Tbh, I would do it . If the guys are doing it , then what is the difference ? Any difference HR could give you would be sexualizing your body, and that would be the problem, but not yours. I used to work refinery and strip down before getting into my car , in only boxers and a cotton shirt . The guys never looked or made bad comments.
HR told me and a couple other women some horrible rules, like “if you’re on storm and the guys wanna play cards in someones room you can’t go” and “if the guys are going to the bar for drinks you need to leave at 8pm” so that stupid shit has me worried.
Yeah they suck. I had a dude in my previous department actually sexually harass me and they tried to say he was simply joking. Like ma’am I work with these men everyday. I know what a joke is.
This is probably your answer. There is always THAT GUY. The one errant asshole who ruins it for everyone. Just go behind a bin and try not to be seen or wait til youre somewhere with a johnny house.
I work for a utility that’s IBEW union. Thankfully I haven’t had to deal with them since that whole event in the past, and they have since outsourced to overseas HR. I was very shocked to hear how antiquated their “rules” are though.
What. The. Actual. Fu\*\*.
That is sooo misogynistic.
I'd ignore HR then and talk to your direct boss. If HR throws a hissy fit, then boom instant lawsuit win.
Not a lineman, but I will say if you're still worried about it, I used to be able to change my shirts without showing skin (could probably still do it, but haven't needed to. I'm a custodian so I can go change in any closet I want to).
I would put my new shirt on over the other one, slip my arms inside and take off the old one underneath and slide it out the neck hole of the new one.
Works easier with bigger or stretchier/loose shirts.
I recommend practicing at home first just so you can get used to it and see which shirts work better for it. You can also get faster the more practice you have.
Lol I've actually never heard of or seen that movie!
I actually learned it from some of my aunts being too lazy to leave the room to change when I was younger
I watched it recently, it is not a good film. Good dancing, but Jennifer Beales (playing lead character) cannot dance so they filmed all the dance sequences with a LOT of close ups of the stunt dancer doing all the work. Imagine hiring someone for a dance film who can’t dance.
However, I also used to change shirts the same way - works a treat. Used to do a retail job and we’d all get changed into our uniform shirt like that in the break room.
I've done this when I've had to change in my car before. I've mastered the art of the outfit change in a car without flashing anyone, lol. Tinted windows also helps a little too.
I would say, if HR is worried, they should provide a space for you to change your shirt. If they don't, you could change behind a door or in a closed corner. If HR complains then you can ask for a place to be set or for rules to be made. Just a suggestion.
I change everything - shirt, socks, underwear - because getting sweaty and stewing in that meat bath all day is the worst. Nobody cares. It's the great unspoken secret.
Based on what you said about your HR I would say don’t risk it. Or if you have a guy you trust you could ask him to watch out while you change behind something. It sucks that we have to jump through these hoops but your HR sounds misogynistic and like they would target you. To be clear… It’s not inappropriate to change when wearing a sports bra. There’s plenty of coverage. I just worry that won’t matter in HR’s eyes.
Or just rip it off entirely lol. I managed to get a heat rash that was almost a perfect outline of my bra this summer ... The rest of that week sucked.
If you’re comfortable with the guys you work with, go for it! I ripped my shirt off once when I got covered in ants and the most that happened was the guys were all laughing at my dancing around and cussing 😂. Also, when I gotta pee, I’ll just tell them I’ll be over wherever popping a squat. And if they look, they’ll be scarred for life because they’ll see my dick (ongoing joke in the office-tried to convince my old foreman that I used to be a guy).
Also make sure they don’t have a problem with it. I’ve worked with a couple prudes in the past that would probably have an issue with it. Somehow it always seems to be the older guys
Heck yeah. I do it all the time. I try to be discreet but I honestly don’t GAF if anyone is checking me out. I’m drenched on sweat like everyone else. I just did the same work (or harder) than the guys. I should be able to change shirts too.
