Receptionist Nicola Thorp 'sent home from PwC office for refusing to wear high heels'

A petition demanding a change in workplace rules has now gathered thousands of signatures
Hatty Collier12 May 2016

A young actress claims she was sent home from a corporate receptionist job in central London without pay after refusing to wear high heels.

Nicola Thorp arrived for her first day at PwC’s Embankment offices in flat shoes but claims she was then told by a supervisor that she must come to work wearing two to four inch heels.

The 27-year-old, who was employed as a temp by PwC's outsourced reception firm Portico, alleges she was “laughed at” when she complained that the demand was discriminatory as men were allowed to wear flat shoes.

PwC said the dress code was not its policy and that the supervisor worked for Portico.

Outraged: Actress Nicola Thorp

She says she was sent home without pay after refusing to go out and buy a pair of heels.

Ms Thorp, who lives in Hackney, also claims that she was told to wear make-up for the receptionist role and was supplied with a colour chart of “acceptable shades”.

She told the Standard: “When I arrived on site, I was turned away from work because I was not wearing high heels.

Nicola Thorp says she was sent home for refusing to wear the heels

“I expressed my confusion as to why, and they explained that flat shoes are not part of their dress code for women.

“The supervisor told me that I would be sent home without pay unless I went to the shop and bought a pair of two to four inch heels. I refused and was sent home."

She added: “When I pointed out that my male colleague was allowed to work in flat shoes, and that I felt that I was being discriminated against, I was laughed at. I left feeling upset and confused.”

Ms Thorp, who is originally from Blackpool, was employed by corporation reception services provider Portico in between acting roles after graduating from drama school.

Ms Thorp said she called an employment rights helpline for advice but was told that employers have the right to impose a formal dress code in the workplace.

“I started this petition because I was outraged that in 2016, employers still have the right to make women wear heels against their will in the workplace,” she said

“A woman deserves the choice to wear smart heels or smart flats, whichever is more comfortable or practical for work.”

The petition demands that the government "make it illegal for a company to require women to wear high heels at work".

It has gained more than 2,000 signatures since its launch, with supporters taking to social media to raise awareness of Ms Thorp's case.

A spokeswoman for PwC said: “PwC outsources its front of house/reception services to a third party supplier. We first became aware of this matter on 10 May some five months after the issue arose. The dress code referenced in the article is not a PwC policy. We are now in discussion with the suppliers about the policy."

A Portico spokeswoman said: “In line with industry standard practice, we have personal appearance guidelines across many of our corporate locations. These policies ensure staff are dressed consistently and include recommendations for appropriate style of footwear for the role.”

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