Foxwoods Casino Servers Fighting Footwear Policy
A Connecticut casino is making headlines this week, and it’s not because of a huge payout, an exciting tournament, or a big headlining entertainment act.
Instead, it’s about what the cocktail waitresses are forced to wear on their feet. Cocktail servers at Foxwoods Casino have banded together and joined a union in order to fight their employer’s requirement that they wear what they say are uncomfortable, and foot damaging, high heeled shoes.
Two inch height requirement has been revoked
Previously those employed as cocktail servers at Foxwoods were permitted to wear shoes with a two inch heel, however that is no longer the case. The new rules, according to staff, are arbitrary, with management essentially having the power to determine whether the servers’ footwear is appropriate, though the shoes must be black, polished, and high-heeled.
Servers have been complaining about the high heel requirement since back in 2009, though the situation has reportedly grown more tense since 2012, when a consultant hired by the casino insisted that the ideal cocktail server maintain a “sexy” appearance, including tall, pointy-toed high heels.
High heel requirement is ageist
The story has even gained traction in the mainstream media, with female-focused blog Jezebel pointing out that by requiring their servers to wear often-uncomfortable high heels, they are actually discriminating against older employees.
Many of the women who are employed as cocktail servers at Foxwoods, which is the nation’s second-largest casino, have worked there for many years. That means they’ve spent those years tottering around on shoes that not only hurt their feet after a long shift of helping customers enjoy their casino visit, but also cause serious and in some cases, irreparable bodily damage.
The older waitresses say that the policy requiring the wearing of tall-heeled shoes favors younger employees whose feet have not been subjected to the years of abuse that those of their older colleagues have.
“Most of us girls have been here for 20 years, 15 years,” said Cheryle Haase, who is herself a 20-year veteran of Foxwoods. “This job has really done a number on our feet and they know it.”
Despite need for medical treatment, some intend to stand tall
A doctor who has treated some of the women who work at Foxwoods whose feet have been affected by the constant long hours walking back and forth in heels holding drink trays, podiatrist Dr. Eric Levine, said that some of his patients have told him they have no intention of switching out their stilettos for something more practical, even if the casino reverses course on its policy.
“Several have told me they’re not going to stop wearing them. ‘The higher the heel, the larger the tip,'” Dr. Levine said.
Servers worry about income as casino revenue declines
Making matters worse for the servers is the fact that Foxwoods has, like many casinos on the east coast of the United States, been experiencing a decline in revenue. Since the servers largely rely on tips to earn their income, they too feel the effects of diminished profit when the casino’s business drops off.
Many Foxwoods servers, who have organized under the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, feel that they are forced to place their job security and their income ahead of their health, and thus continue to wear the foot-squeezing heels.
No doubt Foxwoods, like many casinos in the United States, is feeling increased pressure to maintain a glamorous atmosphere as neighboring states such as Massachusetts look to ramp up their own casino industries. As new, and more luxurious, properties are poised to open all along the eastern seaboard, the “pinch” is felt from the servers all the way on up to the management.
