I work at a gym as a junior fitness advisor. My boss is a real male chauvinist pig and makes all his female employees (myself included) have a strict dress code.
He demands that all female employees must wear either a thong or a gstring as underwear and we must wear skin tight leggings and a sports bra.
He says this is to increase the gym's sexual attractiveness which will help bring in more male clients to the gym.
If we disobey the dress code in anyway he says he would fire us on the spot. He's even joked in staff meetings before the female staff should be prostituting ourselves to the male clients after their workouts.
The picture is very similar to our dress code.
I'm curious to know what both genders think about this.
This is wrong and you should get out of there.
Seeing hot girls in skin tight leggings at the gym is a must.
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Is being sexualized at work to make profit for your boss even legal?
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Anonymous
(36-45)
1 y
Having a "sexy image" or "sexy branding," for a business is not illegal in and of itself. In your case, from a legal standpoint 1) you would need to prove that the uniform required was unreasonable given your workplace (i.e. you're a farmer, but are told to wear a sexy swimsuit as a uniform to work with the cattle). 2) that the uniform imposed an undue cost/burden on female employees vs that of male employees (i.e. the required uniform is $350 for women and the male required uniform is only $25). 3) that ONLY females are required to wear different or special uniforms that have nothing to do with the workplace or it's branding (men don't typically wear sports bras/tights, and their gym attire is usually tanks/shirts/shorts/pants so it's unreasonable for their requirement to be the same exact uniform here).
The uniform pictured is not an unreasonable request for a gym as several women who frequent gyms wear the same things. Your boss may be a chauvinist, but unless you can prove he has done something illegal, such as sexual harassment or the aforementioned, you have the choice to work there or not.
The way you said it? - NO way. And no gym with that policy would survive exposure here (socially) even if somehow they managed to stay open. Especially if they joked about it like that, it just show how little respect they have. Incredibly damaging.
However, there is also a balance to this. What I mean by that is, a clothing policy is fine within certain limits. It's reasonable to say it should be gymclothes, there should be some fair options to what type. And what is worn under is private and not to be regulated. And while the clothes on the picture isn't something overly exposing and it isn't something I'd be surprised to see at a gym by regular gym-goers, it shouldn't be forced.
It sounds to me like the bossguy is driving the gym like it's a stripclub. It's the wrong way yo go about it! He should be focused on finding competent coaches, dietitians, gymnasts and rolemodels for people to be inspired by. All those things are internal stats and traits. It doesn't hurt to be fit but it hurts to be superficial about it.
You should record one of those staff meetings. Saying that women staff members should be prostituting themselves is crossing the line. No boss should tell you what type of underwear you are aloud to wear. I'd find a new job and shove my foot up his ass so far that he can taste the rubber soles on the sneakers
Ok, two sides to this. Your boss is both absolutely right and absolutely wrong.
On one hand, he's right, "sex sells" is a tried and true well known concept. I'm not 100% sure it's legal for a dress code can dictate what type of underwear you wear, but a dress code is something an employer can require. They can fire you for not adhering to it. If your profile pic is of you, then you are a very attractive woman, and to be honest with you, at 19 you're probably well aware already; in this world, being attractive will get you all sorts of privileges with little to no effort that unattractive people don't get. Getting work will always be easy, in fact, your looks probably had a lot to do with you getting this job. Anytime you go to a restaurant, have a look at how attractive the staff is; it's not an accident or coincidence. Pretty people get hired because they are pleasant to look at, people like them more and feel more comfortable around them; hiring managers and customers alike. The physically unattractive people tend to work behind the scenes, at a desk somewhere, or maybe in the kitchen of the restaurant.
