Industry Guides

Employer’s Guide to Inclusive Workwear

4th March 2026

When we talk about workplace equality, the conversation often centres on pay gaps, promotion pipelines, and flexible working policies. These things matter enormously, but there’s also a practical, often overlooked factor that affects women’s safety, wellbeing, and confidence at work: their workwear.

Woman working on her computer wearing branded workwear

The employer’s guide to inclusive workwear: Supporting women in the workplace

For industries like construction, manufacturing, and engineering, where uniforms or PPE are part of the job, the clothing and protective equipment issued to employees is more than a dress code. It’s a health and safety matter. When workwear isn’t designed with women in mind, the consequences go beyond comfort.

This guide is designed to help you understand why inclusive workwear provision matters, and what practical steps you can take to get it right.

Why workwear is a workplace equality issue

Historically, personal protective equipment (PPE) and workwear have been designed to fit the average male body, and simply scaled down for women. The result? Ill-fitting garments that may compromise safety, restrict movement, and make women feel like an afterthought in their own workplace.

Research has shown that women working in male-dominated industries are more likely to report issues with PPE fit. A survey by the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) found that only 26% of women reported their PPE was comfortable or fit perfectly in 2024. We’ve also explored this topic in depth in our own research.

Gloves that are too wide reduce dexterity. High-visibility vests that don’t account for chest and hip proportions can become a hazard. Trousers without adequate pocket space force workers to improvise storage in ways that create risk. The list goes on.

This isn’t a minor inconvenience; it’s a genuine barrier to equal participation in the workforce.

At MyWorkwear, this isn’t an issue we simply observe from the outside. 63% of our senior leadership team is female and the majority of our customers speak to us about their need for women's fit workwear and PPE, which means inclusive workwear isn’t just a trend we’re responding to. It’s something we’re personally invested in getting right.

Our Commercial Director Gayle Parker said, “Ill-fitting PPE and workwear might seem minor, but it sends a wider message about whether women are fully considered in workplace planning. As a workwear provider, we are engaged in regular conversations with hundreds of firms about the need for a wide range of women's workwear options. Our data shows a shocking 62% of women have been expected to wear men’s fit or unisex fit items in the workplace at some point in their career.”

The business case for getting it right

Inclusive workwear is morally the right thing to do, but it also makes sound business sense. Here are a number of reasons why it should be on your radar for impactful change.

Safety and compliance

Under the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations, employers have a legal duty to provide PPE that fits the wearer properly. Ill-fitting PPE that fails to protect an employee is a compliance risk, full stop.

Recruitment and retention

Women are increasingly entering traditionally male industries, and the experience they have from day one matters. Workwear that fits well and is designed for them signals that your organisation takes inclusion seriously, and that message travels.

Performance and productivity

Comfortable employees are more likely to perform better. Workwear that restricts movement, rides up, or fails to accommodate the female form creates a constant, low-level distraction that adds up over a full shift.

Morale and belonging

The relationship between workwear and wellbeing runs deeper than you might expect, and feeling seen matters. Providing workwear that accommodates women’s bodies is one of the simplest ways an employer can communicate the message: you belong here.

What inclusive workwear looks like

Inclusive workwear isn’t about creating a separate, lesser range - it’s about applying the same standards of fit, function, and quality to garments designed for women as those designed for men. That means:

Fit for purpose, fit for body shape: Women’s workwear should be cut to accommodate differing body proportions - not simply a smaller version of a men’s garment. This includes consideration of chest, hip, and waist fit across the full range of sizes offered.
Functional pockets: It sounds basic, but functional, same-sized pockets in women’s workwear continues to be an issue. Workers need to carry tools, phones, and equipment safely, so this should apply equally to all staff.
Appropriate fastenings and access: For industries where workers need to access safety equipment quickly, or where workwear is worn over other layers, ease of movement and appropriate fastenings are a genuine safety consideration.
PPE designed for women: This includes properly fitted hard hats, harnesses, gloves, safety footwear, and high-vis clothing - all available in sizes and cuts that work for female workers.
Maternity and pregnancy provision: Pregnant workers have specific needs that standard uniforms simply don’t accommodate. Having a clear policy and provision in place is both a legal requirement and a basic duty of care.

Practical steps you can take

Reviewing your workwear policy is the first step you can take in ensuring women feel more comfortable and safe in the workplace. If you’re not sure where to start, here are some steps you can take to review your current uniform and PPE provision.

