[DRAFT] These Heels Weren't Made For Working

[Baggieland]

Title:

These Heels Weren't Made For Working

Description:

Mrs. Braithwaite, a recently retired lady, who spent the last 40 years working as a hotel receptionist, has had to undergo several, costly surgeries and has great difficulty in walking even a short distance. She puts this down to her hotel employer forcing her to wear high-heeled shoes, nine to five, for the last 40 years. She has come to your office with a petition as she believes the government should enact new legislation that would forbid employers from enforcing work dress codes that could lead to physical harm.

Validity:

All, except for nations with enforced nudity

Options:


Option 1: ''My feet are killing me,'' bemoans Mrs. Braithwaite. ''It's so unfair, the men never had to wear high-heels, but look at my feet now. I'm a cripple and now I have to pay for expensive surgery on my pension. The government should make a new law that forbids employers from forcing us girls to wear heels all the time. If I can save just one lass from experiencing the torture I'm suffering now, then it will have been worth the effort of coming here today.''

Effect: The high-heeled shoe can only be viewed in museums

Option 2: ''Only heels?'' exclaims Milly Taint, who never misses an opportunity to protest. ''These sexist pigs think they have the right to dress us girls up in any manner that pleases them: high-heels, stockings, skirt no longer than the knees, what shade of nail polish and lipstick we must wear. Well, those days are gone! Surely the ONLY thing that matters is a person's ability to do the job, what they look like and what they wear is of no importance whatsoever.''

Effect: People come to work in their jim-jams

Option 3: ''What's wrong with wanting your staff to look professional?'' queries @@RANDOMMALENAME@@, the H.R. manager at a large hotel chain in @@NAME@@. ''I just want my employees to look respectable while they are dealing with clients. What the little protester said about the ladies' dress code: stockings, shade of lipstick, etc. is all true, but there is an equally strict dress code for the men too: smart, leather shoes, trousers, shirt with cuff-links, tie with tie-pin, no long hair, no beard, no visible tattoos or piercings. We can't let people come to work looking like they have come directly from sleeping on the beach! Don't interfere and let us employers run our businesses as we see fit.''

Effect: A stocking with a crooked seam or a tie without a Windsor knot are grounds for instant dismissal

Option 4: ''You know, these dress code rules could be a lot of fun!'' says your deranged younger brother. ''We could make all the men go to work in suits of armour, clown suits and Batman costumes. And you could make all the ladies go to work in French-maid, air hostess and nurse uniforms. C'mon bruv, you've gotta make this happen, it would be so great!''

Effect: Fancy dress hire shops are driving the economy

[Tinhampton]

What is so significant about the name "Mrs. Braithwaite" (keyword "Braithwaite") to warrant it being a fixed name?

[Baggieland]

Nothing in particular. Just seems like an old lady's name to me. I don't mind changing it though.

[Australian rePublic]

Thank you for bringing light to this horrible, horrible issue

HOWEVER, hotel shifts are generally longer than 8 hours at a time. And 9-5 is not a typical hotel shift

[Baggieland]

HOWEVER, hotel shifts are generally longer than 8 hours at a time. And 9-5 is not a typical hotel shift

Thanks. Obviously I've never worked in a hotel. What is a typical shift?

Also, what do you think of 'Mrs. Braithwaite'? Does it sound like an old lady's name to you?

[Frieden-und Freudenland]

HOWEVER, hotel shifts are generally longer than 8 hours at a time. And 9-5 is not a typical hotel shift

Thanks. Obviously I've never worked in a hotel. What is a typical shift?

Also, what do you think of 'Mrs. Braithwaite'? Does it sound like an old lady's name to you?

Well, I know that these two questions are not addressed to me, but with all due respect to you and Aussie, I'll attempt to answer them.

