Dress code violaton

[blas]

Well the whole point is that I normally wear just jeans a tshirt and the ONE time I decided to go out of my way to look nice, I end up getting ratted out for looking "trampy".

Whatever they say I guess. It must suck to be so bored and miserable that the only joy you have in life is going to work with all of your friends to gossip about people who are 20+ years younger than you and make fun of them and try to get them in trouble.

[Boozy]

I'll admit there are sometimes double-standards in regards to work-appropriate clothing. But these double standards, while subjective, are based on very real factors like the shape of your body.

For example, I can wear things to work that perhaps a more endowed woman can't, because I'm flat-chested. A sleeveless v-neck top on me still looks modest and professional, whereas my chestier co-worker wouldn't be able to get away with the same look at work. So you obviously need to be mindful of that.

With that said, there is nothing in your description of the sweater/tank top combo that seems inappropriate to me.

[Greenday]

My honest assessment is that your co-worker is just of your good looks. And, being petty, she decided to whine about it.

[BookstoreEscapee]

The comment about my coworker in her 30s wasn't about making her feel old, it was proving a point that sexual harrassment does NOT always JUST happen to girls that are 14-20 years old. More often than not? Yes. But always? No.

Don't worry, blas, we're just kidding (well, I was kidding and I started it, so I say we're all kidding )

[blas]

Thanks Bookstore. I just figured the more examples I had, the better picture I could paint for all of you.

Boozy, I understand your POV, and how both of us could wear that outfit and you'd be fine and I'd be in trouble, but it's not fair.

If they are going to be that picky and strict, then no one can wear V neck shirts. Not skinny girls, not bigger girls, no one. You can't just select ONE girl because of her body shape and get her in trouble when other girls can wear whatever they want because they are smaller or bigger than her.

My boss claimed that others had been spoken to about their attire, but I noticed this one girl who is slightly on the bigger side, has been wearing low cut shirts that her breasts spill out of. Every day. So if she'd been talked to, she would have stopped or gotten in trouble for NOT stopping. So I definetly caught him in a lie.

My gunnysack track suit is all ready to wear to work tonight.

[Horsetuna]

Let me know how it goes over.

My boss persuaded me to go out with her with other coworkers to wish one of our security guys (a nice guy, btw) goodbye, as he was moving on. I didnt want to, cause I had NOTHING to wear to work tomorrow. She promised to bring me an outfit to wear.

I reluctantly agreed. I wish I hadnt

The pants were almost like those ghetto-around-the-knees types. SLACKS, but way too loose. I felt like my crack was showing, and the crotch was way too low. She said it looked fine. I didnt agree. The shirt was nice, but it wasn't a tuck-inable shirt, nd she lectured me about hitching the pants up.

I dont LIKE my pants riding so low. at least, not with the crotch being where it was supposed to be. Ugh.

Its funny. its almost the opposite, although she doesnt care when I wear pants that almost give me a wedgie (no, they're not that tight. But they sure dont feel about ot fall off). I really didnt like it.

I wish you luck. At HD, I was told to wear jeans. But I was sitting for eight hours, I could NOT wear jeans. I wore slacks. Nothing against it, luckily. I did wear the required steel toed though.

[blas]

BUMP!

Well guess what? I got complained about again. For a shirt that I have worn at least once every 2-3 weeks for the past YEAR. But no, no one noticed it until last night! Whatever.....

I wore a tshirt with a hoodie jacket (not a heavy hoodie, just one of those hoodies that zip in the middle) that is Playboy brand. All it says is Playboy (cut in half in the middle so half of the word is on one side, half on the other.

Again, I repeat, I have worn this shirt over other shirts at least once every few weeks for the past YEAR and nothing was said until last night.

I challenged my boss yet again, with examples of guys who have t-shirts from the newest strip club (boy it's sure popular around here to get membership cards and tshirts from that place!) that flat out say "gentleman's club" on the front and the company logo, a larger girl who wears a Hooters shirt at least once every week or two. Hooters is a restaurant where girls in tank tops and short shorts serve you food and drinks! Not much classier or sophisticated than Playboy. Advertising for a STRIP CLUB nonetheless is just as dirty and perverted if not more than playboy. It's just a name brand for Christ Sakes. And several Nascar fans who have shirts of their favorite drivers and on the backs of their shirts are girls in bikinis!

I was given some lame ass excuse again as to why I (meaning just ME. ME. I repeat, just Me myself and I) cannot wear shirts like that. Ok what the fuck ever.

So I'm still going to test the waters. As soon as my coworker gets it washed, she is going to loan me her hoodie for the night. It has our local brand of alcohol on it. Nearly everyone who lives in this town wears some type of shirt or jacket or hoodie with that brand of alcohol's logo on it. Even higher ups and bigwigs do on their more casual days. My one friend owns several Corona shirts and has never been questioned about it. My other coworker owns Guiness and Jack Daniels tshirts. Never been questioned, and she is a trainer as well.

If I get complained about for wearing a shirt with alcoholic reference on it, I will have more proof than I ever needed before that I AM INDEED being singled out and that this has to stop NOW or I will be having a chat with someone higher up. I am sick and tired of having to hem and haw at T SHIRTS and HOODED SWEATERS and COURDORY pants deciding what is appropriate and what is not. I am sick of tired of guys and bigger or skinnier girls getting away with this shit but NOT ME.

RRRR!

[Boozy]

Well guess what? I got complained about again. For a shirt that I have worn at least once every 2-3 weeks for the past YEAR. But no, no one noticed it until last night!