Your boss is absolutely wrong to treat the female staff disrespectfully. Suggesting prostitution is demeaning. I don't know what else has happened, but that's over the line. The dress code is borderline, and I could see it being tolerable if it was handled in a more ethical fashion and the female staff were behind it. This reminds me of the Hooter's chain of restaurants in the USA. It's based on the pun of "hooters" being a word for boobs, and also they have an owl as their mascot, which makes the sound of "hooting". They only hire female staff as servers; male staff can only work in the kitchen or as managers. The female staff uniform dress code is a revealing outfit the accents the boobs and body:
Hooter's servers are absolutely sexualized and encouraged to flirt with the mostly male customers as a way to get optimal tips. They no doubt experience a lot of inappropriate come ons or remarks. There have been a couple public cases of the (male) managers being very inappropriate and sexualizing or having sexual or demeaning interactions with their staff. That said, what woman would apply to a Hooter's not expecting and knowing that it's about her getting displayed as a sexually attractive object that is the main theme of the restaurant? A lot of women apply because they want to, because it makes them feel sexy and they want to make good money with the ego boost that they are making that money mostly based on their looks.
I don't know how helpful any of that is, but it's up to you. If you are not a good fit for this gym, then get out. If you think something illegal is going on, do some research, gather evidence, and expose them. This is a age where women are saying no to this sort of treatment and turning things around.
You know what, I would actually complain to the boss about the dress code. Girls in skin tight clothes are the last people I want to see in a gym. I come there to focus on myself and only. Leave my reason out of it. The girls are being subjected to something they do not want. And that too mildly or your choice of rating sexual in nature. That is completely unacceptable by me and certainly by my friends too. Our families respect women a lot, and my friends (not me) are quite influential in their native place. Such kind of behavior would definitely not be accepted.
And if the boss does not listen, then we would find out the authority for such gyms and complain to them. And if not them, then above them. Till we are heard.
In my first year, I went to those gyms where you get instructors. The instructors comprised of both male and female instructors, like in your gym I believe. The uniform was really appropriate. No sexualization, no anything of that nature.
In fact this did not even come to my mind, till I saw your question.
I do not know the law in your place, but the laws with women are really tough in India. If the boss gets reported in India... His life will get over, like this... Literal finish.
And I feel good about such laws, until girls start abusing them, which is a different matter altogether.
The answer is C: Many jobs have a dress code and for a specific reason.
In this day and age, it may seem inappropriate to sexualize employees to attract customers, but the entire commercial sector is based on that!
For example, how many ugly models do you see? You don't, because good-looking people are what normal people aspire too so when they see nice clothes or whatever the model is helping sell, people are more inclined to buy.
Another example: Hooters. Would Hooters be successful if the women dressed in business suits? Hooters would go out of business!
Another example: Lawyers or big business. These people all wear suits to look professional. Would you hire a lawyer or a stockbroker who looks like a hipster? Probably not because you'd expect them to not be as serious as these professions need to be.
========== So, bottom line: While I feel for you, I think you are stuck. That said, you can always ask the male employees were enticing clothing as well to attract more female customers to the gym.
I think it's wrong especially as he clearly tells you what underwear to wear and that he allows you only a sports bra. Calling him a pig clearly tells me that you don't like it. I don't know if it's legal but you should go if you're uncomfortable for your safety because the way you describe your boss he is using you girls as eye candy. Sure that will attract more male clients but it could also bring you in situations where you're presented in a humiliating way. Like in situations where you have to put away weights up or down in front of only men. Therefore I would consider quitting and look for another gym to work for.
But if you're a trainer at a gym you do need to understand that picking attractive trainers and having them show up looking as sexy as what is appropriate in a gym is part of the job.
The thong rule was too far. And so was joking about prostitution yourselves. You should be respected in a job like that. Trainers are educated and trusted with the wellbeing of others. It's not a dive bar in the city.
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Anonymous
(45 Plus)
1 y
It would be interesting to know what the police think also.
Companies can have a dress code, if they do, they usually provide the uniforms also. And why are women working for him if he's like that? I mean, I get it's a job and you need money, but I say if you're uncomfortable (or any woman is), don't work there. Not worth it. Find another job. Yes guys aren't going to complain about the visual presentation, however guys are going there to work out. I'm guessing memberships aren't so great if he's relying on his female employees to bring in the public.
