Woman Divides the Internet with Her ‘Short Shorts’ After Someone ‘Complained’ About Her Outfit at Work

A pair of shorts is sparking an online debate about workplace dress codes.

Alejandra Carreño, an employee at an affordable housing non-profit in northern California, showed up at work wearing a black top, short heels, and jean shorts that ended midway down her thighs. When she arrived, she recalled a few of her co-workers making comments about the outfit, poking fun at her showing a bit of skin, she tells PEOPLE, but otherwise there didn't seem to be much of a problem.

Later in the day, Carreño stayed after a team meeting to discuss a presentation with her manager, who raised the issue of her outfit.

Alejandra Carreño's other work outfits.

Courtesy of Alejandra Carreño

 “Oh, before I forget, I do have to tell you that someone mentioned a complaint about your shorts. Short shorts aren’t allowed," Carreño recalled her manager saying. “To me, they seemed fine. I didn’t see anything wrong with them. I think you look nice, but unfortunately, I do need to let you know we can’t wear short shorts or short skirts.”

Carreño responded affirmatively that she wouldn't wear them to work again. But her workplace's dress code, outlined in the employee handbook, doesn't actually ban short shorts.

"Clothing should be clean, unstained, untorn, properly fitted, and free of inappropriate or suggestive content. Undergarments should not be visible, and overly tight or revealing clothes are not allowed," the policy reads, according to Carreño.

So Carreño took to TikTok to settle the debate. Commenters argued her outfit definitely wouldn't be appropriate for a corporate position, but Carreño tells PEOPLE there's a wide range of outfits going on at her workplace: jeans, cargo shorts and trainers, to button-ups, polos and slacks.

Alejandra Carreño's other work outfits.

Courtesy of Alejandra Carreño

Others suggested shorts in general aren't appropriate for the workplace, and Carreño's shorts aren't revealing or inappropriate in any other context. Still others argued that her fashion choices had no bearing on her ability to complete her job functions, and dress codes have been contentious for years now for that reason.

"It's made me think more critically about how dress codes can be both necessary and limiting depending on how they're applied," she tells PEOPLE.

Carreño didn't expect her video to go viral, she tells PEOPLE, and a few people at her workplace have caught wind of it. Still, there's been no formal acknowledgement from HR about her outfit, but she admits all of this has opened her eyes to how "widely" workplace attire differs.