A jobseeker has claimed that a member of staff at a Boots Opticians turned her away from a job interview because she wasn’t dressed ‘conservatively enough.’
Rosie Reilly, 26, claimed the incident took place at the multiple’s Richmond branch, where she had applied for a role as a full-time sales assistant. The interviewer was said to have denied her the opportunity to participate in the second stage of the interview, a trial on the practice floor, because of her ‘inappropriate’ dress. She was wearing a high-collared blouse and knee-length skirt.
Reilly informed the panel of her nose and ear piercings and a hairstyle, which she admitted was ‘unconventional,’ before being shortlisted for the post. ‘I always check what to wear and explain about my hair and piercings,’ she explained.
‘Boots didn’t tell me to dress in any way but smart casual and that’s what I did. The interviewer said he did like my style but it wasn’t appropriate for Boots.’
A spokesperson for Boots Opticians said: ‘We are continuing to conduct a full investigation into Rosie’s experience during her interview. We don’t have an official dress code for interviews and realise we got it wrong on this occasion.
‘Boots recruit and employ a diverse group of colleagues and while we do have guidelines for work wear, it’s what colleagues bring to work and how they care for our customers that really matters to us.
‘We have contacted Rosie to apologise and offered for her to continue her interview at an alternative Boots Opticians.’