“I said, ‘If you can give me a reason as to why wearing flats would impair me to do my job today, then fair enough, ‘ but they couldn’t”.
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She added that it was her fundamental right as a woman to choose whether to wear heels, and that she would not have been comfortable spending a nine-hour shift showing people around, in the required footwear.
Portico said the shoes worn on the day did not adhere to a number of style requirements, such as the lack of embellishment, and that she was not just asked to change shoes because of the lack of heel. So Thorp launched an online petition to make it illegal for companies to require employees to wear high heels, which garnered more than 18,000 signatures overnight.
In a statement, Portico’s managing director Simon Pratt said Ms Thorp arrived at work with “inappropriate footwear” that did not comply with the appearance guidelines she had signed.
A PwC spokesman said the company is in discussions with Portico about its policy. She says she was told to change into high heels with a height of 2 to 4 inches.
She has since updated the post to include several other complaints about the chain’s working practices, including training and pay.
Thorp told BBC that she hopes that by speaking out about being sent home for wearing perfectly acceptable black flats instead of uncomfortable heels, she can shake up the status quo and get rid of sexist, outdated dress codes. “I think that dress code should reflect society, and I don’t think this particular loop hole in the dress code policy does reflect modern society in any way”. Heels are evil and everyone should just be allowed wear fluffy socks from Penneys to work from now on. It’s something Thorp has taken action on, launching a petition to change the law on workplace dress codes, which at the time of writing has attracted almost 18,000 signatures and is growing an incredible rate.
A spokesperson for PwC said that they were discussing the guidelines with Portico, and that they do not “have specific dress guidelines for male or female employees”.
Thorp reportedly called the employment rights helpline and was told that employers have the right to impose a formal dress code in the workplace.
‘We were told to wear two bras at a nightclub that I worked at during my university years to enhance our cleavage. Having declined said opportunity, the individual chose to return home and not complete the shift.
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‘We have taken on board the comments regarding footwear and will be reviewing our guidelines in consultation with our clients and team members’. And it’s understandable that some occasions demand different attire – you might more formal wear for high-profile business deals than in the day to day runnings of a small tech firm.
