new thread
I'm currently studying full time and i do work casually in retail for extra money.
Long hair has not been an issue for me yet but when it gets longer in a few years and i get an office job it may become one.
Has your hair ever been an issue in your job?
Have you ever quit a job/turned down a job offer because they demanded that you must cut your hair?
Are most employers (that you have worked for) flexible and negotiable about wearing different styles(eg. bun,ponytail) as an alternative to cutting your hair?
What is the general attitude towards your long hair from co-workers, boss, clients?
Thanks for your responses.
I find that I get some negative comments, but generally are left alone. I think they have given up bothering me about my hair. I work in an office environment, but only rarely see customers.
I agreed that I would keep it neat and tidy, which it normally is!
Once I turned a job down because I was told by the agency the business owner would interview me for the 2nd interview (first interview was done by his secretary). The owner was a "conservative" type, and liked traditional looking employees..yeech... the woman from the employment agency said that although she couldn't tell me what in particular about my appearance she would like me to change, she started going on about "what if your shoes were scuffed, or your shirt not ironed, or your tie wasn't done properly" I understood where she was going and hung up on her.... got another job the next day, also in a office. No hair problem!
Matt T
I'm still studying.
Many longhairs here at this University - but unfortunately the longest hair I've seen here was only butt-length...
It's easier to find a needle in a haystack than to find knee-length hair on a man here, even outside the University...
Uwe (Germany)
Only butt length?Butt length is a worthy goal and is rare.Most long hairs I see male or female are shoulder to mid back length.
Arrick
How long is YOUR hair?
Butt length is very very long and it is rare to find on women, let alone on guys. Most terminal lengths of humans are pre- butt length anyways.
I currently work at Université du Québec à Montreal, which like any university, allows long hair. No one really has issues about the way I wear my hair, and presently I have four long-haired colleagues in my department, and on campus, one of my fellow technicians decided to grow his hair (but plans to cut it soon).
One colleague did find it quite unusual for me to stick to the same hairstyle for so long and be so determined to keep it that way. It is because many guys grow their hair a while as a passing phase, and cut if off when the occasion comes, or feel fed up of long hair.
Have a nice day,
Georges
Forgot to mention: I work as a computer technician, for apple computers and networks.
I work full-time as a copywriter for an ad agency, part-time in administrative at a resort spa, and go to school part-time.
At the ad agency my hair isn't an issue whatsoever. In fact, one of my bosses is a longhair guy, and clients have told us they like us because we're young and different, not the typical stuffy suit types. The resort spa has very strict grooming standards, but for whatever reason my hair's not an issue. I guess since I keep it pulled back it's okay, plus when I'm there I work in the back office, so I have minimal contact with the public.
I may end up changing jobs later this year...either going back to work full-time at the spa, or doing something different altogether. We'll see if my hair becomes an issue at that point, but so far it hasn't been.
Cheers,
Jeremy
I am and have been for many years a government employee. For the most part, government offices are often more strict about appropriate dress (suit & tie) than hair length.
I work for a bank as an internal auditor/loan reviewer. We audit and review loans for credit and collateral for the 14 branches of the bank.
Yes, I have been asked to cut it several times by my boss. I have gone on about that issue several times here in the past. I was even sent to meet with the Human Resources manager for the whole company. In the meeting, we basically arrived at an impasse, as I don't think she could not honestly look me in the eye and tell me I had to cut my hair in any sense of fairness, as she has very short, gelled, spiked up hair.
However, later when the dress code for the company was revised, the men's hair length recommendation was changed to (sic):
'Hair must be kept neat, clean, and out of face, and at a professional length.'
Very subjective, yet not so restrictive. I think I had something to do with the more lenient wording.
However, I have been getting trims every six months or so to maintain a length of slightly above shoulders when dry, touching shoulders when wet.
No, I have worked for this same company for 12 years, and I only had one job before that but I had really short hair then. If someone was fired ostensibly for hair length, they probably would have gotten fired for something else.
I think in certain circumstances they are flexible. It depends on where you live and the type of profession. I see long haired guys nearly everywhere in all kinds of jobs. It depends too on who your supervisor is as well, and if that person is willing to stand up for you if someone above him were to have a negative comment to say about you.
My immediate boss of course does not like my hair. However, NOT A SINGLE OTHER PERSON, in the entire company, has ever had anything but good to say of me (based upon my work and friendly demeanor). The senior credit officer of the whole company even told my boss that I was a model employee and to stop hasseling me about something like hair length. Co-workers, OK. Clients, OK.