First, I don't think you really have to worry about the accuracy of the 9-5 shift for hotels. I haven't worked at a hotel either, and obviously there are people working at the hotel beyond the 9-5 shift. So there will be entertainers at a resort hotel who stage stupid slapstick comedy shows for drunk Russian guests at night (talking about the resort hotels in Southern Turkey here, no offense intended as far as Russians are concerned - I just think that the Russian tourists coming to Turkey for vacation tend to be very rowdy at times), there will be bartenders at the hotel's bar, etc.

But then, you should keep in mind that an entertainer or a bartender are not the "typical" hotel employees.

When we imagine someone working at a hotel, the prototypical hotel employee we imagine is a receptionist or a bellboy or a concierge or something like that. (and I imagine your Mrs. Braithwaite here to have been a receptionist as well, because bellboys (as their name implies) tend to be male, and I assume it would be very uncomfortable for hotel maids to wear high heels anyway.)

While it is true that you can find a receptionist at a hotel after 5 pm as well, that generally applies to somewhat expensive hotels. For example, I have had to stay at small hotels in cities where accommodation was very expensive (these hotels generally used to be a rich person's mansion in the past, but were converted into a hotel by their descendants, I suppose), and it generally so happens that you don't find anyone in the lobby in these hotels (actually the hall of the house lol) after a certain hour. The receptionist simply leaves when his/her shift is over. And at one hotel I was actually given the key to the hotel and the receptionist told me that I should open the door myself if I happen to come back to the hotel after 9 pm, because the front door would be locked at this time.

Again, this would not have happened at an expensive, fancy hotel; but this is fairly typical in small "inns". I can say that the maids & receptionists at such small inns may be working a 9-9 shift

And 9-5 isn't unimaginable for me, either.

So maybe you can sidestep this problem by assuming that this woman worked at an inn.

But then again, it is not inconceivable that a hotel that wants to be able to welcome new guests 24/7 will employ multiple people for the job who will work in shifts. For example, I can hire 3 receptionists, 1 can work 9am-5pm, the second one can work 5pm-1am, and the 3rd one can work the night shift (1am-9am). Why not?

That's why I think that the hotel shift issue is being exaggerated. I am sorry, Aussie, but I don't think that this is a very big deal.

Secondly, I don't see why you insist on this name for the lady, Baggieland. What is an "old lady's name," in the first place? Is there such a thing?

Now, I admit that there is often a generation difference when it comes to "first names," for example a woman whose name is Hepzibah is very likely to be old, whereas a woman named Jessica is probably a young one.

But this does not apply to last names. There are people whose last name is Braithwaite and a family with this last name might have had a daughter in 1997 and they might have called her Jessica, and Ms. Jessica Braithwaite would now be 20 years old. (Fine, it's Mrs., but Jessica could have married a man named Braithwaite at the age of 20. Just the same.)

I am sorry, but I really do not see a good reason to keep this name here (it doesn't have a pun or something that makes it indispensable). You do not have to insist on it, you could just go with a random name.

Or if you really want an old-sounding name, maybe you can give her a fixed first name and make the last name random. And the fixed first name could be something like Hepzibah, Gertrude, Honora, etc.

[Baggieland]

Thanks for the in-depth reply there. I think I will go for a 9am to 7pm shift for the old lady, as the context of this issue is her working a long time in her heels. If that is an accurate hotel shift or not is probably irrelevant as many NS issues have a propensity for exaggeration!

I like the name Gertrude. Mrs. Gertrude ??? What's the macro for a random surname only?

[Frieden-und Freudenland]

Thanks for the in-depth reply there. I think I will go for a 9am to 7pm shift for the old lady, as the context of this issue is her working a long time in her heels. If that is an accurate hotel shift or not is probably irrelevant as many NS issues have a propensity for exaggeration!

I like the name Gertrude. Mrs. Gertrude ??? What's the macro for a random surname only?

It is @@RANDOMLASTNAME@@.

[Australian rePublic]

HOWEVER, hotel shifts are generally longer than 8 hours at a time. And 9-5 is not a typical hotel shift

Thanks. Obviously I've never worked in a hotel. What is a typical shift?

