Hooters employees condemn company’s new uniform: ‘Hooters got new panties. I mean shorts’

Hooters is facing backlash from many of its employees after introducing new shorts to the uniform, which some staff have compared to “underwear”.

The restaurant chain, which is infamous for the tight-fitting uniforms required for female employees, known as “Hooters Girls,” reportedly unveiled the new shorter version of the uniform shorts this month.

Since rolling out the new shorts, however, many Hooters members of staff have taken to social media to share their disappointment and concerns over the new uniforms, with some threatening to quit.

In one TikTok, shared by a user who goes by the username @sick.abt.it and viewed more than 9.1m times, she held up the new higher-cut shorts before comparing them to the old ones, writing in the caption: “Love my job but don’t love wearing undies to work.”

In another viral video shared to the social media platform, a Hooters employee who goes by the username @ggnguyen showed off the new design while questioning: “What’s that supposed to fit?!”

Others called out the restaurant’s double standards, with one employee who goes by the username @carrlee.j also showing the size difference between the new uniform shorts and the previous version, before claiming that, when the company hires new staff, they are “told to make sure our butt is covered yet they give this to us?”

The numerous videos prompted TikTok viewers to agree with the concerns in the comments, with many claiming that the shorts could not be considered “shorts”.

“Shorts is a strong word,” one person commented, while another said: “Those aren’t shorts, those [are] swimsuit bottoms.”

Viewers also suggested that employees should be able to refuse the change, with someone else writing: “When you were hired you agreed to a certain type of uniform. This is a drastic and possibly unsanitary change, you should be able to refuse.”

According to a posting on job-applications.com, the “famous Hooters uniform” includes a white tank top, short orange shorts, pantyhose, sneakers, white socks, and makeup, while the company also notes that piercings apart from earrings are not allowed and tattoos must be covered.

“Some locations require small variations of these rules, such as allowing servers to wear a black tank top one day during the week,” the listing adds.

In a follow-up video shared by @sick.abt.it, she revealed that the complaints may have made an impact, as she claimed that, following her viral TikTok about the shorts, she was contacted by the CEO of Hooters, who allegedly told her that employees would be able to continue wearing their previous uniform.

The concerns over the restaurant’s new uniforms come after Hooters also recently faced backlash over the wages it pays employees, which is reportedly less than $5 an hour in some locations.

In a video uploaded to TikTok last month by a Hooters waitress known as Rose, she asked for a $8 hourly wage with a mandatory share of tips, considering her employer made ​​$500m last year.

The Independent has contacted Hooters for comment.