It is my theory that a guy with long hair stole my boss's girlfriend in the 70's or something, or his dad always made him cut it when long hair was the style back in those days.
Ome of the subjects i am studying at uni is related to banking and financial management. Sounds like a full on job man. You are the ones that have to analyse the financial records of FIs and determine their degree of risk, credit worthyness etc.
I am public librarian in the States, and have been with the same county for over 6 years now. Just about two years ago I began growing my hair, and the top is now about 12" in length.
Along the way, I cut the sides once to allow the top to "catch up" a bit, and I have trimmed the back about 3 times to keep it somewhat neat through the early stages. My hair is very curly and puffy, and looks rough even when put behind my ears given the high humidity in my climate.
Now I can pull it all back. I regret the look of cutting the back but, as a manager as well, I felt it best to get me to the "tail stage." I'll trim the sides soon to give it a more natural look when down.
I've had no pressure from administration to cut it, but I did ask our HR manager about a year into the process if there would be a problem. She said no.
i'm a journalism student at the university of lincoln. in my final year, so only have a few weeks to go until i have to find a job.
i remember looking for work experience with a newspaper two years ago. when i went to the castleford & pontefract express office, they turned me down instantly, with a look that said 'long hair? you can't be serious'. i did get work with a couple of other newspapers though, but that wasn't great.
luke
working on an emergency newsletter to use for the portfolio unit
You just never know. By then long hair may be not such an issue with the "Little Brained" people.
I have had a number of diverse jobs in the past and my hair has NEVER once been an issue.
No.
There has never been a complaint no matter what I have ever done all my life.
I don't know. Guess I have always been accepted. A composer is lucky in that so few can do it...........and the outside world has little choices.
I had an internship with the Environmental Protection Agency. I was the only longer-haired male in the office, but there were quite a few men with facial hair. Appropriate dress was far more important. Either for meetings or for work in the field.
I currently work part time in the local school music departments as an ed. tech and a percussion mentor (rhythm section mentor for Jazz bands).
I just tie my hair up in a normal low ponytail... i haven't had a problem yet. There has always been a suspicion from some of the other faculty... but no confrontational problems.
-Ardroth
There has always been a suspicion from some of the other faculty... but no confrontational problems.
Suspicion about what? That you're a longhiar? Isn't that just a tad bit obvious?
Whether I am legit or not... my coworkers have told me in the past that some other teachers have asked them "who that guy with the pony-tail who always goes to your room" is...
-Ardroth
I work for the Hilton group and have had no problems/comments or anything from management so far. The way that business is conducted, your attitude and your manner all seem far more important.
My boss likes it and enjoys. Her only concern is to let me tidy up an office from my shredded hair :-P
Hopefully I don't work for a big branded company nor plan to.
I keep my hair loose, and co - workers ( all female ) sometimes play up with my hair - in my country ( Poland ) it ' s not
unusual to touch somebody who you know.
I work as an urban planner and once, I went to
municipial office to bring them our project. Deadline was over,
situation was dreadful and municipial clercs were told to be nasty. I went there for the very first time, and noticed that after awhile, the atmosphere became friendly - the women working over here ( I hope ) enjoyed a man coming here ( in my field most workers are female ) and they enjoyed my mane :)
Business matter went O.K.
Cheers,
i'm currently studying full-time too. but i work part-time at Starbucks as a cafe worker (make drinks/sell pastries/clean cafe/take drink orders/stock and prepare). it's nice with the exception that i have to wear that annoying cap all day...and if i wear a visor that's even worse lol but they are flexible about the hair. i've seen some of the employees with the parent company wear braids, and dreadlocks while others just leave their hair the way it is (but neat)
i'm getting ready to quit there and work at a deli. so far the only thing they have mentioned to me is that they don't allow facial hair as it is policy =/ my head hair is 4 inches long now but they didn't say anything about head hair so...i guess it's not a problem considering i'll be a cashier/sandwich maker lol i just find it strange that they would mention facial hair.
I work as a graduate assistant in my college and so far no bad things abt my hair. I started growing my hair out before 8 months when i was still in this job and i am in my awkward stage now.
I dont wear any kind of hats or caps when i go to work and my boss is ok with my frizzy, unruly hair. Actually he is a bit jealous that i have long hair (He is bald, lol).
My co workers dont bother abt my hair, coz i am the kind of person who does the job in time and i dont talk much anyway.
Cheers!
Kumar
I have a part-time job at the neighborhood branch of the public library. My hair was at shoulder blade length when I was hired four years ago, and I've settled at mid-back since. It has never been an issue with either staff or the patrons. I work on the floor with the public and when co-workers refer patrons to me they almost always say something like, "See the guy over there with the ponytail."
