Opinion: Magnificence requirements are nonetheless harming girls within the workforce | Opinion

Uniforms and dress codes are important for maintaining professionalism in the workplace. While many modern work environments strive to maintain equitable policies that both men and women can abide by, society’s harmful beauty standards continue to negatively impact women.

Legal protections established by the 1964 Civil Rights Act prohibiting gender discrimination have yet to diminish societal expectations of female beauty in professional environments. A study done in 2020 found that 35% of women received inappropriate comments about their appearance during work-related Zoom meetings. 

In these same remote meetings, 34% of women were asked to wear more makeup,  27% were asked to dress more provocatively and 41% were asked to dress more provocatively and were told it would aid business proceedings. 

Judgments of female workers are often based on specific expectations of stereotypical femininity. A study published by the European Journal of Social Psychology found that women are viewed as less competent if they are deemed unattractive. Moreover, another study conducted by the University of Mary Washington in 2018 found that women pursuing roles of leadership were deemed more untrustworthy if they dressed ‘too sexily.’ 

The ever-changing nature of societal beauty standards compels women to spend hundreds of dollars annually on makeup and beauty products to fit in with newly established expectations upheld in the work environments.  Accounting for up to 90% of the customers of the $115 billion beauty industry, women spend an average of 45 minutes getting ready for work in hopes their peers can unanimously validate their appearance. 

Women who are minorities are particularly criticized for their appearance in workplace settings. A study conducted by CROWN Workplace Research in 2019 found that Black women are 83% more likely than other women to report facing prejudice because of their appearance at work. Black women are also 2.5 times more likely to be perceived as unprofessional for their hairstyles. 

Jaleah Ladson, an employee for the Human Resources office at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, believes that minority women have to go to greater lengths to justify differences in their appearance within professional settings. 

“I believe that women and marginalized individuals are more susceptible to having to either explain why they’re dressed, maybe culturally or differently than others, or even sometimes simply having to adjust our expression of ourselves to make others comfortable,” said Ladson. 

The extent of harm that unrealistic beauty standards inflict on female workers stems beyond being subjected to snarky comments or glares. Women who are seen as ‘poorly groomed’ tend to make 40% less than conventionally beautiful female employees. Women viewed as more attractive are also 20% more likely to get called back for a job interview. 

Injustices against women in the workplace based on appearance are disheartening, but efforts to invoke change are being made by female workers nationwide. The National Organization for Women at Charlotte, a group that helps fight for the rights of women on a local and national level, is involved in campaigns that encourage women to embrace their individuality and resist unattainable beauty standards. 

Isabelle Gonzalez, a senior sports marketing intern at UNC Charlotte, believes that having the confidence to speak out against any unfair judgment in the workplace is the first step employees should take to ensure their concerns are heard and addressed. 

“To navigate any adversity based on appearance from customers or coworkers, I would say the best way to do this is to simply speak up about our needs and preferences that accommodate who we are and allow us to be comfortable in the workplace,” said Gonzalez. “Often, management may not be aware of our needs unless we communicate them. In my experience, speaking up has been effective, and most workplaces are very accommodating when they understand our requirements.”

When workers are free from distractions and judgment, male and female employees can work together to achieve company goals, conquer milestones and create innovative products.

By upholding professional standards of uniform and dress code free from undertones of discrimination, employees of all demographics can focus on common objectives and reach levels of productivity that were once unimaginable.