Also, what do you think of 'Mrs. Braithwaite'? Does it sound like an old lady's name to you?

14 hours sifts, split shifts, overnight shifts, etc.

[Australian rePublic]

Not to mention that hotel receptionists are required to standthe wholemtime, and the only time when they're allowed to sit down is after an armed robbery (to help them deal with the trauma) and breaks are few and far between. I heard stories of people working 12 hours shifts, and were lucky if they could sneak in a single toilet break

[Australian rePublic]

Option 2 is kind of a moot point. As that is already the policy. I am a male and lost my job in a hotel because I couldn't meet their ridiculous dress standards

Also, option 4, can you use the Batman trademark?

Also, also, option 4- That already exists, it's called Disneyland (and Universal Studios, and Warner Bros. Movie World and...) But they don't dress like that at the Disneyland hotel, unless one of the characters makes an apperance

[Baggieland]

Not to mention that hotel receptionists are required to standthe wholemtime

That's why I chose hotel receptionist.

Option 2 is kind of a moot point

Option 1 bans employers from enforcing the wearing of heels. Option 2 bans employers from enforcing ANY dress code of any kind.

Also, also, option 4- That already exists

Option 4 is for EVERY job, so male plumbers will have to work in a suit of armour, female teachers will work in a nurse uniform, etc. etc.

Also, option 4, can you use the Batman trademark?

I don't know, editors, can we use Batman??

[Frieden-und Freudenland]

Not to mention that hotel receptionists are required to standthe wholemtime

That's why I chose hotel receptionist.

Option 2 is kind of a moot point

Option 1 bans employers from enforcing the wearing of heels. Option 2 bans employers from enforcing ANY dress code of any kind.

Also, also, option 4- That already exists

Option 4 is for EVERY job, so male plumbers will have to work in a suit of armour, female teachers will work in a nurse uniform, etc. etc.

Also, option 4, can you use the Batman trademark?

I don't know, editors, can we use Batman??

How about Dogman? He already exists in the NS universe.
#511: Dogman Deconstructed

[Australian rePublic]

You need to male it clearer that you're refering to all jobs, and not just hotels

Not to mention that hotel receptionists are required to standthe wholemtime

That's why I chose hotel receptionist.

Specify that she's on her feet

Option 2 is kind of a moot point

Option 1 bans employers from enforcing the wearing of heels. Option 2 bans employers from enforcing ANY dress code of any kind.

Either way. If women have a dress code, so do men. Men have to wear very thick long pants and jackets in the middle of very hot summers, which isn't very comfortable, especially for those who work outside. Also, what about safety gear? Hi-vis vests, helmets, etc.

Also, also, option 4- That already exists

Option 4 is for EVERY job, so male plumbers will have to work in a suit of armour, female teachers will work in a nurse uniform,etc.

So what about safety equipment, hi-vis vests, helmets, netc.

[Frieden-und Freudenland]

You need to male it clearer that you're refering to all jobs, and not just hotels

That's why I chose hotel receptionist.

Specify that she's on her feet

Isn't this already implied?

Option 1 bans employers from enforcing the wearing of heels. Option 2 bans employers from enforcing ANY dress code of any kind.

Either way. If women have a dress code, so do men. Men have to wear very thick long pants and jackets in the middle of very hot summers, which isn't very comfortable, especially for those who work outside. Also, what about safety gear? Hi-vis vests, helmets, etc.

Option 4 is for EVERY job, so male plumbers will have to work in a suit of armour, female teachers will work in a nurse uniform,etc.

So what about safety equipment, hi-vis vests, helmets, netc.

Aussie, why should this nice, compact issue lose its focus by bringing in helmets and vests into the picture?

[Baggieland]

I think safety equipment is for another issue.

[Australian rePublic]

I think safety equipment is for another issue.