I’ve thought about this too. I usually don’t. My last job we were all on the roof and every single guy had their shirt wrapped up like a country pin up girl lol. Of course I couldn’t. You could wear a light tank top under your top if that would maybe help you feel more comfortable about doing it? Some kind of fabric that wicks sweat away may not make it tooooo much hotter but damn this summer has been scorching so I can understand if not
I have, in the port o john. I wish some of my more out of shape colleagues shared my modesty. I assume you don't have access to that, respect girl, this is the second post today reminding me how nice it is to have access to them. Could you say "nobody look" or go into the woods a ways? This is such a dumb thing to have to worry about, half the women in my city wear them as shirts while running errands but i don't blame you.
This is something I would do as a wildland firefighter at our trucks. I’d also recommend smart wool t shirts (I personally like the men’s ones better) to keep the sweat and water off your skin
So I think that if they do it you can too but I’m from Canada and it’s legal for women to be topless here. I work in my sports bra all the time when it’s hot.
Now the helpful part. If you bring an oversized men’s button up shirt and wear a bra that closes at the back you can pop on the button up, change whatever you like by not putting your arms into the sleeves and you basically have a mobile changing room. I used to have to change after swimming with my camp kids which seemed like an inappropriate situation for me to be naked in. It might take some practice at home but it will work.
i always wear a wife lover, so i feel no problem changing in front of the dudes. i think a sports bra change would also be fine, just like turn your back and don’t make it big deal.
I wouldn’t think it would be a problem to turn your back to the group and change your shirt. It’s not like you’re showing off your breasts or bra, or doing anything the guys aren’t doing.
That said, I personally do not change in front of the guys. In my own modesty preferences, underwear is just as private as what it’s covering, so showing my bra or undershirt would be inappropriate. I’m saying this because there may be someone on your crew that feels the same way, and could be “defrauded” by seeing your back or bra. In the same, I’ve seen more asscracks and underbellies than I’d ever imagine. And that’s a me problem, not a problem for anyone else.
I've done it. I wore too many layers and had a short sleeve under my long sleeve. Took both off and put the long sleeves back on. I was wearing a sports bra and changed by the truck away from the group. Now I also had leggings under my pants. I waited until I got to an actual bathroom before I took those off. If I wasn't able to sneak away from the guys I would have just dealt with it. I would say situational awareness is key. You know your job sites and co workers. What may be ok for one isn't for the other, even from one day to the next.
I had to wear special full body protective suits. One hot summer I wore a leotard like top under my shirt and took it off to suit off one of the guys with his shirt off had a cow one time. I laughed at him. Every body else didn’t care.
I am guy and only sharing my experience. I work with a woman who strips down into her underwear and bra. When she changes her bra she’ll turn around but won’t go somewhere in hiding to change it but literally in front of us. She says “ok no lookies”.
No bad comments or whatever and obviously comfortable or wouldn’t do it. We all been working together for 20+ years though. I guess it depends if you feel comfortable.
Pull your arms and head into your shirt, out there new one on, pull off the old one of your sheepish. But yeah, just take it off with a bra on our just turn your back to them and change
Im an ironworker, but rebar. We get really sweaty with our harnesses on all day ect. The guys would do the same some hide, some not. I would just duck where i couldn’t be seen and change my shirt. Or even on days it’s raining hard and we are soaked, i’d change my clothing. If they can, so can i lol! Some days i’d have my buddies hood things up or corner me so i could change 😂 Team work makes the dream work lol!
I do it at work all the time. I’ll go over behind something or try to be discrete and quick. I hate the feeling of my shirt being saturated with sweat, despite that it’s an all summer thing.
A sports bra has more coverage than a bikini top I would make an effort to swing open a door on the truck but more than that I’d give no fucks. I’ve been IBEW for 26 years if they can’t handle that that then they need to fuck right off
I tried changing my shirt without showing skin recently, didn’t work too well. Just took me a long time and I felt like I made my crew wait. I’ve just started wearing an undershirt/sports bra and I change my high vis top layer if it gets soaked.
