According to a study by lawyers in the United Kingdom, women were asked to wear more make-up and dress sexier in videoconferencing meetings.
Since confinement, more and more women are abandoning makeup and opting for naturalness. However, some of them have been victims of sexism in this regard, notably in the UK. According to research by the labor law firm, Slater and Gordon, one in three women were asked to wear more makeup, to style their hair differently or to dress sexier during videoconferences while they were working from home. Even behind a screen, it seems that sexism continues.
The survey was conducted among 2,000 men and women, a third of UK women have experienced at least one sexist request from their employer since the start of confinement last March. According to the study, bosses generally justified their request by saying that it "would help to gain new business". For them it was important to "appear more beautiful for the team" because "it would be more pleasant for a customer".
The law firm confessed that it hoped there would be a decline in sexist behavior but that sexism had instead found ways "new and insidious" to thrive online.
About two in five women said the demands were against themselves or other women on their teams, rather than male colleagues, leaving them to feel "objectified, demoralized and embarrassed"by their appearance.
Most women asked to dress sexier did not report their boss to their human resources department, and one in four agreed to change their appearance for fear of a negative impact on their career. "It is absolutely immoral for a manager or anyone in a position of power to suggest, even politely, that a woman is more sexually attractive in the workplace. It is a powerful form of coercion that makes women feel like they have to comply with the manager's request and be more visually pleasing to be successful in their jobs. It's humiliating for women. "said Danielle Parsons, employment lawyer at Slater and Gordon.
Slater and Gordon then encouraged the women to report any requests for a change in appearance to their human resources department or to seek legal advice.
"The way women are treated in our society is absolutely reflected in the results of this poll. No one ever considers what a man looks like or suggests that he change his appearance.", explained Sue Harris, legal director of the union GMB.
"Sexism and harassment in the workplace have a huge impact on the lives of women, even during a pandemic. Union representatives can help members who experience it, but we need better laws to prevent this from happening. Ministers should strengthen the law by giving employers a legal obligation to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. This would help end toxic workplaces where sexism and harassment is a daily experience for women.", concluded the secretary general of YOU KNOW, Frances O’Grady.