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I'm in the process of growing my hair long and yet at my new job they asked me to cut off my sideburns but haven't said anything about my hair yet. Strange.
Did they say anything about your sideburns during the interview? Do they seem to be OK about long hair? What kind of work will you be doing? Just curious about how long your hair is now and will you be able to keep it growing? Curious in Calif.
Yes they mentioned the sideburns in the interview but I didn't take them seriously. They havent' mentioned the hair yet. Its a waiter position. My hair is close to my chin now and I want it MUCH longer so yes I will keep growing.
Well they finally asked me to cut my hair, I have a week to decide. This really sucks.
if you feel strongly about keeping your hair i suggest testing the job market. unfortunately there is little legal recourse for you as courts have sided with employers fairly consistently on this issue.
the positive part of this is when you land your next job, your new employer will be hiring you with longer hair- therefore less chance of you getting crap about it as you continue to grow it. when you land the next job be sure they don't regret hiring you- work your butt off. best of luck to you.
You said it's a new job, so it's not like they are trying to rip off a pension or anything from you. On the positive side, you got this job not long ago, so you can get another. And it's not like you have much to lose in the way of seniority, etc.
One option is to stick around as a longhair and give them some grief. Absolutely REFUSE to discuss your hair, tell them it's harassment because they are making comments about your body that are unwanted, and put the ball into their court. They will either fire you or drop the issue.
If they fire you, tell them you'll see them in court. You'll sue them for harassment and you'll sue them for discrimination. Make them sweat and lose some sleep. Go to governmental agencies and file sexual harassment and sex discrimination claims. Then file for unemployment. They won't want the claim on their insurance record, and to fight it, it will be a hassle for them.
They will try to weasel out of the claim saying you "committed insubordination". However long hair is not something one really hides, so it's not like you were concealing anything. They knew you were a longhair when they hired you. :-) Same for your sideburns. They mentioned the sideburns, certainly saw your hair, and they HIRED YOU ANYWAY. If they have an argument with what you look like now, whether they win at the hearings or not, they are going to look like fools.
Whether we win at hearings or not, it is important that we stand up for our identities as do other groups. The more claims that are filed, the more the regulatory agencies will realize there is a problem. Also, if people know there's a hassle down the pike for tangling with a longhair, they are far more apt to let us be. No group gains their rights by wimping off at the first sign of trouble. Black folks tried that for a hundred years and for a hundred years it didn't work. Once folks learned messing with a black dude meant a black eye, legal protections soon followed.
So give 'em hell dude, and celebrate it long!
LISTEN-
anyone that is going to make an issue out of sideburns is going to make an issue out of long hair, trust me.
my advice? keep it neat. well trimmed. unless you are about to break away from THE MAN. if so... fuck them.. you wear your hair however you want. i used to sell in line skates you might want to try that.. they are pretty lax at sporting goods/ bike shops.
hey - let your hair (the essence of your true self) lead the way.
ROCK ON!
dale
Well I ended up only thinning it out (mine's really bushy) and slicking my hair back and they all think I cut it really short, its hilarious. It takes more time to slick back but it works. I use Redken Rewind. Hopefully it'll only be a summer job, then I won't have to keep hiding my hair.
-Mike