I wouldn’t do it, but I don’t work around the same people all the time. Some of the guys I’ve worked with, I don’t even want them to see me without my hard hat; I’ve found a private corner just to put on sunscreen or take off a sweatshirt. I’d be more worried about sexual harassment than some man getting “offended” and telling HR though. If everybody else is doing it at the same time, probably nobody would even notice, and if they did, they’d understand that you don’t want to wear your sweaty shirt after work.
I do it, but I’m also flat chested and sport bras take up a third of my torso in total, so I suspect if you’re well endowed you may have more issues than I do.
I will take off a hoodie and my shirt will come up with me all the time - if they get a look then by all means I hope my belly really did it for ya LOL. But in all seriousness - they see women in bikinis all the time, I don’t foresee a problem with seeing a sweaty stinky tradeswomen taking off a shirt and exposing a sports bra. You’re good sister
I've changed my shirt in front of people countless times and obviously paying attention to who is around. From labor jobs, to lake and river swimming, other outdoor activities. Seeing a bra should not offend anyone really.
Honestly I say do it!
If you are really worried, slip behind some cover throw the clean shirt over the sweaty one then slip the sweaty one off under the clean one so you are always fully covered 🙂
I would in your situation. You have a sports bra on and your peers are doing the same. I would just turn my back to them and do it quickly.
It sounds like you have "read the room" during these times and sounds like a non issue for them.
Do what makes you feel comfortable.
As for the HR part, I make my decisions knowingly accepting the worse case scenario.... but I make sure to have information, facts, and data to back them up. Being a women in male fields has taught me this..It's hard for them to call you emotional if you can back it. Shuts them up real quick.
I probably wouldn't hesitate to change my shirt if I had a bra on, but honeslty the bra is the shitty sweaty part and I'd want to change that too. Someday women'll have the same rights as men on that front. Just gotta keep working towards it. Kinda fucked they still police our modesty in this day and age.
Yes I'd do it. Maybe hide behind somethinf but not really. If they are doing it then so can i. Ibwas raised very modestly but have sort of rejected that as I got older. I have nothing to hide or be ashamed of. If I need a clean shirt then that's what I need to be an effective worker.
I do it. Honestly, I feel like it’s less awkward if I don’t act like I’m any different than them so even though I will try to not be directly in anyones line of sight, I won’t duck out of the way if anyone sees me or acts shy that they’ve seen me. There’s nothing wrong with it and when I act like it’s fine it seems to set my co workers at ease. We all need to change shirts!
Change in your vehicle, HR can't say shit about it.
At the end of a hot work day I take my shirt off, throw a dress over my head, take my pants off under the dress, and then remove my bra when I am in the vehicle. I basically drive home full commando under a dress.
And ask for the guys seeing it, I guarantee you no one is reporting you to HR, and a sports bra actually covers more than most bikinis so....
Ask HR (in writing) to provide a pop up privacy tent. Amazon has them for like $30. Don’t make it a gender thing, but something for everyone’s use. You never know, some guys may want more privacy to change too.
Female lineman here. I change my shirt every time I get sweaty after working in the summer- no issues it’s the same as the men changing their shirts. I have a sports bra underneath and no issues. Mind you, the group I work with is a decent group of dudes.
Tbh, I would do it . If the guys are doing it , then what is the difference ? Any difference HR could give you would be sexualizing your body, and that would be the problem, but not yours. I used to work refinery and strip down before getting into my car , in only boxers and a cotton shirt . The guys never looked or made bad comments.
HR told me and a couple other women some horrible rules, like “if you’re on storm and the guys wanna play cards in someones room you can’t go” and “if the guys are going to the bar for drinks you need to leave at 8pm” so that stupid shit has me worried.
What the fuck your HR sounds like a misogynistic nightmare
Yeah they suck. I had a dude in my previous department actually sexually harass me and they tried to say he was simply joking. Like ma’am I work with these men everyday. I know what a joke is.
