Starting your first full-time job can feel like walking a tightrope, especially when you're the youngest person in the office. Elizabeth Benassi, now 20, faced more than the usual growing pains when she joined Maximus UK Services back in 2022. What unfolded was a case of double standards—and it all began with her shoes.
Benassi had shown up to work in trainers, unaware that the company enforced a strict dress code. According to The Tribune, her supervisor, Ishrat Ashraf, immediately reprimanded her. But here’s the kicker: others in the office wore the same kind of footwear, and no one else got called out.
Representative Image Source: Pexels | Aman Jakhar
Though Benassi's coworkers were close in age, she was the youngest among them. Joining the company at just 18, she later shared that she often felt left out and micromanaged. Her job ended after just three months—and she decided not to walk away quietly.
Benassi took her case to an employment tribunal in Croydon. In a landmark ruling, the judge sided with her and ordered Maximus UK Services to pay £29,187 (about $37,809) in compensation.
As reported by The Daily Mail, Employment Judge Eoin Fowell stated, “This was a breach of the dress code, although she was not aware of it. Ms. Ashraf spoke to her about it straight away, and Ms. Benassi apologized.”
Despite that apology, the situation escalated. Benassi wrote to her manager afterward, expressing concern: “This morning you mentioned that I am not allowed to wear trainers to work. Despite not being aware of this, as I have never worn trainers to work before, I apologized for this, and you rolled your eyes. I have now realized that I am not the only one wearing trainers today, and I have not seen anyone receive the same chat that I have.”
Stressed out woman at workRepresentative Image Source: Pexels | energepic.com
Unbeknownst to her, Ashraf had already escalated the matter to Operations Manager Abdul Ali.
Benassi also testified that she felt dismissed by her coworkers and superiors because of her age. “I didn't want to be treated differently, or as I had put it, 'as the baby of the group,'” she said.
When asked about the situation, company representatives claimed she was let go due to “poor performance” during her probationary period. But the tribunal wasn’t convinced—and concluded that her dismissal was unjustified.
Her story later appeared on Reddit, where users rallied around her in the comments.
One Redditor, u/legrenabeach, wrote, “As if wearing a less comfortable shoe somehow makes you a better employee. Magically. Companies should bloody stop this dress code nonsense and realize we live in the 21st century.”
Image Source: Reddit | u/woffingshire
Another user, u/dingdingding888, added, “Good for her standing her ground at that age. Ageism exists at work, and as someone who looks young, I often get tested.”
Image Source: Reddit | u/panda-bears-are-cute
u/secret_account07 chimed in with: “That’s weird. How are they unprofessional? I’ve seen lawyers in court wear those with a suit lol. Better on the body than dress shoes. If she was wearing flip-flops or Air Force Ones, I’d kind of get it. But how are those unprofessional?”
Elizabeth Benassi might have walked into work one day in the wrong shoes—but she walked out with a powerful win for young workers everywhere.
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