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'Why double standard?': Employee questions office dress code after boss bans slippers but allows crop tops
A Reddit user sparked debate over office dress code double standards after being told not to wear slippers.
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A Reddit post has sparked discussion around workplace attire and perceived double standards. In a post titled “Dresscode double standards: crop tops ok, slippers not ok”, a user named @peela_doodh12 shared an incident from his workplace—a digital news company that reportedly has no official dress code—where he was instructed by his boss not to wear slippers to the office.
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“I work at a digital news website where there's no official dress code. Some women coworkers wear crop tops that expose the navel and I have no issue with that,” the post begins. “But here's what bothers me: I was once told by my boss not to wear slippers. My role doesn't involve attending meetings or any situation that demands formal wear. So why the double standard? If others can dress comfortably, why can't I wear slippers as long as I'm doing my job well?”
Check out the post here:
Mixed reactions flood the comments
The post quickly attracted comments from fellow Redditors, with users weighing in from both sides of the discussion.
One user sarcastically suggested, “Go with barefoot so your supervisor will request you to wear at least slippers.” Another offered a more technical explanation: “Slippers are dangerous during evacuations as per Health and Safety ISO standards. Your company is ensuring your safety. This is followed in all MNCs.”
Yet some responses reflected personal observations and biases. “Most of the girls who wear crop tops to the office keep pulling the dress down to cover their tummy… wonder why they chose to wear crop tops,” one commenter wrote.
Others took a more neutral or supportive stance. “People can wear anything publicly decent that they want to if there's no dress code. There's nothing wrong in that. And of course, no one wears a dirty pair of slippers to office if that's what you're imagining,” said a user.
(Also read: US company demands Indian employee keep camera on during work hours. His response)
However, not everyone agreed. “Who wears slippers at office? Doesn't matter what your role is, at least respect the decorum of the place,” one Redditor argued.
In defence, the original poster responded, “Read the post. There is no dress code. Can you tell me what exactly is wrong with slippers? How does that not maintain the decorum? If I'm doing job fine how does it matter what one wears.”
Another commenter added, “I used to wear bathroom slippers to my startup, no one cared.”
