What not to wear

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Employment claims

The main claims which might result from dress codes are sex discrimination, and race and religious discrimination.

Sex discrimination

Employers who set more relaxed rules for the appearance of their female staff than they do for their male staff, or vice versa, may face a sex discrimination claim.

In the last few years several male employees of Jobcentre Plus have brought sex discrimination claims against their employer’s dress code, which required all staff to dress in a ‘professional and business-like’ way. It specified that male staff had to wear a collar and tie and female staff had to dress appropriately and to a similar standard. The men claimed that, by being required to wear collars and ties, they were treated less favourably than their female colleagues, who did not have to wear any compulsory item of clothing.