An image of a waitress’ bloody feet following a shift in which she said her employer required her to wear high heels has gone viral, and her friend who posted the photo hopes it brings awareness of fair labor practices.
Nicola Gavins posted the photo May 3 on her Facebook page, saying her waitress friend works at a location of Joey Restaurants in Edmonton, Alberta.
“Their policy is still that female staff wear heels unless medically restricted,” Gavins wrote.
She said her friend’s feet were “bleeding to the point she lost a toe nail and she was still discouraged and berated by the shift manager for changing into flats.”
The 21-year-old woman told the CBC that she was instructed to wear heels with a minimum 1-inch heel and maximum 3-inch heel.
When her feet hurt after her first day of training, she complained to her manager, who told her to a buy a nice pair of shoes.
In the photo, she wears a Karl Lagerfeld pair. She ended up quitting the job.
A spokeswoman for the restaurant company told the CBC there was a misunderstanding and the employee was not required to wear heels. Guidelines only require male and female staff to wear black dress shoes with a non-slip, thick sole, the company told the
“Under this guide, they choose what is comfortable for them. There is no minimum height when it comes to our shoe policy,” Sasha Perrin, a communications manager for Joey, told the CBC.
The company was upset by the Facebook post and has reached out to the employee, the spokeswoman said.
The company has come under fire for the image, the CBC reported.
“I have many friends in the service industry and know loads of ladies who still earn great tips without having to sacrifice their comfort while serving. I’ll choose to continue supporting those establishments,” Gavins added.
The image was picked up by the Daily Mail early Wednesday. By late afternoon, it had been shared more than 11,000 times.
On Wednesday, Gavins wrote: “This is pretty overwhelming, thanks to all the awesome people that have shared my post. Hopefully we see some positive changes and fair labour practices for people in the service industry.”
