to "help to win new business" or "look nicer for the team", a poll has found.

Thursday 23 July 2020 10:46, UK

Image:Sexism has 'thrived' despite many working from home

• https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sha...'sexier' when working from home, survey finds

Why you can trust Sky News
Offices may be closed but workplace sexism is still thriving - with women being told to dress "sexier" and wear make up for video calls, according to a new survey.
The figures from employment law firm Slater and Gordon showed 35% of women had experienced at least one sexist workplace demand since the coronavirus lockdown started in March.
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Reasons given for suggesting how employees should dress included saying it would "help to win new business" or that it was important to "look nicer for the team".




The cost of COVID-19
The survey questioned 2,000 people who are normally based in offices but have been working from home during the lockdown.
"It was hoped that HR [human resources] departments would see a dramatic decline in reports of sexist behaviour as offices closed down across the country," the report said.

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However, it added, the survey showed that "sexism has instead found new and insidious ways to thrive online".

It found 34% of women were asked to wear more make-up or work on their hair while 27% were told they should "dress more sexy or provocatively".

 

[greysage]

Sounds like fake news. Like a made up story that no one can prove.

 

[batterbiscuts]

I think of this applied to East Tennessee. "No Christy, your bunny pajamas and old ripped spandex pants that you have pulled up to far is not considered appropriate for business teleconferencing."

 

[ArisenCarcass]

Well, during video calls there is a certain level of appearance that is required for business interactions.
If work-from-home has made this appearance start to slip, that could damage the company.
This may be more overblown due to poor wording for "dress professionally."

 

[Melodi]

I don't think this is "fake" it is a big story on Sky News, my hope is that some of this was "requested" via e-mail so there is a written record.

Dressing "Sexier" is very different from "please wear professional clothing even when working at home, appearance is important especially when working with Our Clients."

Thirfty-Five percent of women being told to "dress sexier" for clients is totally beyond the pale and it DOES happen in the UK and I know it USED to happen in the US (no idea now, I thankfully haven't worked in one for 26 years).

Ignore this or make fun of it as you like, as I said this was the REAL part of the problem (along with bosses like I had when I was young who thought a perk of being a business owner was getting to slap the butts of the young female employees and/or pulling and kissing them in the corner - "just a bit of fun- right?"

It was that sort of garbage that let to the backlash we have today, it is inappropriate when it applies to a waitress or a High Street or Wall Street banker who happens to be female.

 

[Melodi]

Well, during video calls there is a certain level of appearance that is required for business interactions.
If work-from-home has made this appearance start to slip, that could damage the company.
This may be more overblown due to poor wording for "dress professionally."

"Poor Wording" reported (in variations of "dress sexier") to 35 percent of the ladies?

Dressing professionally in this situation is for both sexes, if the guys are supposed to be suits, they need to wear a suit; ditto if the dress is a suit - a good women's business suit should be fine.

Sexy is being "bait," professional is fulfilling a job requirement for certain types of business.

 

[Samuel Adams]

I’m wondering if the British, Husbands of Professional Women Working from Home (HPWWH) lobby is pushing for these reforms from behind the scenes....

 

[greysage]

If there was an actual record people would have been fired and their names and faces would be all over the news. It's also a poll, so no real reports.

 

[Blastoff]

some one has conflated "comb your hair and wear clothes not sweats" with "sexier"

 

[ArisenCarcass]

"Poor Wording" reported (in variations of "dress sexier") to 35 percent of the ladies?

Dressing professionally in this situation is for both sexes, if the guys are supposed to be suits, they need to wear a suit; ditto if the dress is a suit - a good women's business suit should be fine.

Sexy is being "bait," professional is fulfilling a job requirement for certain types of business.

He said/she heard??

 

[West]

 

[Melodi]

If you guys think that professional businesswomen on this level - I mean the sort that working from home means a business suit does not know the difference between "he said/she heard" then I suspect you don't have much understanding of what a lot of women go through to get to those positions.

