Word Exchange, Descrimination, and Your Work Uniform...

READ THROUGH THIS WHOLE THING FIRST

I'm about to quit my job...but it's not because of what I did, or anything anyone did to me, but because of what my job is doing to someone else...listen to this story...

This girl at my work is about to get fired, just because of the color of her skin. No lie. They say that it isn't "appealing" to the customers at the store. I mean, it's a pretty easily conceled thing, I guess...she's got the means by which to cover up her skin, and even to make look as if it's changed...but I really don't think she should have to. They say that most customers who would shop at our store just wouldn't feel comfortable dealing with someone with her color skin...so she's getting fired.

Aren't their laws against this?

Isn't it wrong to discriminate against someone, just because of the color of their skin? I mean, some customers may not like it, but isn't that THEIR problem? If they don't like people with certain skin colors, that's called prejudice, and it's not supposed to be accomodated or pacified in a place of business, is it?

It's wrong and I can't believe they're doing this.

Okay...now, every time I used the word "skin", replace it with "hair." Does your opinion of how she's being treated change? Why should it?

Becuase she could change it? Because it's the rules, and she knew that? So? If a place had a rule that it wouldn't hire black people, because they thought it "offensive" to the customers, would that be okay, and would you say to a black person...well that's the rules, and you knew it...why did you even apply? No? Why? Cause black people don't have a choice that they're black, or because it's not something you want to go allowing and promoting...being opposed to someone, just because of a color they have on their body?

Her hair is pink...but what if it were brown? What if the rule was that you had to have blonde hair for a job, and that brown was not acceptable? Would that be okay? No. So why is it okay that she not be allowed to have pink hair? It's not.

This is a question about the laws about his kind of stuff. I have blonde hair, no tattoos, and no piercings, so it's not that I am on her boat...but I think not being able to work somewhere because of your PHYSICAL APPEARANCE is discrimination, and not just "the rules."

A uniform is one thing. Having an outfit which identifies you to outsiders as being someone that "works here" is, of course, okay (granted you, the employee, doesn't have to PAY for it), but, I mean
I don't think that you, the individual's, PHYSICAL APPEARANCE...tattoos, piercings, hair color...I don't think that people should be able to legally take that stuff into account when setting up "uniform policies." That's not dress, it's appearance...so how can it fall under the DRESS code? I think it's crap.

You couold say "don't like it, don't work there," but, truthfully...everybody has to work. Someone's ability to perform a job is not effected by a tattoo, or a hair color, or a facial piercing, so why should you be able to be denied employment...denied food, health care, car insurance, bill money...because of their choice of hair color? It's descrimination, I think...

Let's discuss.

 

Dress codes are part of working in certain enviorenments. When you deal with customers you are representing your employer and as such your employer has the a right to expect certain dress and personal appearance standards from you.

 

OMG, I agree with DK.

Employers have the right to present a certain image to their customers, most of which relates to professional appearance.

If I own a company, I want people to come in and do business. When you have freaks (I'm sorry, but that's what they are) with blue hair or something, that is going to take away from my business. People don't want to look at that kind of garbage, and it reflects negatively upon the company.

There is also the right of association where you have the choice of who you wish to hire unless it is racially or sexually discriminatory.

 

When you have freaks (I'm sorry, but that's what they are) with blue hair or something, that is going to take away from my business

Why must you paint with such a large brush, DM? While I tend to agree with the point that uniforms are good for business and project a good image, the idea that those people are always "freaks" is ludicrous. Aside from the question of how you would define a "freak" in the first place, there is no way you could credibly say that every person with "blue hair" is a freak (unless you were willing to make a total blanket statement, thus not allowing yourself a single exception).

As for the main point, I think uniforms can be important and are non-discriminatory.

 

Hair color is NOT the same as skin color. One can choose to color one's hair pink or blue or whatever. One cannot change the color of one's skin.

Sorry, but this is NOT discrimination on par with skin color.



And DM, people who color their hair are NOT freaks.

 

The word freak can be taken in different ways. Although it is generally used as a negative comment it can be defined as unique or extraorninary.

