Valencia court confirms fine for catering company over gender-based dress code

The High Court of Justice of the Valencian Community (TSJCV) has upheld a 25,000 euro fine against a catering company for imposing a mandatory hair accessory, such as a cap or headband, exclusively on female employees.

The court ruled that the requirement constituted direct sex discrimination, as the company imposed the garment solely on women for aesthetic or image-related reasons without providing an objective justification related to hygiene, safety, or professional duties. Male employees were not required to wear any equivalent item.

The dispute originated in 2022 after 18 female workers were sanctioned for refusing to wear the accessory during three gala events. Although the company later withdrew those sanctions and informed the works council it would temporarily stop using the item, the Labor Inspection classified the conduct as a very serious infraction. The court's decision ratifies the initial ruling that the company's dress code policy lacked a proportional or objective basis for treating men and women differently.