Forcing woman to wear high heels to work could “damage their vocal chords”, it was revealed yesterday.
Making female employees don stilettos in the office is putting them at risk of physical harm, MPs heard.
Helen Sewell, a leading voice and communication coach, told a parliamentary committee that wearing heels all day could lead to faster, shallower breathing and damage the vocal cords.
She said that having to speak while standing in high shoes "makes you think less clearly by adversely affecting your breathing pattern [and] prevents you from projecting your voice properly, forcing you to compensate in ways which risk causing vocal cord damage".
The Standard previously reported that actress Nicola Thorp was sent home on the first day as a corporate receptionist at PwC in central London for refusing to wear two to four inch heels.
The row sparked a petition to urging MPs to ban employers forcing women to wear high heels at work which has now been signed by more than 150,000 people.
Ms Sewell said in written evidence presented to the petitions committee earlier this month: "Any employer that requires women to wear high heels in the workplace (but does not require men to do so) is acting in a discriminatory manner because of the negative effects that high heels cause.”
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