If he did not sexually harass you, you have no right to do anything. If you don't like the culture, you can leave the job. It is HIS business. You have no right to tell him how he should be making money. And keep in mind that if his business revenue declines, he might start thinking about laying some workers off. If his wallet shrinks, get ready for one of you to lose your jobs. Your salary comes from his ability to attract customers.
The guy is a dick, don't lower yourself to his level, you can do much better. Pretty sad that he has so little regard for his female employees, I'm all for looking sexy and attractive to men, but dictating what I wear as undergarments seems a bit over the line. The leggings and sports bra aren't totally out of line for a gym, but the underwear thing is just off the wall, I'm just surprised he has any female employees at all.
I wouldn't want my wife in that for reals. I bought an $899 weight cage and a bench just to avoid all that gym stuff. I mean as the guy I got sick of dealing with... how should I put this... being turned on? Wouldn't want my wife doing that as a job just to be real with you. It's just 90mins of my day and I'm just really glad I can just do it at home. I do what I want, wear boxers only if I want, and don't have any grunting rules... no wiping another man's sweat off a bench just to lift.
No way this type shi* must be stop. Voice Recording is against the law without the party consent. Unless you record it and send it to cooperate. It will get you fired for sure but if you place your quit notice before then give the reasons. Will be hard for them to fire you. Instead you quit due to sexual harassments.
100% wrong. Leave and don’t look back. That is not the purpose for a gym and it is certainly not a way to advertise for it. That is one of the worst men on earth and I pity you for having the displeasure of being forced to engage in his disturbing rules.
I think sincerely this is only mere female body exploitation. It’s not a part of your work and as a worker you have rights. It’s ok for boss asking for proper dress code for employees but that’s nearby to prostitution and enticement, so it should be illegal. Your right, as a worker, to the decency and dignity should not be sacrificed in the name of business.
Wow. At my workplace my employer made everyone take a mandatory sexual harassment education course so that everyone knows how to spot and report sexual harassment. What’s going on there at your workplace sounds like blatant sexual harassment to me. That’s not cool.
Definitely wrong the second underwear is involved, what? That's rudely inappropriate. The rest (leggings and tops) is fine if it was just a dress code, but because he gives you those reasons you can be sure he's just pretty disgusting. Nope out as soon as you can and maybe file a complaint
It’s very wrong but you are not a slave to that job either. You can make a choice to stay or leave.
But if what you are saying is true then he is not going to get away with this for long. I could see him AT LEAST getting fined from the city or maybe even a class action lawsuit.
I would never want to work out in a place like that. I am pretty serious about fitness and hate gym that are just dating bars with dumbbells. There is a chain of coffee shops where I live and they have the girls dress in shortshorts and tight t-shirts. My niece applied for a job there and she decided against it because they were all dressed up like hookers.
If you don't want to work there, you don't have to. Don't know if it's legal or not, but what i do know is how you present yourself and your company as a worker is part of the job description in pretty much every job that involves customers. Whether it's women wearing makeup and showing off their body shape, or men being clean shaven and in a uncomfortable suit, dress codes are dress codes. If you don't like it, get a different job that doesn't involve dealing with customers.
Probably you should consult a lawyer. It is hard to say. The prostitution comment definitely went to far. As for the dress code, in certain businesses bosses no doubt have the right to regulate attire (like the fashion industry) I am not sure if the gym is one of those places.
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Anonymous
(25-29)
1 y
It might be legal to sexualize people for work in some places but regulations underwear as a gym boss is completely unacceptable and I think it constitutes harassment.
This guy sounds like a terrible boss anyways and I think you should quit. Luckily in your line of work there are hundreds of different gyms all of them desperate for employees. Any boss would be better than the one you have now.
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