VICTORIA, B.C. – The Government of British Columbia has amended the province’s Occupational Health and Safety Regulation to ban mandatory high-heel shoes in workplaces. A news release from the B.C. Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training announced on April 7 that the altered regulation now ensures that all employee footwear must be designed and built to all the wearer to perform tasks safely. WorkSafeBC is expected to develop a workplace guideline on appropriate footwear by the end of the month; employers and workers must consider such factors as evenness of terrain, abrasion, ankle protection, foot support, potential for crushing or musculoskeletal injury, puncture hazards and the dangers of slipping or tripping. “In some workplaces… women are required to wear high heels on the job,” said B.C. Premier Christy Clark in a press statement. “Our government thinks this is wrong. That is why we’re changing this regulation to stop this unsafe and discriminatory practice.” Shirley Bond, the province’s Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour, added in her own statement that the amendment would “let employers know that the most critical part of an employee’s footwear is that it is safe.”