Female staff at Canberra Hospital are subject to a "blatantly sexist" rule banning them from wearing shorts - a directive that doesn't apply to men, a union says.
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Canberra Health Services has denied a double standard, saying they issue uniform shorts for everyone regardless of gender.
Women working as wardspeople, or wardies, have been "fighting" to wear shorts for more than a year, according to the Community and Public Service Union (CPSU).
Wardspeople transport patients, assist nurses and perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
A Canberra Health Services spokesperson said uniform shorts were issued to wardspeople "irrespective of gender".
"It has been the case for years that an option to wear shorts has been available to all staff, and remains the case today," they said.
![Wardspeople Bella Ambrosina and Emma Langdon, with CPSU president Brooke Muscat, say there is a gendered double standard with uniforms. Picture by Karleen Minney Wardspeople Bella Ambrosina and Emma Langdon, with CPSU president Brooke Muscat, say there is a gendered double standard with uniforms. Picture by Karleen Minney](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/RXMuw2JbrrS7ELSxSY9rkR/0eb5c2a6-7d13-4c49-bd81-4552b5731556.jpg/r0_295_5780_3557_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
An email from management sent this week, seen by The Canberra Times, said a particular brand of shorts were "now available" to women. The union said these were particularly long.
Stopping women from wearing shorts was a workplace safety issue, Community and Public Service Union president Brooke Muscat said.
"It's just outrageous that in 2023, women cannot wear shorts in the workplace, but their male counterparts can, and we just don't understand how that is even a conversation that we're having right now," she said.
"The shorts are fine for the hospital expansion construction site, they're fine for working at the Arboretum, they're fine for male wardies, but they aren't fine for women."
A female staff member ordered to stop wearing shorts to work fainted after overheating in pants, the union claimed.
"Senior executive managers seem to think women's knees are offensive and need to be covered at work," Ms Muscat said.
"But the real problem here isn't women's knees, it's the outdated and sexist opinions of people who are more concerned with seeing a woman in shorts than they are with her passing out from overheating."
The union said they raised the issue with Canberra Health Services chief executive officer Dave Peffer in March and have had ongoing discussions with hospital management since.
Wardsperson Bella Ambrosina said she was "really confused" when first told to stop wearing shorts to work last year.
![A male wardsperson wearing shorts to work at Canberra Hospital. Picture by Karleen Minney A male wardsperson wearing shorts to work at Canberra Hospital. Picture by Karleen Minney](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/135763310/56d118b8-5005-4e1f-941a-07bc0c87972b.jpg/r168_0_5662_3084_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
She called the pants "horrible" in hot weather.
"There's patients that are counting on us to help move them or make them more comfortable," Ms Ambrosina said.
"You get really overheated, and then you start sweating, and [it] just makes it more uncomfortable at work."
Working as a wardsperson is physically demanding and essential to the hospital, Ms Muscat said.
"It can be very strenuous work, it's very physical work, it's long, it's tiring," she said.
The union called for a review into the Wards Services Department, saying there are broader problems.
"There are cultural issues, in our view, [and] there is a propensity of management not to take all work, health and safety matters and psychosocial risks seriously," Ms Muscat said.
"We think there should be a review into the entire operation. We think it's important that not only the gender issues [are] dealt with but the cultural issues are addressed."
A Canberra Health Services spokesperson said uniform shorts specifically designed for women had been approved in 2023.
![Wardspeople Bella Ambrosina and Emma Langdon, with CPSU president Brooke Muscat, say there is a gendered double standard when it comes to CHS uniform rules. Picture by Karleen Minney. Wardspeople Bella Ambrosina and Emma Langdon, with CPSU president Brooke Muscat, say there is a gendered double standard when it comes to CHS uniform rules. Picture by Karleen Minney.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/135763310/834fd42c-fd5e-414c-b9a6-2f067aece33c.jpg/r0_78_7057_4046_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
An email sent by a senior manager to a staff member on Tuesday, seen by this masthead, said:
"Please be advised women's shorts are now available for you to request. You have the option of wearing the below shorts or nurse's scrubs that we can provide for you. Anything outside of these options is not acceptable ... This directive is effective immediately."
IN OTHER NEWS:
Canberra Health Services said they had "undertaken work in 2023 to ensure specifically designed shorts for female wardspeople have recently become available in response to concerns raised by staff and the union earlier in the year."
The union said these shorts had not been ordered, and were long and would extend past the knees of most females.
Staff said before being told to stop wearing shorts, women would buy shorts from Lowes, the same as men.
Ms Muscat said the ACT government and Mr Peffer should intervene.
"Management should be focusing on patient outcomes and wait times, rather than women wearing shorts. The priorities are all wrong," she said.
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