I work in a very corporate environment and we were discussing this today. PwC sent receptionist Nicola Thorpe home because she refused to wear the 2 to 4 inch heels the dress code specified for women. They have since amended this to include smart flats. I was interested to see that the women I work with were more on the side of PwC than Nicola Thorpe while the men were fairly evenly split. I'd be interested in the thoughts of posters here.
This is the story
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world...ersy-1.2644373
and here is an opinion piece which closely reflects what most of my female colleagues thought. Essentially, their high heels were part of their everyday professional armour for them, in the same way that suits are for the guys. One's appearance lends an air of authority and competence and is a reflection of the corporation's brand.
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/...-a7028676.html