Audit what you’re currently providing

Take stock of the workwear and PPE available to your female employees now. Ask these questions:

Is it purpose-designed for women, or is it adapted from men’s ranges?
Does it come in a full-size range?
Is it available immediately?

Talk to your employees

Ask the women in your workforce what works, what doesn’t, and what would make a difference. Anonymous surveys, team conversations, or a standalone feedback channel can surface issues that management might not be aware of.

Review your supplier relationships

Work with suppliers that provide genuinely inclusive ranges, not “shrink it and pink it” adaptations. Ask your workwear suppliers about the design process behind their women’s workwear and what testing has been done for fit and function.

Update your PPE risk assessments

Your PPE risk assessments should specifically address fit for female workers. If they don’t, update them. This is both good practice and a requirement under current health and safety legislation.

Create a clear uniform policy

Formalise your approach to uniform. A written uniform policy that explicitly covers provision for women, including maternity workwear and PPE, sets clear expectations internally and emphasizes your commitment externally.

Set a review cycle

Workwear needs change as your workforce evolves. Build in an annual review of your uniform and PPE policy to make sure it remains fit for purpose as your company grows.

Beyond workwear: Supporting women more broadly

Inclusive workwear is just one cog in a much larger machine. Employers who are serious about supporting women in the workplace should consider a range of policies and provisions that address the full picture of women’s working lives.

Menopause policies

Around 1 in 10 women have left a job due to menopause symptoms, according to a study by the Fawcett Society. A formal menopause policy should include reasonable adjustments, flexible working options, and access to occupational health support for improved retention and wellbeing.

It’s worth noting that from April 2026, the Employment Rights Act mandates large employers to introduce Menopause Action Plans voluntarily, which will become mandatory by 2027.

Menopause policies should not stop at support for the women impacted by it. The menopause should be widely discussed in your company, among both men and women, through Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) or all-hands presentations. By doing this, menopause becomes less taboo and more widely understood, helping women feel genuinely supported in the workplace.

Enhanced maternity leave and pay

A lack of statutory maternity pay is often cited as a key driver of women leaving the workforce or returning before they are ready. Offering enhanced maternity pay, even modestly above the statutory minimum, sends a powerful signal about how your organisation values female employees.

Flexible and hybrid working

Where operationally possible, flexibility in working hours and location disproportionately benefits women, who continue to carry a greater share of caring responsibilities. A clear, accessible, flexible working policy, rather than a discretionary favour, is a meaningful step towards equality and should apply to both male and female workers.

Equal pay audits

Conducting and publishing a gender pay gap analysis can help identify issues you may not be aware of, while also demonstrating accountability. Remember, this is mandatory for organisations of 250+ staff, but it’s best practice for smaller ones too.

Mentoring and sponsorship programmes

Women in male-dominated industries can sometimes lack access to the informal networks that help careers progress. Structured mentoring or sponsorship schemes, where senior leaders actively advocate for female employees, can help to level the playing field.

Inclusion and bias training

Equip your managers and teams with the awareness and tools they need to recognise and address bias, both conscious and unconscious. Training should be delivered in recruitment, progression, and everyday working life. Bonus points if your training is more in-depth than a simple tick box video everyone needs to watch!

Safe reporting mechanisms

Sadly, women are more likely to experience harassment and discrimination in male-dominated workplaces. Clear, trusted, and genuinely confidential routes for reporting concerns are not optional; they are essential.

Achieving workplace equality

Single policies or initiatives are not enough to achieve workplace equality alone. Consistent, practical actions across every aspect of the workplace experience are what organisations need to really step up their game in the field of equality, from the boardroom to site. And yes, that includes what your employees wear when they come to work.

Providing workwear and PPE that properly fits and supports your female workforce is a tangible, achievable step that every employer can take. It costs relatively little, but it communicates a great deal.

This International Women’s Day, we’re encouraging every employer to look at the practical as well as the structural, and to recognise that inclusion starts from the moment someone puts on their uniform.

Ready to review your workwear?

Speak to our team directly about building a workwear provision that works for everyone, or browse our women’s workwear ranges.

You can also download our Workplace Equality Report that details our survey results from over 100 female business leaders looking at the levels of equality in the workplace in 2026.

Here at MyWorkwear, we have been proud suppliers of personalised workwear since 1976.

To see how we can provide the perfect workwear for your team to keep them looking professional and performing at their best, please click the button below.