Wedding Forum - Help needed - Work related...!!...

Hey guys,

looking for a bit of help please. Your all probably fed up of me moaning about my job but they always seem to surprise me so here goes a new one......
We've got a new manager starting mid-September, who seems lovely by the way, friendly etc. I found out today from our current stand-in 'supervisor' she doesn't like any facial piercings or un-natural hair colours and that when she starts perm based with us this will be addressed and changed.
I have my lower lip pierced (small stud) and my tongue - I also have dyed bright red hair (not pillar box red but bright enough) I am the only person in the centre that has non-natural dyed hair (I am however a red head by nature as am ginger lol) and facial piercings, my team are currently uninterested and basically have told me that I'd have to take them out and dye my hair a 'normal' colour. I've had all these items ever since I started. They interviewed me with my piercings and red hair and gave me the job 3 years ago.
Am I wrong in saying I refuse to change my hair and remove my studs. I am who I am, it doesn't effect my job and the fact that THEY employed me like this....

Thoughts? xx

I wouldn't have thought that they can say things like that. Unless you are customer facing etc and it could affect your work then its understandable. But if its just that she doesn't like it then she should suck it up and get a life!

Ask where is your personal statement, job description, contract it says you cant dress like you do

I think it would be very unfair if they were to ask you to change things about your personal appearance. Like already said, the way you look has nothing to do with how well you can do your job. If they were to ask you to change your appearance then I'm pretty sure they would actually be contravening the Equality and Diversity Act in some way?! They don't really have a leg to stand on if they recruited you looking the same as you do now... x

Check your company policy. They should have a policy covering appearance/dress code but whatever it is they need to justify why it is set that way.

She can only enforce policy.

what she "likes or dislikes" is irrelevant. What is your company dress code? Were you recruited with dyed hair piercings? I don't know what the official ruling is within your company, or even if there is one. How do you know she doesn't like these things? Has it been made official, or is it the scaremongering rumour mill? I know some industries (customer FACING roles) often stipulate within contract terms that hair colour must be of natural appearance, and no facial piercings or tattoo's that may be deemed offensive.

If I were in your shoes, and I had been employed with current appearance, have an exemplary work record etc, I wouldn't be concerned. If the T&C's were changed at corporate level (not by her), then I would re-evaluate whether I wanted to adhere, or move on.

Try not to worry, my guess is the rumour mill is making it out to be more than it is.

My advice is from me having my work hat on - I'm a senior manager in HR.

IDL, I understand what you are saying but surely if she has been working there for 3 years with the same appearance then she isn't breaking any policy?

I'd tell them to get stuffed. Your appearance has nothing to do with your ability to work and you have 3 years behind you to back that fact up. You can't be expected to change who you are just because someone doesn't personally like it!

I am sure there must be some company policy that they will need to back this up with. Her personal preferences cannot and should not dictate how things are done, unless there is something from your HR department that backs this up.

I work for the NHS and one of our managers has bright red dreadlocks and a nose stud and another has a gothic appearance. Both are good at their jobs and neither have been asked to change the way that they look. If there was some Health and Safety implication if you were working with heavy machinery, fair enough, but if it's not affecting the way you do your job, you are in a call centre, then I really don't think this manager has a leg to stand on....

Good luck :-)

Completely agree Kayleigh. It's a sorry state of affairs that in 2015 that this even needs to be raised as an issue. Nobody is harming anyone, you love the way you look, you're not posing a H&S risk to yourself or anyone else. I also don't think you are wrong for refusing to remove them, as it sounds like there's no policy on piercings hair dye, and they wanted you the way you are at interview. I wish I had your strength (I have been bullied and brow-bashed in the past by an employer).

The only thing I would say from the other side is, is there a general move to tighten up company discipline? It could be that asking everyone to dress smartly, possibly in uniform, and adhere to rules on hair and piercings, is intended to make everyone feel differently about their role. Being smart and in uniform can increase someone's pride in their work and identity as part of a company. I'm not saying she's right to do it, she should really have discussed it and got people's feelings on it. However I can see why she might want to do it.

id be telling them to get stuffed