I have been working for a chain store similar to Wal-Mart for nearly four years. Up until this week my piercings have never been an issue. Our district manager has never said a word about my piercings even though he saw me often. We go a new store manager. He decided to enforce our dress code policies. Dress code means no extreme hairstyles, large and distractive jewelry, long painted finger nails, offensive tattoos (mind you, roses and butterflies are alright), or of course non typical visible piercings. If I want to keep working for this company I have until next week until the dress code if enforced. My new manager told me I am one of our better employees. I’m not going to compromise myself. When dress code will be enforced, I plan on getting ace bandages and covering my ear projects as well as my facial piercings. I have been petitioning my customers because I know that the majority of them have other priorities besides my face. Of course in the mean time, I started searching for other employment. I’m not going to work for a company who presents an image of customer care however insists on firing an employee who takes care of customers.
I hate dress and jewellery policies. They are remnants of old traditional values... As Gen Y starts to take over the workplace I hope that this kind of discrimination is gradually effaced. At what point did business consider it vulgar or rude to have a piercing? If you asked what it exactly is about piercings that makes them "unprofessional", "bad" or "inappropriate", most managers and HR people would be stumped. "They just are." See how things go when the new manager gets in. If things suck, then I agree, you should quit.
good for you! i refused to work for 6 flags because they're so anti-expression. it's like "look like each other or we fire you". yeah, i'll work for you. riiiight. psh.
Right on. I don't see how a company can justify an unconstitutional policy. How you choose to express yourself has no bearing on your skill as an employee. I'm getting a tattoo on my hand and if anyone has a problem with it they can go fuck themselves.
Ugh tell me about it! I think it's absolute bullshit- no child looks up to their waitress or saleperson so much that they go home and pierce their own nose just because the person at the store had one. They're so hardcore about it, at SO many places I apply for jobs, and it sucks Oh, and I strongly believe bandages and such look much scarier than the piercings/tattoos themselves. I worked at Blockbuster for a while last year and I was required to wear a bandage over the tattoo I had on my forearm. One of my newer co-workers, I later found out, thought I was cutting myself! Not to mention all the customers who appeared worried and upset about the possible injury it looked like I'd sustained.
i was quite amazed when i went to the dmv in new york (not the city), and the guy at the counter had a nose ring. i'm gonna miss new york...