 

I think it is one in the same. It is a personal appearance trait, and not a unfiorm based thing.

About the argument that it presents a level of professionalism and that customers and clients may not wish to do business with someone because their employees have blue hair...some customers and clients may not want to do business with someone because their employees are black or hispanic...does that mean that that business has the right to not hire blacks or hispanics cause it's bad for business?

I don't think so dude.

Just because you can choose something doesn't make it expendable. YOu choose your religion, but it is illegal for a business to discriminate against employees on that basis...even if your religious preference is BLATANTLY OBVIOUS in your personal appearance...

What about dudes with long hair? Some Indian tribes in the US demand that their male members have long hair, and, even if a place of business has rules against long hair and dudes, they can't require that those guys cut their hair...it's against the law.

Why is pink hair, or tattoos, which, after done, are permanent, and are not OPTIONAL, any different?

 

Can you give us any idea of what type of business you work for? There's quite a difference in the "uniforms" for, say, a fast-food chain vs. an investment-banking firm.

 

The funny thing is, I work at an ARTS and CRAFTS store...

 

And what... all your customers are little old ladies who are intimidated by "punk" hair?

Sad...

 

Surely you can understand that there is a difference between dying your hair pink on a whim or to make a fashion statement and doing something that is part of a profound religious or spiritual belief.

Companies in certain business enviorenments need their staff to convey a professional image. Skin colour does no effect this but hair style and clothing does.

As an example. If you were in court would you be happy being represented by a lawyer with blue spikey hair and wearing jeans, a T-shirt and trainers.

 

I agree with DK.

It is something easily changable, with no valid moral or, (unless your friend is ill), mental reasoning for why it can't be changed. And don't try to tell me it isn't easily changable, because I've done it. Twice.

Both this year and last year, I bleached my hair to a disgusting, screeching blonde and then, (after a week and a half), died it blue for the sake of peer pressure, (swim team togetherness exercise). While the blue washed out over time due to the type of dye we used, the blonde was permanent, and so I had to get my head more or less shaved. I am currently growing my natural brown hair back to its normal length...so I can do it again next year.

My point is, it would not be such a big deal for your friend to fix her hair. Semi-permanent dye will wash out in one night if you work really hard at it, and I bet your employer would be willing to allow a grace period if your friend is using permanent dye, so that she can grow out some nice long roots or something before ridding herself of the pink hair. I bet they don't want a bald female employee either.

DM: I resent that "blue-haired freak" remark. While some people do it to be punk, some people, (like myself), are just dying thier hair because they are, in essence, social lemmings with social lives who are showing support and/or allegiance to something. Still other people are doing it for other reasons, (i.e. lost bets, just for fun, and so forth). In none of these cases are they "freaks".

I resent people who try to label people like you and I because we like to talk Star Wars for reasons they don't understand. Don't you? If so, you shouldn't label people who dye thier hair for reasons you might not understand.

 

Well, if your friend is working in something related to fashion... then she can simply wear a hat when dealing with customers. Also, I find that hair-color-thingie seems to be simple excuses to lay off some employees in these troubled times. People are being laid off for as simple as taking one hour lunch breaks, so anything is possible, and legal too as long as there is an excuse.

 

I'd love to see the reaction of my patients to an RN or MD freak with blue hair.

People who do that kind of garbage are merely seeking attention.

 

I'd love to see the reaction of my patients to an RN or MD freak with blue hair.

People who do that kind of garbage are merely seeking attention.

What did you do for a living to to have "patients" of your own, DM? ?


Girls also wear mini skirts to seek attention, as does anything the politicans do in public... does that makes them all garbage as well? So Bill Clinton is garbage, George W. Bush is garbage, Tony Blair is garbage, etc.?

 

In defense of DM, the kind of attention he's referring to is a bit different, I think. That said, I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing. It can be a passing thing for many people who do such things, and if you look more closely, it can be a call for help as well.

But that's getting way off topic.

 

I am a RN who works in an Intesive Care Unit caring for multiorgan transplantation patients (heart, lung, liver, pancreas, and kidney) and cardiovascular surgical patients right out of surgery; I also care for general surgery and medicine patients who are critically ill.

