Thanks to recent legislation in Alberta, anyone working in the service industry cannot be forced to wear heels for shifts at their jobs.

Following some serious injuries where employees have had to have surgery to repair the damage dealt out by forced, unsafe working conditions, footwear like heels can no longer be mandatory.

 

And thank God it's finally happening, says longtime service industry worker Courtney Rose.

 

"I have been in the service industry since the '90s. I have been a manager, server, bartender and an owner, but I remember being forced to wear heels to my shifts as a bartender or a server and coming home at night and taking my heels and having my boots be filled with blood. My ankles and my feet would be so swollen that I would have to rest them or ice them before I would even be able to go back to another shift."

 

Although she's annoyed it took this long for them to finally enforce it, Rose is happy to see it happen.

 
"It was just hell. I am so glad that they're finally taking steps to make safe footwear something that is appropriate in the workplace, not just to look pretty."
 
 
 
Rose says that in an industry as difficult and fast-paced as the service industry, wearing footwear that is uncomfortable is just cruel.
 
 
 
"We work our butts off in the service industry. I think that's completely inappropriate to demand someone to wear a specific style of something just for looks. Its not even functional."
 
 
Rose says that this recent legislation not only ends potentially hazardous situations in the workplace but it takes further steps toward equality.
 
 
 
"In this day in age, a lot of people really focus on the material things, how things look rather than the function or the reasoning behind them, which is sad. But Im glad that we're moving into more equality. Honestly, everyone should be wearing (something) safe, doesn't matter if you're a guy behind the bar or a girl behind the bar."
 
 
"There's no reason to be wearing boots. Yes, it looks nice and it may be complementary to your outfit or to a certain style that employer is asking for but by no means is it functional. It's just stupid"
 
 
 
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