Bosses 'can order female staff to wear proper underwear'

Cologne, Germany: A court in Germany has ruled that employers have the right to order their female staff to
wear proper underwear and may also dictate the length of their fingernails, said a media report.

The ruling came from the State Labour Court in Cologne in the northwestern part of Germany in a judgement on the dress and grooming habits of airport security personnel, Britain's Daily Express reported.

In fact, according to the ruling, bosses can order a woman employee to wear bras while in the workplace and even ask her to keep her hair clean and groomed, while male staff can be told they can sport a beard but it has be well-trimmed.

"Being told to wear a bra and to keep fingernails to shorter than half-a-centimetre does not impinge on personal rights," ruled the court.

Bras may only be dispensed with if a woman wears an undershirt. But workers scored one victory - they can wear wigs, the report said.

The court's decisions will apply not just to workers at the Cologne airport but to all workplaces in North Rhine Westphalia region.