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Should someone get fired over their hair style?
In the news today (May 8) I heard about this woman who was hired by Canada's Wonderland and was fired on her first day because she had dreadlocks. The person that interviewed her did not think her hair was "extreme" however someone else did on her first day. I know I have been discriminated against due to my appearance and I was just curious what everyone's thoughts were on this.
Here's a link to the article about this woman and Canada's Wonderland:
http://www.yorkregion.com/Opinion/Columns/article/74148
There was also a blog I posted a while ago about a boy in Oregon who shaved lines in his eyebrows and the school not allowing him in until he shaved them off. These are people who are deliberately changing their image. What if someone can't change their image, should any of us be forced to wear a wig to remain employed??
Here's a link to the article about this woman and Canada's Wonderland:
http://www.yorkregion.com/Opinion/Columns/article/74148
There was also a blog I posted a while ago about a boy in Oregon who shaved lines in his eyebrows and the school not allowing him in until he shaved them off. These are people who are deliberately changing their image. What if someone can't change their image, should any of us be forced to wear a wig to remain employed??
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by kastababy on
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Luckily for us, in the United States we are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act. I know because I have used it to my advantage many times over the years. I just had a conversation with my HR department this week because I want to tattoo my head, and I was told in no uncertain terms that I would have to use a bandage to cover it up. It was also brought up that some members of management thought that me wearing a bare head was a "disruptive" hair style and that it might be best if I covered my head up. Because my alopecia is very well documented and always has been, after contacting my lawyer in their presence to make sure of my rights, I asked them "If I were dying of cancer and going through chemotherapy, you would consider me to be a brave soul and never give me a moment's second look for being bald, let alone tattooing my head. Will you point out to me the difference between the two conditions, and also show me in the employee handbook where it says that I have to keep my head covered -- which, by the way, is against the corporate dress code?" Needless to say, my HR department has backed down from this fight, because they were not prepared for me using the law to my advantage.
Did you know that if you have alopecia and it is documented in your HR file, you can wear a hat, scarf, wig, or nothing at all and interchange them as you see fit?
The woman who had dreadlocks (and help me out here Canadians, because I'm not sure of your rights regarding freedom of religion and freedom of expression) in the US could sue the company and win, because the dreadlocks could be representative of her Rastafarian religion (much like a Muslim woman keeping her head covered), or simply because is a culturally relevant style, much like wearing braids (if she were African-American or African-Canadian).
Just giving everyone a legal lesson for the day!
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Permalink Reply by Mandy on
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YoKasta - thanks for your post because I was wondering about this topic myself. I feel like the type of place that I work in will be the kind of folks to think of a woman with a bald head as "disruptive." But truth is that if I lose all my hair or end up shaving it off, I really think I would be more comfortable just going bald-headed or wearing a head scarf to work. After reading your response I feel more confident in that choice. Thanks!
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Permalink Reply by Carol on
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Regardless of where you work, be it USA or Canada, if you already have the job than yes, getting fired over the whole thing is rediculous and you can fight that tooth and nail. However, for those who are job searching (and I'm sort of experimenting with this right now) one would be more likely to be hired on if they are more "aethetically pleasing". If you don't get the job even though you are perfectly qualified you tend to assume it's because you went to the interview bald. If you don't get the job simply because of that, it's your word against theirs and how can one honestly prove that? I was fired from East Side Mario's when I was 18 because I didn't fit in and was told I was unpopular (because of my alopecia) but on the papers they just put down that I was fired for being a bad hostess! Again, how does one person prove that against a whole team of em! I'm at the point now where I feel I should wear a wig to any more interviews I get, just to avoid additional critisism - it's hard enough to find a job as is!!!!
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I guess in Canada the laws are a bit different but I think the restaurant owner's attitude towards this is "appaling". This makes me sooooo mad!!! Even the Ontario Labour Relations Board told them there was little she could do but could file a human rights complaint! I think all of us Canadian alopecians should storm Ottawa and make alopecia a human right! Even my husband, after hearing this story on the radio this morning, told me we may as well consider our hair loss a disability! I'm disgusted by this and this certainly doesn't encourage me to feel any better when this is exactly what I have been struggling with for the last few days! Let's rally and roar - we need to be heard!
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