The ongoing conversation about gender equality in the workplace has taken a new turn after an Australian female landscaper raised an important question about workplace dress codes. The debate, sparked by Shianne Fox, a Sydney-based tradeswoman known as “The Bikini Tradie” on social media, has gained widespread attention. Fox called out what she sees as a double standard: why can men work shirtless in extreme heat while women cannot?
Fox recently took to TikTok to express her frustration after being told she had to keep her shirt on while working outdoors in sweltering 40-degree Celsius (104-degree Fahrenheit) heat. In her video, she criticized the rule, saying, “It’s a f—ing 40-degree day today and I’m the one who has to wear my shirt, while all the boys on-site don’t have to wear theirs. It’s a double standard, it’s sexist, and I’m actually really over it. I just want to be topless like the boys—but no, I will ‘distract them’.”

Having worked in male-dominated trades for over four years, Fox frequently wears a bikini top while on the job to cope with the intense heat. She argued that her request for equal treatment was not inappropriate and that societal perceptions need to evolve. Fox asserted that the human body is natural and that her being topless should not be considered distracting, especially when men working under the same conditions are allowed to go shirtless.

However, her stance has been met with mixed reactions. Some supporters agree with her point, arguing that men and women should be treated equally in all aspects of the workplace, including dress codes. Many male commenters on her video praised her for speaking out, with some even making lighthearted remarks in support of her cause.