B.C. regulation means employers can’t require women to wear high heels to work
VICTORIA — A move by the British Columbia government to ban mandatory high heels in the workplace is being lauded as a step towards ending discriminatory dress codes.
Requiring women to wear high heels on the job is a health and safety issue, said Labour Minister Shirley Bond.
“This change will let employers know that the most critical part of an employee’s footwear is that it is safe,” she said in a statement on Friday. “I expect employers to recognize this very clear signal that forcing someone to wear high heels at work is unacceptable.”
The high heels issue is broader than just footwear, said Robyn Durling, communications director with the legal-assistance group B.C. Human Rights Clinic.