In the last year, the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements have brought women’s rights to the foreground. But it might be time to remember that men can also suffer from sexism at work. In fact, men are required to conform to more gender specific rules regarding their appearance during office hours than women, according to new research from CV-Library, the UK job site.
The data proved that almost one in four employees of both sexes have to conform to such rules despite 56.2% perceive them as sexist. Surprisingly, the majority of the rules are targeted against male employees. For instance, 78.4% weren’t allowed to wear shorts and 14.5% couldn’t have long hair in the office. Moreover, 16.7% had to wear ties. Interestingly, only one of the rules mentioned targeted women: that 20.7% weren’t allowed to wear really short or long skirts and dresses.
Commenting on the data, Lee Biggins, founder and managing director of CV-Library, said: “While there’s been a flood of media stories around equality in the workplace, especially in terms of the gender pay gap, it’s important that all forms of sexism are challenged. We often hear about women being judged on their appearance at the hiring stage but our data suggests that male employees are more likely to face these problems in the workplace.”
He suggests that dress code rules should apply to all employees but leaders should also be flexible and consider weather conditions, especially with the current heat wave England is hit by. “Strict work attire such as ties and heavy suits can be uncomfortable and too warm, causing dips in productivity,” Biggins adds.
While wearing a tie may not be seen as severe as the huge gender pay gap, sexist dress code are bad no matter who it affects. 
