Dress codes that require short skirts, cleavage-baring tops and high heels have been brought to the fore by a human-rights complaint against the Shark Club Richmond, but are hardly uncommon in Vancouver’s service industry.
A female server at a Lower Mainland Earls Restaurant and Bar, who asked not to be named, told Metro yesterday that Earls requires their female servers to wear skirts and “a substantial heel,” a rule that she said is “strictly enforced.”
Managers at Earls also encourage female servers to wear their hair down and put on more makeup, according to the source.
The high heels hurt her feet, she says, “especially when you’re carrying heavy trays, and you have to walk for six to eight hours sometimes, non-stop.”
She added that wearing heels does not get her more tips.
Jeff Ace said on Granville Street yesterday that he’s a former waiter.
“Lots of jobs have a dress code. You’ve got to kind of look the part,” he said. “I know when I was a waiter, I’d make half the tips the girls would.”
