Underwear obligatory for Florida city workers

Days of braless Spandex halter tops well and truly over

By Lester Haines • Get more from this author

Posted in Bootnotes, 19th June 2009 15:08 GMT

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The council of Brooksville, Florida, has clamped down on malodorous city employees sporting Spandex halter tops and exotic piercings while further prejudicing the town's "public image" by turning up for work without underwear.

The new dress code specifically mandates the use of deodorant, while banning "distracting, offensive or revealing" clothing. This includes the aforementioned Spandex and halter tops, plus skirts "worn below the waistline such that the abdomen or back is exposed".

Furthermore, the only metalwork allowed is earrings, while operatives must cover tattoos and "cuts and wounds".

Of all the directives, the obligatory underwear order is the most controversial. The city council voted 4-1 in favour of the code, with mayor Joe Bernardini representing the dissenting voice.

He explained: "They said you had to wear undergarments, but who's going to be the judge of that? Sometimes when it comes to certain people going bra-less, it's obvious. But who's staring to see if that person doesn't have underwear on?"*

Workers who fail to measure up to Brooksville's standards "can be sent home to change and not paid for the time missed from work", while "multiple violations could result in disciplinary action up to and including termination", the St. Petersburg Times notes. ®