Kilt concerns

[Tobus]

It's not about "equal rights" (at least for me, since I can wear whatever the heck I like to work so long as I don't mind it being ruined by dye/glue/etc) so much as it is "Are rules being applied uniformly"? If they are not then there was a possibility of pleading his case. The rational for allowing a skirt but not a kilt would be questionable at best (historical issues aside).

Pleading the case to who, though? If management has already made the decision that kilts are not allowed, and there's no law in place that requires them to allow it, then any pleading of the case is going to be nothing more than a losing argument that endangers a person's reputation as an employee.

And again, it's impossible to argue the "uniformity" of rules without going into gender/sex issues. As a manager myself, who is in the process of having to address some dress code concerns amongst my staff (not kilt-related), I could quite easily say that yes, the rules are being applied uniformly. The rules specifically state what's appropriate for men and for women, and those rules are applied uniformly. They are based on cultural and traditional appropriateness in the workplace, and this isn't the correct venue for pushing some sort of new cultural values. To be perfectly clear, there is not now, nor has there ever been, nor is there likely to be in the near future, any expectation that men and women look and dress the same.

If you work for me and you're asking for special consideration just because you like to wear something out of the ordinary, I as an employer reserve the right to say no, it's not how I want this workplace to operate. I pay you to perform work for me, not to treat this as your venue for self-expression of individuality. I may be old-fashioned in this regard, but I'm not alone in thinking that the workplace is where we intentionally hold ourselves to a professional standard, which may be different than how we act or dress in our private lives, for the sake of doing our jobs. If you, as my employee, can't live with that, then there's the door, should you wish to leave, and I wish you luck in your next job. But don't ask me to modify the standard of my workplace, which I'm responsible for maintaining to a certain standard. If I've given it thought and said no, then the answer is no. Trying to plead your case above my head is not going to end well.

I fully admit that my workplace is going to have different rules on appropriateness than others, but the concept remains the same. The dress code for men and women has always been different, and there's no reason they should be the same. Whether it's wearing an earring to work, or wearing a skirt (of any type), or having long hair, or wearing open-toed shoes, or any other issue, there are certain differences between traditional male and female dress codes that some employers will want to hold to. Employees may not agree with it, but managers have their reasons. Managers have plenty of real problems to deal with that affect business, and don't need to have employees creating a fuss over trivial issues like this.

Now don't get me wrong. I'd love it if the kilt were considered normal appropriate men's wear at work (and in society at large). I'd be wearing a kilt all the time. Because to me, it has nothing to do with comparing it to female dress code, and my argument would have nothing to do with that. I'd simply state that it's traditional men's attire, and as long as it's worn tastefully and modestly, it's perfectly fine. But unfortunately, it still does cause quite a stir, and could possibly be disruptive due to the immaturity of others. So I accept that it's not really appropriate in the workplace.