MANY women in the workplace have been told to wear high heels and revealing outfits by their employer, a study into workplace dress codes has found.

The "troubling" experiences suffered by female staff were unearthed by a parliamentary report into the case of a woman sacked for not wearing high heels.

An Oxford barrister said the law does not need to be changed, but that it must be applied and enforced properly.

More than 150,000 people signed a petition in support of London receptionist Nicola Thorp, who was sent home from work after refusing to wear high heels.

The 27-year-old arrived at finance company PwC to be told she had to wear shoes with a "2ins to 4ins heel" and when she refused and complained male colleagues were not asked to do the same, she was sent home without pay.

The Petitions Committee and Women and Equalities Committee said it became clear in the course of its inquiry that this was not an isolated incident.

Tim Forer, employment specialist and barrister at Oxford law firm Blake Morgan, said: “This Parliamentary report is valuable in highlighting the troubling experiences that some women report while working for employers of all sizes. Although it focuses on one particular case involving high heels, the committee is right to say that this is by no means an isolated incident.

“Employers must take care to ensure that their dress codes are reasonable for the work in hand and do not vary according to gender in a way that is discriminatory.

“I would not agree with those who say there needs to be a change in the law to make it more effective. The Equality Act 2010 is already a wide ranging piece of legislation, but like any law, it must be applied and enforced properly.

“Cases and reports like this help in ensuring that employers know their responsibilities and employees know their rights. The more the law is applied correctly and enforced, the more effective it becomes.”

Tim Forer, employment specialist and barrister at law firm Blake Morgan, said: “This Parliamentary report is valuable in highlighting the troubling experiences that some women report while working for employers of all sizes. Although it focuses on one particular case involving high heels, the committee is right to say that this is by no means an isolated incident.

“Employers must take care to ensure that their dress codes are reasonable for the work in hand and do not vary according to gender in a way that is discriminatory.

“I would not agree with those who say there needs to be a change in the law to make it more effective. The Equality Act 2010 is already a wide ranging piece of legislation, but like any law, it must be applied and enforced properly.

“Cases and reports like this help in ensuring that employers know their responsibilities and employees know their rights. The more the law is applied correctly and enforced, the more effective it becomes.”

The report heard from hundreds of women who talked about the pain and long-term damage caused by wearing high heels for long periods in the workplace, as well as from women who had been required to dye their hair blonde, to wear revealing outfits and to constantly reapply make-up A Government spokesman said: "No employer should discriminate against workers on grounds of gender - it is unacceptable and is against the law.

"Dress codes must be reasonable and include equivalent requirements for both men and women.

"The Government Equalities Office will carefully consider this report and will work with its partners to make sure employers comply with the law."