Construction industry event called out for models wearing see-through hi-vis uniforms: ‘It literally went into a crotch’

Hi-viz never looked so hot.

A website aimed at building community among construction workers is enjoying the wrecking ball after it dressed female models in skimpy, construction-inspired clothing to spice up an annual industry event branded “sexist” by DEI campaigners. .

Riding on stilts and sporting ultra-revealing versions of the trade’s standard high-visibility gear, the buxom builders look straight out of a construction-themed role playing fantasy – a major turn-off for some, The Telegraph reported. .

Diversity campaigner Faye Allen was quick to call out the event’s organizers as a bunch of tools, claiming that “horrified” attendees approached her with complaints, including one woman who was “literally put in a crotch”.

Allen, a former construction company director, found the display regressive and misogynistic, given that she has “fought hard for PPE to fit, for women and various other groups”.

“Having people wear hi-viz colors and dress like that is disappointing,” she said.

She said she worked in the industry for three decades but left because of the way she was treated – and was not happy to be reminded that “women are still treated that way today”.

DEI expert Harriet Waley-Cohen also criticized the exhibit in a LinkedIn post titled “Sexist WTF of the Week.”

“When women are sexualized as eye candy like this, it tells every person present that women are not to be taken seriously, that they are objects of entertainment and boredom,” she wrote.

“It reinforces the idea that women’s worth is in their looks, specifically how sexy others find them, not in their ability, experience or intelligence. He says “we don’t take women seriously”.

Waley-Cohen added: “Women have much shorter careers than men in construction, according to RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) data. It’s no surprise that women leave if they are insecure at work and sexualized in routine way. What happened [here] it absolutely reinforces all of that.â€

The offending organisation, On The Tools, describes the site as “the UK’s largest and most engaged online construction community for tradespeople”. An official apology has since been published on LinkedIn – claiming the event was organized by a contractor they had hired.

“We went for a construction theme, but we didn’t check the clothing,” said CEO and co-founder Lee Wilcox. “But regardless of the flaws and the ways it happened, it happened and we’re sorry.”

“We’re always about empowering women, which is why I’m personally very sorry for anyone we’ve offended,” Wilcox added.

“Those who know me know that’s not what I’m about, and as a business leader, our culture and beliefs are a direct reflection of me. That’s why this is for me,” he said.