Especially if they have worked their way up the chain to get to those jobs, we are not talking secretaries in 1974, we are talking bankers, lawyers, and other professionals.

I look forward to seeing if any ladies come forward now that the poll is out with things sent via e-mail (and yeah I've known of cases where things like that did get written down either by accident or stupidity).

 

[SmithJ]

Hard to believe really, but if it happened, it’s inappropriate.

But really hard to believe that it happened to 34% or 24%.

I thought Great Britain was supposed to be MORE P.C. than the US.....

 

[WalknTrot]

Well...considering "People of Walmart" and some of the admissions I've heard from people who ARE working at home, if it comes to video conferences/meetings or sales, ripped sweatshirts and bedhead might not be the best look. Also, pants are not just a state of mind....

"Sexier" seems a poor choice of words. "Decent" or "business appropriate" probably would go over better. And I wouldn't be surprised if a good % of folks - both male and female - need the reminder.

 

[PghPanther]

and in other news.......

"Women working from home found less productive study shows"

A recent Pew research poll study has found out that women who work from home and dress sexier while working within that environment has resulted in a decrease of work productivity by 10 to 20% on average with some isolated cases reporting losses of up to 90% decrease down time in productivity. Experts are somewhat puzzled by the results especially in the extreme cases, while others sight that the recent increase sales of personal lubricants and dildos might be correlated to such results found in the Pew studies.

A task force of individuals to conduct home surveys in an attempt to further understand this correlation is underway by Pew research. While the home survey position only offers a modest pay schedule that is well under the unemployment compensation many are currently receiving, it has not deterred the flood of applications of which the vast majority are unemployed males.

Said one person (who requests to remain nameless) at Pew research reviewing the applications, "While looking over these applications, I keep getting visions of a dog in heat running across a busy road during rush hour traffic........its amazing, although we aren't are paying much for the work, most are willing to volunteer their efforts to secure a position on the home survey task force..........and in a number of cases some applicants were willing to compensate us instead in an attempt to get to the front of the line in the hiring process"

12 months later...................

"Pew research finds women working from home becoming first time mothers at an alarming rate"

 

[SSTemplar]

I just will never understand British humor. Guess you have to be born there.

 

[Blacknarwhal]

Well, during video calls there is a certain level of appearance that is required for business interactions.
If work-from-home has made this appearance start to slip, that could damage the company.
This may be more overblown due to poor wording for "dress professionally."

...and we will CONTINUE to change the dress code until we find the style that makes profits go up!

 

[Plain Jane]

I did see a story of a Zoom business meeting where a man was wearing a business shirt. As the meeting went on he stood up to get something and the participants had a full view of his underwear. You could hear them all screaming at him.

I sure a lot of workplaces have stories like this. Plus, my sister-in-law reports that her company is actually getting more accomplished in these online meetings than before. She said she could probably work from anywhere now. The employer is in NYC and has told them not to come in unless they are absolutely comfortable with it. Unsaid was the COVID-19 thing and now the escalation of crime. I think the employer may be looking to leave NYC.

 

[Tweakette]

I'm lucky in that while working at home all I do is conf calls with no video. I'm in the same tshirt and shorts I slept in and my hair looks like I've been through a jet testing center wind tunnel.
Then again I'm in IT and most of us look like that in the office too LOL .

 

[Faroe]

Melodi is correct about what went on in the past. My mother lived it. Let's not go back to that. No need to be defensive if one has never been part of the problem, and dragging in other unrelated BS isn't an argument (as Molyneux likes to say). If "dress sexier" was the wording, then that was what was said.

It is the UK; things are different there, and "Diversity" makes for some unexpected expectations and outliers. This will only get worse, since Minority standards are held higher than Western standards. The Keith Ellison's of the world are getting away with whatever the F. they want.

The sexy part goes w/o saying at places like Fox. Does anyone over there ever wear a top with sleeves? I think sleeveless is unprofessional, and I see plenty of other "sexy" styles that just look sleazy, but no one asked me.

 

[Melodi]

and in other news.......

