Byline: LYNDSAY MOSS HEALTH CORRESPONDENT
WOMEN should be allowed to wear "sensible" shoes to work and not be forced into high heels by companies' uniform policies, experts said yesterday.
The health hazards of high-heeled shoes were highlighted by foot health specialists at the TUC Congress in Liverpool.
They warned that in sectors such as retail and the airline industry, policies that meant women had to wear high heels put them at risk of long-term foot and back problems.
Lorraine Jones, of the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists, said female shopworkers, cabin crew and other employees had to wear high heels as part of a dress code.
rolex fakeYesterday, delegates at the Congress called on employers to carry out a risk assessment because of the health and safety hazards of high-heeled shoes.
Ms Jones, a practising podiatrist, said seven times as much pressure was put on the ball of a foot by wearing high heels.
wholesale colthingWomen workers suffered short-term health problems by wearing high heels but could also suffer longer-term injuries to their knees, she warned.
"Two million working days are lost every year through lower-limb and foot-related problems," she told the conference. "Women should have a choice of wearing healthier, more comfortable shoes."
But Loraine Monk, a University and College Union delegate from Nescot College in Epsom, Surrey, opposed the move and said women should not be lectured on what to wear.
"This well-meant motion will see the union movement portrayed in the media as the killjoy fashion police. Why is it only aimed at women? Who decides what is appropriate when it comes to dress codes?"
Ms Monk added: "We should list all inappropriate dress in the workplace, not pick on something that is symbolic of a much wider debate about gender roles and that many women have a view about - both for and against."
Despite the concerns, delegates supported the motion: "High heels may look glamorous on the Hollywood catwalks but are inappropriate for the day-to-day working environment."
Speaking after the debate, Eddie Saville, director of employment relations at the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists, said: "This is a serious issue. More than GBP 10 million is spent on bunion operations every year by the NHS in the UK.
"Hopefully now we will be
embroidered patches able to ensure that women have choice in their footwear and campaign to eradicate these types of dress codes."
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