Experts point out that there is a dress code within the scope of the legislation, stating that it says ‘sandals are not allowed’ but there is no provision regarding high heels.
Occupational Health and Safety Specialist Dr. Lecturer Nuri Bingöl noted that any accident experienced by women at the workplace with high heels during working hours, regardless of the heel height, is defined as an ‘occupational accident’, and said, “If you have an accident at the workplace for any reason, in any way, it is an occupational accident.”
Üsküdar Üniversitesi Faculty of Health Sciences Deputy Dean, Occupational Health and Safety Specialist Dr. Lecturer Nuri Bingöl evaluated whether situations such as falling or injuries at the workplace due to high heels should be considered occupational accidents.
“Being at the workplace indicates it's an occupational accident…”
Dr. Lecturer Nuri Bingöl, pointing out that some organizations have their own dress codes, said, “The definition of an occupational accident is found in two laws. Within our legislation, one is the Occupational Health and Safety Law No. 6331, and the other is the SSI Law No. 5510. It has a long name, but I said it briefly. Both begin like this: ‘those that occur at the workplace and due to the execution of work’. The SSI law elaborates on this a bit more, but being at the workplace indicates it's an occupational accident; there's no need to look for anything else.”
“There is no provision regarding high heels”
Clarifying whether high heels comply with the dress code, Dr. Lecturer Nuri Bingöl said, “There is a dress code within the scope of the legislation. It states that sandals are not allowed. There is no provision regarding high heels. However, for some jobs, wearing high heels might be preferred to look presentable. Of course, from the perspective of occupational health, physical health, and orthopedics, it can lead to other problems.”
Is an accident at the workplace with high heels an ‘occupational accident’?
Stating that an accident at the workplace with high heels is an ‘occupational accident’, Dr. Lecturer Nuri Bingöl said, “In a case where I served as an expert witness, there was a situation concerning compensation for a person who slipped while rushing to catch an elevator and broke their foot. As long as it happens at the workplace, such things create a risk, and because they create a risk, it is an occupational accident. Therefore, these risks need to be eliminated; the problem here might be the height of the heel rather than the high heel itself.”
“Pointed heels increase the risk of occupational accidents”
Stating that men also wear shoes with heels of 2-5.5 centimeters in daily life, Dr. Lecturer Nuri Bingöl said, “These are also good for orthopedic foot health, but as the heel gets higher, the risk of the job increases. A risk assessment might be necessary. That is, heels not exceeding 3.5-4 centimeters… Heels that won't cause problems… Pointed heels increase the risk of occupational accidents.”
“There must be a non-slip floor at the workplace; high heels can be worn”
Dr. Lecturer Nuri Bingöl noted that any accident experienced by women at the workplace with high heels during working hours, regardless of the heel height, is defined as an occupational accident, and said, “If you have an accident at the workplace for any reason, in any way, it is an occupational accident. If the reason is high heels, it's high heels. High heels create more risk for this, increasing the probability. Therefore, when we conduct a job evaluation related to it, there must be a non-slip floor so that high heels can be worn. The environments we generally see, for example, in hotels, have shiny, polished marble floors. Here, there's already a slippery surface, and wearing high heels further increases the risk. So, if someone not wearing high heels slips and falls and breaks their foot, that's also an occupational accident, but wearing high heels significantly increases this risk.”
“Every accident at the workplace is an occupational accident”
Dr. Lecturer Nuri Bingöl, pointing out that a workplace can set limits for wearing high heels, said, “It can be said not to exceed 5-6 centimeters. Because it poses a risk in terms of occupational health and safety. When we work at some workplaces, we provide employees with shoes based on personal protective equipment related to occupational safety. For example, steel-toe shoes are worn in construction, and electricians are given 6 thick insulated, non-conductive shoes. Now, if a normal receptionist or announcer is told to wear high heels, its risk needs to be measured and evaluated. If our floor is not slippery, and the probability of falling is a bit low, perhaps 6 centimeters, 7 centimeters might be acceptable. In regulations, the risk of accidents would be reduced. Otherwise, every accident that occurs at the workplace is an occupational accident.”