This Woman Got Fired For Going To Work Braless - And She Isn't Going Down Without A Fight

Dec 12, 2018 by apost team

Christina Schell was only working for three weeks when she received a very odd complaint and demand from her employer.

As a waitress in the restaurant at the Osoyoos Golf Club in the western Canada province of British Columbia, she had been following the dress code.

Without first informing her, the requirements had been changed and she was informed that it now read "women must wear either a bra or tank top under their uniform shirt while serving tables."

You can imagine how surprised she was to find out she would be fired for something that resulted from her personal health concerns. She told the CBC in an interview that she refused to comply with this and the restaurant's general manager told her the rule was for "her protection" because he knew "what happens when alcohol is involved at a golf club." The 25-year-old waitress was fired.

While it was for her health that Christina stopped wearing a bra, it was a bigger issue that was bothering her. She saw it as an issue of discrimination. Why should an employer have any say with what is worn or not worn under your uniform? And why was there no such regulation for men? She stated quite plainly, "Women have nipples and so do men."

Can you imagine if men were required to wear a t-shirt or a bit more weird, to have to wear boxer shorts? Well, Christina Schell wasn't going to take this without a fight. Other women in service jobs fell victim to the same sort of rules. A McDonald's worker in Manitoba was told to "put on a bra" because "McDonald's is a polite restaurant" and insultingly told, "no one needs to see that." There were many other instances throughout Canada and the U.S. and even the UK.

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Besides thinking that it's sexist, Christina considered it a violation of the law. She has filed a Human Rights Complaint for discrimination based on gender. It might seem far-fetched, but plenty of legal experts see it as a valid case.

One employment lawyer from Toronto, Nadia Zaman, said it would be necessary for the employer to prove that the reason behind this required undergarment has to be "for the safety of the employee." It seems there is a real chance that Christina Schell has real fighting chance to get policy reversed and be free to go braless at work.

Since it does seem a bit crazy to require men's underwear to be regulated, do you think employers have any business in deciding that a woman must wear a bra or tank top when she is perfectly presentable in her work uniform or clothes? Have you experienced any similar situations? We want to hear your stories - and your opinion, so make sure to let us know, and spread the word!