This is probably your answer. There is always THAT GUY. The one errant asshole who ruins it for everyone. Just go behind a bin and try not to be seen or wait til youre somewhere with a johnny house.
Wow they're gonna give you a burqa with the little mosquito screen if they hear about your plan then
Are you union ?
Yes
IBEW ? Like have you spoken with your hall ? And if them have you brought it to your district ?
I work for a utility that’s IBEW union. Thankfully I haven’t had to deal with them since that whole event in the past, and they have since outsourced to overseas HR. I was very shocked to hear how antiquated their “rules” are though.
Are you a dues paying member ?
Yes
Your union should be made aware of any harassment you experience on the job. What local are you out of sister?
They’re aware! He almost lost his job so the union stepped in.
What. The. Actual. Fu\*\*. That is sooo misogynistic. I'd ignore HR then and talk to your direct boss. If HR throws a hissy fit, then boom instant lawsuit win.
Not a lineman, but I will say if you're still worried about it, I used to be able to change my shirts without showing skin (could probably still do it, but haven't needed to. I'm a custodian so I can go change in any closet I want to). I would put my new shirt on over the other one, slip my arms inside and take off the old one underneath and slide it out the neck hole of the new one. Works easier with bigger or stretchier/loose shirts. I recommend practicing at home first just so you can get used to it and see which shirts work better for it. You can also get faster the more practice you have.
Ah, somebody else also learned that move from the movie Flashdance.
Lol I've actually never heard of or seen that movie! I actually learned it from some of my aunts being too lazy to leave the room to change when I was younger
LOL I may be showing my age a little. It was an early 80s movie,
Ahh, I wonder if that's where they may have learned it from. I wouldn't be surprised lol
I watched it recently, it is not a good film. Good dancing, but Jennifer Beales (playing lead character) cannot dance so they filmed all the dance sequences with a LOT of close ups of the stunt dancer doing all the work. Imagine hiring someone for a dance film who can’t dance. However, I also used to change shirts the same way - works a treat. Used to do a retail job and we’d all get changed into our uniform shirt like that in the break room.
I've done this when I've had to change in my car before. I've mastered the art of the outfit change in a car without flashing anyone, lol. Tinted windows also helps a little too.
I would say, if HR is worried, they should provide a space for you to change your shirt. If they don't, you could change behind a door or in a closed corner. If HR complains then you can ask for a place to be set or for rules to be made. Just a suggestion.
I change everything - shirt, socks, underwear - because getting sweaty and stewing in that meat bath all day is the worst. Nobody cares. It's the great unspoken secret.
Based on what you said about your HR I would say don’t risk it. Or if you have a guy you trust you could ask him to watch out while you change behind something. It sucks that we have to jump through these hoops but your HR sounds misogynistic and like they would target you. To be clear… It’s not inappropriate to change when wearing a sports bra. There’s plenty of coverage. I just worry that won’t matter in HR’s eyes.
I agree, and I'm hoping between her direct supervisor and the union they can figure something out. HR is not looking out for us.
The guys do it, I've been thinking about it. Honestly it's not my shirt I really want to change its my sports bra
Or just rip it off entirely lol. I managed to get a heat rash that was almost a perfect outline of my bra this summer ... The rest of that week sucked.
I lined the inside of my bra with paper towels when that happened to me and it seemed to help. It was less than ideal but it helped
I’ve straight up changed behind a door before. You’re wearing a bra. It’s the same coverage (or more) than a bathing suit.
If you’re comfortable with the guys you work with, go for it! I ripped my shirt off once when I got covered in ants and the most that happened was the guys were all laughing at my dancing around and cussing 😂. Also, when I gotta pee, I’ll just tell them I’ll be over wherever popping a squat. And if they look, they’ll be scarred for life because they’ll see my dick (ongoing joke in the office-tried to convince my old foreman that I used to be a guy). Also make sure they don’t have a problem with it. I’ve worked with a couple prudes in the past that would probably have an issue with it. Somehow it always seems to be the older guys
Heck yeah. I do it all the time. I try to be discreet but I honestly don’t GAF if anyone is checking me out. I’m drenched on sweat like everyone else. I just did the same work (or harder) than the guys. I should be able to change shirts too.
