What apparel looks best for work depends on the position and place, so it’s not hard to see why a Michigan employee felt comfortable wearing a tank top during a remote meeting. “Using the camera was required and I didn’t think about the fact I was wearing a tank top,” recalled Reddit user NS-FW on r/mildlyinfuriating. Management was less pleased with his choice of clothing, and he ended up getting a write-up over it.
NS-FW admits he knew about the dress code and understood he needed to be disciplined for breaking it. However, what grinded his gears was the fact that a female manager showed up to a meeting in a tank top the following day. “I really don’t care enough to bring it up to anyone but at the same time it’s been bothering me,” he begrudgingly concluded.
Redditors were more or less on his side, considering no one likes double standards when it comes to gender, especially in the workplace. “Welcome to office politics, brother,” sighed a commenter. “This is all so dumb. Corporate America is so silly,” laughed another.
“I am no HR person, but that is sexual discrimination, I believe, and grounds for a lawsuit,” suggested a third. A host of others chimed in, pointing out of the standards around men wearing skirts or kilts in the workplace and the controversies they’ve heard of or experienced.
As several commenters mentioned, if NS-FW was actually discriminated against over double standards between men and women in the workplace, he would have the right to dispute it. After all, the US’s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission clearly states that sex-based discrimination is unlawful. Not to mention, the state of Michigan has the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, which is an anti-discrimination law that protects employees.
Important Details Were Left Out in This Tank Top Controversy
On the flip side, NS-FW’s story has left out two major points of contention that a few Redditors point out. First, there’s no mention of whether this female manager was also written up over her tank top. Secondly, she might not have been wearing the exact same style of tank top.
As a user pointed out, “I would need to see both tank tops to know if there is an issue. Some ladies’ blouses are tank tops, but they are not like T-shirts. I’ve never seen a men’s tank top that can be worn with dress pants.” In other words, exposing shoulders wasn’t the issue, but the manner of dress in terms of formal vs. casual. Without pictures or examples from OP, it’s hard to say.