"Women working from home found less productive study shows"

A recent Pew research poll study has found out that women who work from home and dress sexier while working within that environment has resulted in a decrease of work productivity by 10 to 20% on average with some isolated cases reporting losses of up to 90% decrease down time in productivity. Experts are somewhat puzzled by the results especially in the extreme cases, while others sight that the recent increase sales of personal lubricants and dildos might be correlated to such results found in the Pew studies.

A task force of individuals to conduct home surveys in an attempt to further understand this correlation is underway by Pew research. While the home survey position only offers a modest pay schedule that is well under the unemployment compensation many are currently receiving, it has not deterred the flood of applications of which the vast majority are unemployed males.

Said one person (who requests to remain nameless) at Pew research reviewing the applications, "While looking over these applications, I keep getting visions of a dog in heat running across a busy road during rush hour traffic........its amazing, although we aren't are paying much for the work, most are willing to volunteer their efforts to secure a position on the home survey task force..........and in a number of cases some applicants were willing to compensate us instead in an attempt to get to the front of the line in the hiring process"

12 months later...................

"Pew research finds women working from home becoming first time mothers at an alarming rate"

Yes, and my engineer housemate can tell you exactly why, a lot more working women are primary child careers than men and juggling small children, running a home and working on a computer 9 to 5 isn't impossible but it is going to be less "focused" that sitting in a cubical with only your co-worker's, clients or crazy bosses to distract you.

Now my housemate is an engineer and most of her workmates are men, and they are having the same problems; especially if their wife has a job that is considered indispensable like working in a Supermarket, medical lab, or even teacher on-line with a class to attend to.

During the first week of lock down a number of newly "single for the day" fathers had 2 and 3-year-olds on their lap, playing with toys, running under the desk, saying "HI" to everyone on zoom, etc. To some degree this is still happening months later, there is no good solution.

This is more of a parent-working-from-home suddenly without being able to make child care arrangements or flip things around to cover the kids than a women's problem, except that often family dynamics (and the husband's salary) mean it is the Mother who ends up both kids and computer.

And if she is a Single Mom (or he is a real Single Dad) it can be much worse.

Again the original is Professional appearance vs. "Sexy" there's a difference - and no the UK is not really more "PC" than the US, the media just pretends it is.

 

[Meemur]

I make sure my hair is combed and I'm wearing either a modest blouse or I put on a suit jacket over my tee shirt for online meetings. I also have a home office with a world map on the wall in back of my computer: that's my background when I'm on camera.

Dirty dishes, clutter, and personal items, like overflowing laundry baskets, look highly unprofessional as background when on camera. That's usually my biggest tip to those who are new at online meetings: what are the viewers seeing? A plain wall is better than clutter.

Lastly, I give my cat treats and then shut the office door while I'm in the meeting, especially if I'm giving a presentation. Noisy kids and animals might be cute to some but -- in general -- interruptions from them can be problematic.

 

[PghPanther]

I make sure my hair is combed and I'm wearing either a modest blouse or I put on a suit jacket over my tee shirt for online meetings. I also have a home office with a world map on the wall in back of my computer: that's my background when I'm on camera.

Dirty dishes, clutter, and personal items, like overflowing laundry baskets, look highly unprofessional as background when on camera. That's usually my biggest tip to those who are new at online meetings: what are the viewers seeing? A plain wall is better than clutter.

Lastly, I give my cat treats and then shut the office door while I'm in the meeting, especially if I'm giving a presentation. Noisy kids and animals might be cute to some but -- in general -- interruptions from them can be problematic.

"........or I put on a suit jacket over my tee shirt for online meetings."

So is that because the tee shirt is being worn commando around the house??........or just that its a bit too causal a top to be seen on camera in a work setting?.............Please pardon my curious male mind...........hehe

well (ahem)........so you see.............I know that if my girlfriend happen to be visiting me with a commando style wear of a t-shirt I would struggle just to find my mouth with my fork to just to eat..........let alone be able to concentrate from working at home.....especially if the AC was turned up............hehe.