Fair enough. Not many people know that hotel receptionists are required to stand for the entire 14 hour shift, and not every hotel requires that (though granted, the ones that don't are generally smaller motels)

[Baggieland]

So what about safety equipment, hi-vis vests, helmets, netc.

I think safety equipment is for another issue.

You've given me an idea for a new issue, thanks Aussie!!

[Baggieland]

Title:

These Heels Weren't Made For Working

Description:

Mrs. Gertrude @@RANDOMLASTNAME@@, a recently retired lady, has spent the last 40 years working as a hotel receptionist. She has now had to undergo several, costly surgeries and has great difficulty in walking even a short distance. She puts this down to her hotel employer forcing her to wear high-heeled shoes, from 9am until 7pm, standing up nearly the whole time, for the last 40 years. She has come to your office with a petition as she believes the government should enact new legislation that would forbid employers from enforcing work dress codes that could lead to physical harm.

Validity:

All, except for nations with enforced nudity

Options:


Option 1: ''My feet are killing me,'' bemoans Gertrude. ''It's so unfair, the men never had to wear high-heels, but look at my feet; I'm a cripple, and now I have to pay for expensive surgery on my pension. The government should make a new law that forbids employers from forcing us girls to wear high-heeled shoes all the time. If I can save just one lass from experiencing the torture I'm suffering now, then it will have been worth the effort of coming here today.''

Effect: The high-heeled shoe can only be viewed in museums

Option 2: ''Only heels?'' exclaims Milly Taint, who never misses an opportunity to protest. ''These sexist pigs think they have the right to dress us girls up in any manner that pleases them: high-heels, stockings, skirt no longer than the knees, what shade of nail polish and lipstick we must wear. Well, those days are gone! Surely the ONLY thing that matters is a person's ability to do the job, what they look like and what they wear is of no importance whatsoever.''

Effect: People come to work in their jim-jams

Option 3: ''What's wrong with wanting your staff to look professional?'' queries @@RANDOMMALENAME@@, the H.R. manager at a large hotel chain in @@NAME@@. ''I just want my employees to look respectable while they are dealing with clients. What the little protester said about the ladies' dress code: stockings, shade of lipstick, etc. is all true, but there is an equally strict dress code for the men too: smart leather shoes, trousers, shirt with cuff-links, tie with tie-pin, no long hair, no beard, no visible tattoos or piercings. We can't let people come to work looking like they have come directly from sleeping on the beach! Don't interfere and let us employers run our businesses as we see fit.''

Effect: A stocking with a crooked seam or a tie without a Windsor knot are grounds for instant dismissal

Option 4: ''You know, these dress code rules could be a lot of fun!'' says your deranged younger brother. ''We could make all the men go to work in suits of armour, clown suits and Dogman costumes. And you could make all the ladies go to work in French-maid, air hostess and nurse uniforms. C'mon bruv, you've gotta make this happen, it would be so great!''

Effect: Fancy dress hire shops are driving the economy

[Baggieland]

Any other suggestions on this one?

[Australian rePublic]

All you did with this draft is cry "poor women, men don't cop this shit" card even more than what you did with your previous draft, and even though I pointed out that it's not true

But since you like to play that card, I will go through and debunk it

Option 1. I agree. Forcing women to wear high heels is disgusting in and of itself, let alone forcing them to stand the entire time. If it were up to me, I would completely ban an employer from FORCING (if she choose to do so under her own devices, that's her problem) a female employee to wear heels. And in a job that requires a lot of standing, is bloody torture. I feel sorry for any woman who is forced to wear high heels

Option 2. "Oh woe is woman. Men and women BOTH have strict dress codes, but woe is woman. They think they have the right to dress men up in any manner that pleases them, but woe is woman. They tell men how long our hair must be, they tell men whether or not we're allowed to have facial hair, but woe is woman. They force men to wear full suites with ties and long pants on 42^oC (108^oF) humid days whilst women are permitted to wear short skirts, and shirts with unbuttoned top buttons, but woe is woman. Men a forced to wear a tie no matter how bloody unconformable they are whilst women aren't, but woe is woman" I could go on and on and on and on and on about this, but I hope you get the point... and this is also for men who work outside

Option 3. Uh, yea, by making the HR manager be a male, it goes back to everything that I said. Also, HR departments usually stand up for employees more than other departments. This sounds like a decision made from head office

Effect for option 4. If you wear it everyday, why would you hire it?

