From: Paul J. Lucas Subject: Regained priviledge at work Date: Wed, 28 Feb 1996 00:02:33 -0800 (PST) All - On January 24th, 1996, I found a hand-written note pinned outside my office door addressed to me. Upon merely seeing the note (prior to reading it), I just *knew* what is was going to be about. The content of the note was: > Paul, > > Please see me. has seen you continuing to be > in the building in bare feet. She has the right as Safety > Representative to require you to wear shoes. Please respect > her requirements for this facility. Thanks. > > (In all the text, I have replaced all identifying names with generic labels .) I spoke to on the phone and he sympathized. I told him first and foremost that I would comply and this was not an issue. However, I respectfully asked that if I was being asked to comply with a safety regulation that I be shown the actual, written regulation. said that was a reasonable request. I then sent the following e-mail to : >From: "Paul J. Lucas" >To: >Subject: Safety regulation >Date: Sat, 10 Feb 1996 13:00:20 -0800 (PST) > > - > > After having received the note from , I have > been complying and shall continue to comply with your wishes > regarding footwear. This is not an issue. > > In speaking further with , I had related to him > that I've dealt with this sort of thing my whole life. In > doing research, I have discovered that, despite the opinion of > some people and signs you may have seen to the contrary, there > are no laws, regulations, safety or health codes regarding > bare feet in the state of California as well as other states > -- there simply is no need: > > + Tresspassing laws can be used to enforce any policy, e.g., > dress code, on private property. > > + OSHA regulations (available on-line at http://www.osha.gov/) > require steel-toed shoes only in environments where there > are "falling or rolling objects" or there there are work or > scrap materials about that can "pierce the sole." In my > observation, does not appear to be such an > environment. And, if it were, everyone would be required to > wear steel-toed shoes. The fact that most people don't > further indicates that is not such an environment; > hence, the OSHA regulations do not seem to apply. > > + Bare feet are simply not a health issue. In addition to > verifying this with the Environmental Health Department of > Santa Clara County (408/299-6060), thinking about it for a > moment would indicate this: Anyone can go anywhere with boots > having all manner of foul materials encrusted in the sole > treads and be served, restaurants included. Speaking for > myself, I wash my feet daily as part of showing; I would > guess that most people do not wash their shoes daily. > > I am not presenting the above to be argumentative; I present it > as fact. As I have said, I shall abide by your wishes. But I > know that many well-intentioned people, especially those > charged with overseeing the safety of others, just assume that > there are laws or regulations against bare feet. > > Although my personal research has always come up empty, I > realize there may be some or -specific > regulation that I am not aware of. In speaking with Boss>, I had mentioned that, for my own edification, I would > very much like to see a copy of the regulation you are > enforcing. said this was a reasonable > request. > > The reason for this e-mail at all is because I greatly value > the personal freedom of being barefoot. I don't do it because > of lack of respect or to "get in anybody's face" or because I > am making some sort of statement. (It's curious to note that > in Eastern cultures, one removes one's shoes when entering a > building; currently, I am putting mine on to enter the > building.) > > FYI: If you're so inclined, you can visit my home page where I > talk about this further: > > http://www.best.com/~pjl/personal/bare_feet.html > > The web page also includes an exceprt from a marvellous essay > by Barbara Holland on the subject. > > Anyway, I look forward to your response and thank you for your > time. > > - Paul Here is 's response. Note the large gap in time. >From: >To: "Paul J. Lucas" >Subject: Re: Safety regulation >Date: Mon, 26 Feb 96 16:47:27 PST > >Paul, > I haven't been ignoring this message, just didn't have time to look into >it. I did get a response from safety that included: > >I have still the firm comment from who said we >must dress as professionals in a professional environment. Barefoot is >not professional dress anywhere I know of in the U. S. Definitely not in > work. >Although this does not make it a safety issue, I assume this would be >appropriate for our facility. > I then replied with: >From: "Paul J. Lucas" >To: >Subject: Re: Safety regulation >Date: Mon, 26 Feb 1996 17:17:55 -0800 (PST) > > - > > Thanks for taking the time to research and respond. > >> I have still the firm comment from who >> said we must dress as professionals in a professional environment. > > To me, that implies a dress code. Prior to joining this > environment, I asked specifically if there was a dress code: I > was told "no." > > I started here at in the summer and saw engineers wearing > shorts, T-shirts, sandals, men with ear-rings, etc. > Apparently, this manner of dress is acceptable; yet, such a > manner of dress would not be deemed "professional" in > "corporate-type" companies as opposed to research institutions > which are typified by being more laid back and casual. > > I have no desire to transgress any dress code at this facility. > I do not wish to spend time in the morning trying to figure out > what might and might not be acceptable. I do not want to get > you into any trouble for having any one of the people under you > transgressing the dress code. > > Therefore, if a dress code exists, I think it would be in > everyone's best interests if it were made available and it were > in as specific terms as possible. > >> Barefoot is not professional dress anywhere I know of in the U. S. > > That's simply not true. When I interviewed at Sun Microsystems > in early 1995, I asked them if they had a dress code. They > said "no." Additionally, while I was in Sun's facilities, I > saw an engineer or two in T-shirts, shorts, end, yes, bare > feet. I would venture that Sun is a typical Silicon Valley > high-tech company. > >> Definitely not in work. > > Well, I have no data to respond to that. > > - Paul I then received the following response: >From: >To: "Paul J. Lucas" >Subject: Re: Safety regulation >Date: Tue, 27 Feb 96 10:03:26 PST > >Paul, at this point it is your call. My notice was for safety (with my >facility safety representative hat on) and since it isn't that, I no longer >have an issue. > >Thanks for the patience with bureacracy > It seems as though I regained the right to go barefoot at work! To make aware of 's decision, I sent him the following note: >From: "Paul J. Lucas" >To: >Subject: Safety resolution >Date: Tue, 27 Feb 1996 13:46:02 -0800 (PST) > > - > > I have been in communication with . Here is her > response: > > [ 's response elided for brevity. ] > > I assume that if apparently no longer has any > issue, then you don't either. Please let me know if this is not > the case. Thanks. > > - Paul I then received this response: >From: >To: "Paul J. Lucas" >Subject: Re: Shoes Safety Resolution >Date: 27 Feb 1996 14:23:25 -0800 >Cc: > > Reply to: RE>Shoes Safety Resolution > >Paul, > >'s decision determines policy for us. If she permits bare >feet inside Building in the absence of safety problems, that *is* >the policy we will follow. You may use your judgment. My only >concern would be for the wearing of shoes for "special" reasons, e.g., a >demo for the Administrator or for situations where you would be >moving heavy equipment, etc. Thank you for your role in this >policy clarification. > > I responded saying "Of course" to "special" reasons assuming I knew about them in advance. Out of curiosity, I asked why the were put on the Cc list. 's response was that so all said people would be aware the the newly-clarified policy. Naturally, I'm delighted at the outcome. :) - Paul J. Lucas (avid barefooter) .oooO Oooo. http://www.best.com/~pjl/ ( ) ( ) Maintainer: alt.lifestyle.barefoot FAQ \ ( ) / Set your feet free and your mind will follow. \_) (_/