Nespresso called out for telling staff they 'must wear red lipstick' to work
![Customer left feeling "sick" after Nespresso employee tells her she's "forced" to wear red lipstick. [Photo: Getty]](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/ujuOjDBis83kewyZODSJGg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD03Nzg-/https://media-mbst-pub-ue1.s3.amazonaws.com/creatr-uploaded-images/2019-10/a6449f90-f0db-11e9-b6ff-9717a2802fee)
This might seem like an admission from the 1940s, but in fact, a Nespresso café staff member claimed that she is “forced” to wear red lipstick to work, in 2019.
Just when we think we’re making progress.
Rachida Benamar, who originally tweeted about her encounter with Nespresso staff at the Cheapside, London, branch, said she was left feeling “sick and shocked”.
Rachida told Yahoo she was initially drawn to the “vibrant” lipstick after noticing five or six members of staff all wearing the same shade.
“When I went up to the counter I made a joke about it and asked if they were forced to wear red. The woman behind the counter said yes, they were.”
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“She didn’t look very impressed by their archaic, sexist policy.” Rachida went on to say.
She has tweeted about her conversation and put it on Instagram Stories but is yet to receive a reply from Nespresso. Yahoo has also contacted Nespresso for a comment.
The red lipstick is presumably to match the brand’s numerous red coloured coffee makers, but why women are being forced to wear it to work isn’t clear.
The Cheapside branch is one of only two Nespresso café locations in London.
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Just yesterday, the ASA banned an advert from Boohoo with the heading “send nudes” after deciding it was “socially irresponsible”.
We’ve also recently seen examples of sexism in film posters, which showcase male leads and completely disregard the names of female leads.
Plus, a number of airlines have come under fire for various sexist practices, including Wizz Air who was called out for pictures of a woman wearing a tight bodycon dress on the safety card.