I am referring to absurd displays of 'individualism', and there are relative degrees of positive and negative attention-seeking as KW mentioned.

 

colouring your hair is a call for help?
?

what are you all 70?

ive had green and blue hair when i was younger and doing the neo-punk raver look and it rocked

having green hair was cool fun

except i walked past this kindergarten on the way to work every morning and all the little 4 and 3 year old kids pointed and laughed at me... every day for 3 months

i was like their daily entertainment

but that was part of the funness of it

 

You have the right to such absurd displays, but don't expect to be given a respectable job while you're doing it.

 

i was earning over around $1200 a week working as a sub contract contruction plumber at the time

your sentiments regarding this are strange and completely alien to me DM, its like we're from two completely different cultures

 

A dress policy is just that, a dress policy. It isn't a suggestion, it's policy and one should be expected to keep it. My workplace says I am to dress "business casual" Monday - Thursday and can dress casual on the weekend. Now if I was to go into work tomorrow (Wednesday) and wear some ratty old shirt, torn jeans, and some nasty shoes, my boss would tell me to go home and change my clothes because that is a policy. If I were to defy my boss, I could get written up or fired, simply because I refused to change my clothes.

Now please, tell me how that is equal to racism?? Race is something you cannot change. Hair, dress, and other attire is something one can most definitely change and should have thought about long before even doing it in the first place.

As for the reasoning behind it, quite simply the company wishes to keep a certain image about itself. Not too many people would take a sales rep from my company seriously if they show up to a sales meting with their hair some outlandish color. They have to sell based on appearances and I hate to break it to you, but in this world, people judge others based on their appearance.

 

I'd love to see the reaction of my patients to an RN or MD freak with blue hair.


I would think it was really cool, like those Scooby Doo scrubs.

 

IMO, it would be discrimination if they were firing her because of her natural hair color. However, dying her hair blue was her choice, i'm sure it was against the policy at the time she made the choice, and her employer is within his/her rights to fire her for violating company policy.

 

First and foremost, Employers have the right to shape company policy so as to improve and enlarge their customer base. To that extent, I agree with DK and (begrudgingly) DM--Dangit! I never thought I'd say that!!

But to play Devil's Advocate for a moment, people--most often women--dye their hair all the time. My wife dye's her hair, my mother dye's her hair, my grandmother dies her hair, in fact, I dare say most of the women I know currently do or have in the past dyed their hair. The only difference is that these dyes used by the mass public are what are considered "accepted, natural" colors, even though dark brown hair on a grandma with gray eyebrows looks hardly natural!!

Does dying your hair affect your job performance? Not necessarily. Can it affect the customer's opinion of the product you are selling, whether it is food, clothing, electronics, yourself(as in business person, not the other way--get your head out of the gutter! )? Yes, unfortunately it can. Society, in fact the greater part of humankind judges by physical appearance, especially when their interaction is only on a superficial basis--"Would you like Freedom Fries with that?"

So it's a tough call in determining which is more important to you when you find yourself in the position the girl at your work is in. Do you change your hair color to meet the policy in the work environment, or do you enjoy your appearance enough to accept that this job is not for you?

Yes, it is descrimination, and yes. It is acceptable, if only because society has a "thing" against noncomformity. That will never change. And there are plenty of occupations that do not have such a stringent dress code, and they don't deal with the public directly. Perhaps she should look into one of those.

 

Aren't their laws against this?

As a purely legal matter, too, there are laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, national origin, age, and pregnancy (Title VII, Civil Rights Act of 1964, Pregnancy Discrimination Act and Age Discrimination in Employment Act). Blue hair isn't covered, I think for all the reasons people have already talked about. It's very different from other generally immutable characteristics, ones we have decided as a society are worthy of protection. I think if you want a respectable job, look respectable, and yes, there is a general definition of "respectable." Whether you like it or not, you have to live with it in certain contexts. If you do want to dye your hair pink or get visible tattoos, that's completely fine, but understand there may be consequences to it - there is no fundamental right deeply rooted in the traditions of the country to have those things, and employers can make legitimate business decisions.