[Baggieland]

I certainly seem to have stumbled upon an issue that you're very passionate about! Anyway, in between your tirade, you did make a couple of good points on how to improve the issue.

[Baggieland]

Title:

These Heels Weren't Made For Working

Description:

Mrs. Gertrude @@RANDOMLASTNAME@@, a recently retired lady, has spent the last 40 years working as a hotel receptionist. She has now had to undergo several, costly surgeries and has great difficulty in walking even a short distance. She puts this down to her hotel employer forcing her to wear high-heeled shoes, from 9am until 7pm, standing up nearly the whole time, for the last 40 years. She has come to your office with a petition, as she believes the government should enact new legislation that would forbid employers from enforcing work dress codes that could lead to physical harm.

Validity:

All, except for nations with enforced nudity

Options:


Option 1: ''My feet are killing me,'' bemoans Gertrude. ''Look at my feet; I'm a cripple, and now I have to pay for expensive surgery on my pension. The government should make new legislation that forbids employers from forcing us girls to wear high-heeled shoes all the time. If I can save just one lass from experiencing the torture I'm suffering now, then it will have been worth the effort of coming here today.''

Effect: The high-heeled shoe can only be viewed in museums

Option 2: ''Only heels?'' exclaims Milly Taint, who never misses an opportunity to protest. ''These corporate pigs think they have the right to dress us girls up in any manner that pleases them: high-heels, stockings, skirt no longer than the knees, what shade of nail polish and lipstick we must wear. And it's equally ridiculous for the men too: smart leather shoes, trousers, shirt with cuff-links, tie with tie-pin, no long hair, no beard, no visible tattoos or piercings. No matter what the weather: freezing cold or boiling hot, we've still got to abide by these absurd dress codes. Surely the ONLY thing that matters is a person's ability to do the job, what they look like and what they wear is of no importance whatsoever.''

Effect: People come to work in their jim-jams

Option 3: ''What's wrong with wanting your staff to look professional?'' queries @@RANDOMFEMALENAME@@, the H.R. manager at a large hotel chain in @@NAME@@. ''I just want my employees to look respectable while they are dealing with clients. What the little protester said about the dress codes is all true, but we can't let people come to work, looking like they have come directly from sleeping on the beach! Don't interfere and let us employers run our businesses as we see fit.''

Effect: A stocking with a crooked seam or a tie without a Windsor knot are grounds for instant dismissal

Option 4: ''You know, these dress code rules could be a lot of fun!'' says your deranged younger brother. ''We could make all the men go to work in suits of armour, clown suits and Dogman costumes. And you could make all the ladies go to work in French-maid, air hostess and nurse uniforms. C'mon bruv, you've gotta make this happen, it would be so great!''

Effect: Fancy dress and costume shops are driving the economy

[Australian rePublic]

Effect for option 3- Dismissal from what?
Effect for option 4- Why?
People read effects without reading the options
Also, option 3, you don't need to repeat what was said in option 2, it just makes your issue unnecessarily long

[Australian rePublic]

I certainly seem to have stumbled upon an issue that you're very passionate about! Anyway, in between your tirade, you did make a couple of good points on how to improve the issue.

Yes, I was doing an UNPAID internship at one of the major hotel chains, and was dismissed for the sole reason that I could n't adhere to their dress code, dispite my supervisor saying I was doing an otherwise excellent job, and dispite being in an office hidden from the public. My dismal meant that all of my hours went to waste and I had to start the process from the beginning