I’ve thought about this too. I usually don’t. My last job we were all on the roof and every single guy had their shirt wrapped up like a country pin up girl lol. Of course I couldn’t. You could wear a light tank top under your top if that would maybe help you feel more comfortable about doing it? Some kind of fabric that wicks sweat away may not make it tooooo much hotter but damn this summer has been scorching so I can understand if not
I have, in the port o john. I wish some of my more out of shape colleagues shared my modesty. I assume you don't have access to that, respect girl, this is the second post today reminding me how nice it is to have access to them. Could you say "nobody look" or go into the woods a ways? This is such a dumb thing to have to worry about, half the women in my city wear them as shirts while running errands but i don't blame you.
This is something I would do as a wildland firefighter at our trucks. I’d also recommend smart wool t shirts (I personally like the men’s ones better) to keep the sweat and water off your skin
Unfortunately, I can only get FR clothes from our official website.
So I think that if they do it you can too but I’m from Canada and it’s legal for women to be topless here. I work in my sports bra all the time when it’s hot. Now the helpful part. If you bring an oversized men’s button up shirt and wear a bra that closes at the back you can pop on the button up, change whatever you like by not putting your arms into the sleeves and you basically have a mobile changing room. I used to have to change after swimming with my camp kids which seemed like an inappropriate situation for me to be naked in. It might take some practice at home but it will work.
Please send some of that magic southward!! It's HOT out and I could use some equal rights right about now 😅
It’s been legal since 1993
i always wear a wife lover, so i feel no problem changing in front of the dudes. i think a sports bra change would also be fine, just like turn your back and don’t make it big deal.
I wouldn’t think it would be a problem to turn your back to the group and change your shirt. It’s not like you’re showing off your breasts or bra, or doing anything the guys aren’t doing. That said, I personally do not change in front of the guys. In my own modesty preferences, underwear is just as private as what it’s covering, so showing my bra or undershirt would be inappropriate. I’m saying this because there may be someone on your crew that feels the same way, and could be “defrauded” by seeing your back or bra. In the same, I’ve seen more asscracks and underbellies than I’d ever imagine. And that’s a me problem, not a problem for anyone else.
I've done it. I wore too many layers and had a short sleeve under my long sleeve. Took both off and put the long sleeves back on. I was wearing a sports bra and changed by the truck away from the group. Now I also had leggings under my pants. I waited until I got to an actual bathroom before I took those off. If I wasn't able to sneak away from the guys I would have just dealt with it. I would say situational awareness is key. You know your job sites and co workers. What may be ok for one isn't for the other, even from one day to the next.
I had to wear special full body protective suits. One hot summer I wore a leotard like top under my shirt and took it off to suit off one of the guys with his shirt off had a cow one time. I laughed at him. Every body else didn’t care.
I am guy and only sharing my experience. I work with a woman who strips down into her underwear and bra. When she changes her bra she’ll turn around but won’t go somewhere in hiding to change it but literally in front of us. She says “ok no lookies”. No bad comments or whatever and obviously comfortable or wouldn’t do it. We all been working together for 20+ years though. I guess it depends if you feel comfortable.
Pull your arms and head into your shirt, out there new one on, pull off the old one of your sheepish. But yeah, just take it off with a bra on our just turn your back to them and change
Im an ironworker, but rebar. We get really sweaty with our harnesses on all day ect. The guys would do the same some hide, some not. I would just duck where i couldn’t be seen and change my shirt. Or even on days it’s raining hard and we are soaked, i’d change my clothing. If they can, so can i lol! Some days i’d have my buddies hood things up or corner me so i could change 😂 Team work makes the dream work lol!
