Should there be rules around wearing bras in the workplace?

Not for the first time in recent history, a Canadian company is in dispute with a female employee over dress code regulations that could be considered “sexist.”

Christina Schell is now suing Alberta-based Osoyoos Golf Club after she was fired for refusing to wear a bra when the company’s dress code was updated. Unlike the recent controversy surrounding Joey’s required heels policy, which came under scrutiny 2016 when a picture of a female employee’s bloodied feet circulated the Internet, the issue of mandated bras does not strike as an issue of inhuman demands from employers.

An evolving issue

Over the years women have gained increasing levels of power over how they dress; progressing from the days of corsets and dresses to our modern paradise, where pants are more than acceptable and we are debating whether a bra is an optional item of clothing in the workplace. Of course, the key element of this debate is the fact that men do not have to follow these same strict guidelines. Though surely there would be concerns raised if a man who identified as man was to show up for a shift in a dress.

It has become fairly commonplace in the last few years for women to opt out of wearing bras, which can be uncomfortable and – if we’re being realistic here – constrict breathing to an extent. With this being such a recent development in the world of acceptable fashion choices for women, there is currently no guidebook to how far women may take this liberty.

While it is nobody’s business whether you do your shopping, go on your morning walk, or see your friends, with or without a bra – though one would hope individuals would at least choose to wear a shirt in all of these situations – there is something to be said for the case of workplace attire.

In a law firm or bank, it would be a no-brainer as to whether this was appropriate. Those who enter such industries understand the expectations well before entering the office environment, no matter what company you work for.

Hostility in the hospitality industry

On the other hand, hospitality is a wide and varied industry. One may choose to work for their local pub, the dive bar downtown, a club uptown, or a more conservative restaurant. The industry has a high turnover of staff, so one qualified to work for a golf club could no doubt find a job at a restaurant with a less strict dress code.

Every person who works in hospitality in North America either accepts that they lose some of the rights they are due – food breaks, overtime, reasonable time between shifts, to name a few – or leaves the industry. This is by no means a just system and should absolutely be contested more than it is, but there are people willing to accept those unspoken terms for the tips and this leaves employees with little power.

Having said this about the industry, when a dress code changes during your time with a company it is not an individual’s decision any longer and they are forced to make a difficult choice, especially if there are few other job options in the area. In this case, the fact that Schell was an employee prior to the incident and also did not wear bras during her time in the business, one has to wonder if this was a singling out.

If you’ve come from a background in hospitality, you’ll also know that men are incredibly forward in the industry and often make disturbingly forward advances. The fact that the manager in this situation told Schell the rule was to protect her is not as far-fetched as it would be in other situations. While it would be ideal if men chose to exert some self-control and general decency, they often do not in this setting and it is well within reason to be concerned for an employee who is displaying more of their body than the average server.

Bras are uncomfortable and just another expense to tack onto the “I was born female” bill, but they are not inhuman. The fact that men are not scrutinized is not for lack of want to necessarily, but lack of clothing options. Though it is completely warranted to choose not to wear bras in one’s personal life, calling it sexism when a workplace does not allow you to feels like the 21^st-century version of the boy who cried wolf.

There are so many more disgusting practices in the way women are treated in the hospitality industry and this does not rate as high on the priority list, let alone impact one’s life to the extent that other poor practices do.

By Annalisse Crosswell

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