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Monday, March 23, 2026

Bricklayers Find Clever and Funny Way Round ‘No Shorts’ Ruling

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The weather has been pretty hot up and down the country in the UK in recent months it’s fair to say. In actual fact, pretty hot is putting it lightly to say the very least. Anyone that works outside would probably appreciate how some brickies felt when their boss told them not to wear shorts at work, even though it was a whopping 26 degrees Celsius. What would you do if you were told the same? In a hilarious twist, perhaps you should take a leaf out of those brickies books..

The brickies were told they were not permitted to wear shorts, even in weather so hot that it was uncomfortable for them to work in jeans and other work trousers. The brickies, who were based at a construction site in the town of Chertsey in Surrey, almost contemplated looking for other work until they found a way around the ruling with a truly ingenious, and let’s face it, funny move.

Brickies Find An Ingenious Loophole to the Ruling

Proving that there is more to brickies than meets the eye, they discovered a way round, what they saw as unfair rules, by using the gender equality regulations to their benefit. How did they do it?

The clever chaps turned up to work wearing a stunning array of women’s summer frocks and dresses. As well as using the gender equality regulations, they also took inspiration from stories involving schoolboys who have done similar at their school, where similar rules have been upheld about wearing shorts.

The fellas, who were working at Bellway Homes construction site, turned up wearing an assortment of dresses and skirts. Simon Miles wore a denim skirt belonging to his wife, stating that he was going to find another job and that many of his colleagues were really finding it uncomfortable and difficult to work in jeans. That was until he and the rest of his workmates realised that as there were female employees that worked in the office on site who obviously wore skirts and dresses, that they couldn’t possibly do anything if the brickies did the same.

Bricklayers Loved Their Skirts and Dresses

Adam Houdoire, one of Miles’ colleagues opted for a budget option of a supermarket £10 dress. Houdoire curiously said something we never thought a bricklayer would say about woman’s clothing – that he loved it and felt that it gave him a lot more freedom to work more comfortably than he would have been able to in jeans or other forms of trousers.

In a strange reversal of roles, Miles also noted that he had been wolf-whistled by a man, suggesting that he had never experienced that before.  Joking aside, we feel that this funny little tale gives insight to a more serious issue. If bricklayers and other construction site employees have to work in hot climates and we want them to do the best work they can, does it not make sense to allow some leeway with regards to the health and safety regulations.

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