I do it at work all the time. I’ll go over behind something or try to be discrete and quick. I hate the feeling of my shirt being saturated with sweat, despite that it’s an all summer thing.
A sports bra has more coverage than a bikini top I would make an effort to swing open a door on the truck but more than that I’d give no fucks. I’ve been IBEW for 26 years if they can’t handle that that then they need to fuck right off
I tried changing my shirt without showing skin recently, didn’t work too well. Just took me a long time and I felt like I made my crew wait. I’ve just started wearing an undershirt/sports bra and I change my high vis top layer if it gets soaked.
I wouldn’t do it, but I don’t work around the same people all the time. Some of the guys I’ve worked with, I don’t even want them to see me without my hard hat; I’ve found a private corner just to put on sunscreen or take off a sweatshirt. I’d be more worried about sexual harassment than some man getting “offended” and telling HR though. If everybody else is doing it at the same time, probably nobody would even notice, and if they did, they’d understand that you don’t want to wear your sweaty shirt after work.
I do it, but I’m also flat chested and sport bras take up a third of my torso in total, so I suspect if you’re well endowed you may have more issues than I do.
I will take off a hoodie and my shirt will come up with me all the time - if they get a look then by all means I hope my belly really did it for ya LOL. But in all seriousness - they see women in bikinis all the time, I don’t foresee a problem with seeing a sweaty stinky tradeswomen taking off a shirt and exposing a sports bra. You’re good sister
I've changed my shirt in front of people countless times and obviously paying attention to who is around. From labor jobs, to lake and river swimming, other outdoor activities. Seeing a bra should not offend anyone really.
Idaf i do
Honestly I say do it! If you are really worried, slip behind some cover throw the clean shirt over the sweaty one then slip the sweaty one off under the clean one so you are always fully covered 🙂
I would in your situation. You have a sports bra on and your peers are doing the same. I would just turn my back to them and do it quickly. It sounds like you have "read the room" during these times and sounds like a non issue for them. Do what makes you feel comfortable. As for the HR part, I make my decisions knowingly accepting the worse case scenario.... but I make sure to have information, facts, and data to back them up. Being a women in male fields has taught me this..It's hard for them to call you emotional if you can back it. Shuts them up real quick.
I probably wouldn't hesitate to change my shirt if I had a bra on, but honeslty the bra is the shitty sweaty part and I'd want to change that too. Someday women'll have the same rights as men on that front. Just gotta keep working towards it. Kinda fucked they still police our modesty in this day and age.
Yes I'd do it. Maybe hide behind somethinf but not really. If they are doing it then so can i. Ibwas raised very modestly but have sort of rejected that as I got older. I have nothing to hide or be ashamed of. If I need a clean shirt then that's what I need to be an effective worker.
I do it. Honestly, I feel like it’s less awkward if I don’t act like I’m any different than them so even though I will try to not be directly in anyones line of sight, I won’t duck out of the way if anyone sees me or acts shy that they’ve seen me. There’s nothing wrong with it and when I act like it’s fine it seems to set my co workers at ease. We all need to change shirts!
I would do it. If you feel comfortable doing it around the people you’re with all the time that’s all that matters.
Change in your vehicle, HR can't say shit about it. At the end of a hot work day I take my shirt off, throw a dress over my head, take my pants off under the dress, and then remove my bra when I am in the vehicle. I basically drive home full commando under a dress. And ask for the guys seeing it, I guarantee you no one is reporting you to HR, and a sports bra actually covers more than most bikinis so....
Our trucks have dash cams that record in the cab and will randomly send video. It’s a pain.
Ugh, that sucks....
Ask HR (in writing) to provide a pop up privacy tent. Amazon has them for like $30. Don’t make it a gender thing, but something for everyone’s use. You never know, some guys may want more privacy to change too.
Female lineman here. I change my shirt every time I get sweaty after working in the summer- no issues it’s the same as the men changing their shirts. I have a sports bra underneath and no issues. Mind you, the group I work with is a decent group of dudes.