Okay, NOW I'd say this is just getting ri-godamn-diculous.

Tell your supervisors that you'd be more than happy to adhere to a dress code, if it applies to everyone equally, and is put in writing.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Oh, and the excuse was "This person was concerned that you'd be a target for sexual harrassment. They didn't so much complain about your outfit as much as they were more worried about your safety!"

I think I find this the most offensive thing I've read for a long time. Consider:

1. "concerned for you safety." My entire ass. This broad didnt' even have the stones to own it. If you are going to be a bitch, at least stand behind your bitchiness. Apparently, she thought if she said this, nobody would notice that she's a bitter, nasty, bitchy harridan.

2. So, the men in your plant are so out of control that any female who is attractive around them is going to cause them to act like animals? To the point that it's a safety issue? Maybe OSHA ought to be called. I'd ask my supervisor if all the men in the crew were convicted serial rapists and did I need to fear for my safety, if I were you.

3. Only attractive women are harrassed? That this came out of a woman's mouth makes me want to hit something. Preferably the woman out of who's mouth this came.

There are some nasty, jealous cows out there. Believe me, I've gotten my share of manure from them. I would make them show me a dress code, and then hassle them relentlessly until they could explain to me how my clothing was inappropriate. When they failed to show that, I'd then hassle them relentlessly about why I was being sexually harrassed. Basically, you got called into an office and told you were "too sexy." THAT is HARASSMENT. Especially when you are dressed the way you described. If others can wear something, and you can't because you are "too sexy", that is sexual harassment. You are being singled out, and attention constantly brought to your looks. I am tempted to suggest you call a lawyer. At least to discuss it with. Most of them will talk to you once for free.

[RammsteinGirl]

Blas, what you're going through is bullshit. You need to go to your bosses and demand they pull out a written dress code (from the official company handbook or whatever) and let you see it to see what exactly it permits and prohibits employees to wear. Everyone should have to adhere to the same dress code, regardless of how attractive or voluptuous (or not) they are.

And Kinkoid was right.. in a way, your bosses ARE harassing you by telling you you're just "too sexy" (I hope that wasn't the actual wording they used, that would make
me feel WAY uncomfortable) to be wearing clothes like that. I would definately inquire about the criminal backgrounds of your male co-workers since your bosses are so "concerned" with your personal safety.

[Emrld]

I agree get the dress code in writing from the HR department.

If I am remembering correctly you were just recently promoted. Was anyone else up for the same promotion that works the same shift as you?

[aspira]

If at all possible, without getting yourself into trouble, start taking pictures of others that you feel are violating dress codes. Also take pictures of yourself in the outfits you're getting into trouble for. I know it might be hard to get pictures of other people, but it could provide you with a lot of proof if you ever end up having to fight the company over this.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

When I was in high school gym class junior year, I happened to take a gym class that was overrun with jocks (aka the people who run the school and don't you ever forget it).

Gym uniform was a t-shirt or sweatshirt and shorts or track pants. One day I showed up to gym class in my "Can You Find Drunken Wadlo?" t-shirt. It had a picture on the back of a bunch of people having a party on the beach, and somewhere in it was Wadlo, in the striped hat and shirt popularized by the character Waldo, clutching a beer bottle and farting into a lifeguard's megaphone. Okay, it wasn't exactly appropriate for school but nobody had ever commented on it before. I even had my picture for the school yearbook taken while I was wearing that shirt.

One of the jocks, who frequently showed up to gym class in a Miller Lite t-shirt, complained to the teacher "Irv's wearing a shirt that promotes drinking! You should make him turn it inside out!"

Gym teacher: Irv, turn your shirt inside out.

Another day, I wore a t-shirt with a picture of a baseball player catching a fly ball. The caption underneath was "Sure snatch".

One of the other jocks, who frequently showed up to class in a Hooters t-shirt, complained to the teacher "Irv's shirt has a bad word on it! It's demeaning to the girls in the class!"

Gym teacher: Irv, turn your shirt inside out.

I decided from there on out I'd show up to class in a plain white Hanes or Fruit of the Loom t-shirt and let them try to complain about that.

And sure shit, somebody did! "Teacher, Irv's wearing his underwear to class!"
Teacher: Come on, there's nothing wrong with his shirt

[ArenaBoy]

Dress codes will never be equally enforced. Back at Whiskeyclone during the winter we were always allowed to sign out your snowsuit if you wanted it or not. I always wore mine, and under it were running clothes that did the job. If I so much showed that I had different clothing and not my parking clothing under my snowsuit my supervisors bitched about it. Never mind that there were employees doing the same. Got to the point that I said that I had every right to keep warm and I am wearing orange to begin with. I am not risking that.
They never whined at me for wearing my Juventus hat during the winter oddly enough.

[blas]

My boss and the other one didn't really word it as "too sexy" but implied it. They were extremely uncomfortable discussing it, obviously they were hoping I'd just say ok, cover up with something, and never do it again. But I challenged it. The actual wording was "Certain clothes look more.........sexy on a girl like you, and that's why we feel you need to dress more conservatively"

And you've all covered the same points I covered. Anyone can be a target for sexual harrassment. I think I've uncovered the fact that the men there truly MUST be that bad if every single girl there is a victim to them.....

Hopefully tonight or tomorrow I can pull the 3rd experiment...

I am still in awe as well that another WOMAN was so against me. A woman would know that ANY woman can be harrassed. But no, it's just ME I guess!