The government has relented and allowed female hospital staff to wear shorts to work, the same as their male colleagues, a union says.
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The Community and Public Service Union (CPSU) claimed female wardspeople at the Canberra Hospital were subject to a "blatantly sexist" uniform double standard, The Canberra Times revealed on Friday.
However, Canberra Health Services has insisted women were always allowed to wear shorts.
"At no point over the past decade have female wardspeople been unable to wear shorts as part of their uniform," a spokesperson said on Tuesday.
The union and Canberra Health Services have conflicting accounts of the issue.
According to the union, Canberra Health Services agreed to let workers of all genders wear the same types of shorts on Monday.
It said union members and the government directorate agreed on a type of shorts, which will be ordered in coming weeks.
Following the meeting on Monday, wardies of any gender can buy three pairs of either King Gee or FXD shorts from a designated workwear shop, billed to Canberra Health Services, the union said.
The staff members claim management previously told them women were not to wear shorts while working at the hospital.
An email from a manager sent last week to a staff member, seen by The Canberra Times, said women were only allowed to wear a particular type of shorts which was to be ordered.
The union claimed the shorts for women were particularly long, designed to extend past the knees.
Canberra Health Services insists that while a particular design of shorts was being offered to female wardspeople, they have always been allowed to wear unisex shorts.
The Canberra Health Services spokesperson said an email was sent to all wardspeople, "advising that specifically designed uniform shorts for female wardspeople had recently become available in response to discussion with staff and the union earlier this year.
"Female wardspeople may choose to wear these shorts in addition to the uniform unisex shorts that continue to be available for all wardspeople.
"CHS met with union yesterday about this matter and continue to have productive discussions to identidy alternative designs of shorts for the staff concerned."
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Following the meeting on Monday, CPSU national president Brooke Muscat said she was "relieved that common sense has prevailed".
"This is not just a good outcome for wardspersons - it is a good outcome for the patients that rely on them," she said.
"Wardies have a critical job to do, and now they can comfortably get on with doing it."
The union said the uniform issue was just one example of cultural issues within the Wards Services Department.
"Now that this is resolved, CPSU members look forward to working productively with management on a range of other WHS issues facing wardies," Ms Muscat said.
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Lanie Tindale
I am City reporter at The Canberra Times. I previously covered health for the masthead, and was a trainee before that. I have written on courts, federal politics, breaking news, features and opinion. lanie.tindale@canberratimes.com.au.
I am City reporter at The Canberra Times. I previously covered health for the masthead, and was a trainee before that. I have written on courts, federal politics, breaking news, features and opinion. lanie.tindale@canberratimes.com.au.
