Is it acceptable for companies to require women to wear high heels all day in their jobs?

This question was highlighted by a case last year where a woman working as a receptionist was told that she must wear high heels while performing her duties at all times. She complained that this was very uncomfortable and caused injuries to her feet, and she jettisoned her heels. Whereupon she was sent home.

I must confess sympathy for the employee. Of course I don’t wear high heels, but I can easily imagine the discomfort if they are worn for several hours on the trot for five consecutive working days, at an incline of almost 45 degrees. It must feel like skiing down a black run all day. I know that even for formal events where women wear stilettos for dinner for three to four hours, they usually breathe a sigh of relief when they eventually feel they are done for the night and are able to take them off. Indeed, I know of many women who go to these glamorous events always with a spare pair of flat shoes, which they change into the moment they can fling off the heels.