My primary income is from self-employment, so there's no issue at all with the boss. ;) I run a small web hosting and web design firm and most of my clients are small not-for-profit orgs, with a couple of small dot-coms thrown in for good measure.
I still have to sell myself and my services to clients though. Getting a contract with a dot-org means meeting with the person in charge of their web site, then the committee they work for and finally with the Board of Directors. That involves meeting a lot of people who can say yes or no. Occassionally I can bypass all that when they have a strong Exeecutive Director.
Either way, my hair has never been an issue. I can honestly say I've never lost out on a contract for reasons of my appearance or professionalism. If I don't get a contract, it's usually because my skill set doesn't match what they need and I generally back out or help guide them to the right competitor.
I've never asked the question, but I get the impression that since long hair fits the image of both geek and creative type, and web design is nothing if not geeky and creative, that I slot right into their expectations and worldview. It helps that most dot-orgs are fairly liberal to begin with.
The dot-coms I work with are another matter. One is a nanotech firm with venture capitalists and all that, the rest are small businesses where I deal with the owner-operator. At the small businesses, the owners really look to hook up at a personal level, much like they do with an accountant, lawyer or other professional. As long as we click and can communicate, there's no problem.
I handled the nanotech firm much like I do the dot-orgs with being dressed for meetings and stuff. Only raised an eyebrow once when when I arrived at a meeting in a suit, on my bike at the same time as a VC type in his Mercedes.
I think it was more the bike than the hair. One doesn't expect to see a $700 suit on a $400 bike, you know? Got the contract anyway.
Hey fellow library worker!
As a generalization, library staff tend to be liberal and thus not place alot on physical appearance (as long as one is hygienic). I've never had a negative comment from patrons either.
nope - the company employed me while i was in the worst awkward state and employed another guy with mid-back long hair 1 year after i was employed ...
it's my first job :)
during school i had to to 'practical work' 3 times(i hope that's the correct expression) and nobody every complained about my hair ...
they accept it, 3 of them wear long hair - as long as it's neat there is no problem (i sometimes wear my hair down in work - it doesn't disturb anybody)
oh i nearly forgot: i am programmer (c/c++/matlab but also html/java/php for our website) and also admin (it's a little company and so is the network :)
I'm a patent agent and I work in a law firm.
I suspect I may not have got some jobs because of my hair, but you can never find out. If you know lawyers, they never give a reason for not hiring someone.
Anyway, no-one here in this firm cares about my hair.
Oddly enough, I suspect the lack of long-haired guys in patent law is more self selection than discrimination, or maybe a perception that no-one would hire them with long hair when in fact they would.
I think there are quite a few defence lawyers and civil rights lawyers with long hair. There again, they may not necessarily work for firms. They don't necessarily need an employer, just clients.
I'm a phlebotomist, ie. pathology collector: one who collects blood specimens from patients for testing.
Not so far.
N/A. Partly through growing hair long for the first time.
Not sure.
It seems pretty cool. A colleague of mine has big, wild, curly hair, looking pretty untidy compared to mine, so I think I'll be alright.
LukeB
Do you have a trust fund, are you an heir to a fortune, perhaps a diamond mine in South Africa?
Sound like fun!
It is fun! I live on an annuity I came into when I was 32 - it's not a fortune but it's more than I could earn by working, so I don't! I have no access to the capital and never will, but I get the income from it. Sometimes I can't believe how lucky I am - I'm very grateful for my life and try to put something back by doing voluntary stuff (it stops my brain from seizing up too!).
I'm a database administrator/developer.
No
No
This is the only job in which I've worn my hair this long, so I hope going forward others are as flexible as well. When I worked for the DoD they didn't seem to have a problem with long haired guys either. As other folks have mentioned before, IT seems to be fairly long hair friendly, and I am noticing if anything, more long hairs as time goes on.
No problems so far, it's accepted that it's just who I am, just as it should be imho!
Mike
I am working as software programmer/engineer (C/C++/Win32/MFC) with a small consulting firm for the past 5 years.
Sounds good - best of luck with it!
Maybe - maybe not. Hopefully the latter. Most office environments that I've seen are cool about hair. Ask other longhairs in your area to get some consensus of "friendly" places to work.
No.
No.
I have worked in electronic assembly, plastics injection molding, and quality analysis/control (QA/QC) in the past as a longhair
Never had a problem.
Seems to have been either neutral or positive.
80s,
I work for the IT Dept. for a public school system. I have never had a problem with my hair being long. I grew my hair long from about an inch at my current job and no one even bothered my through the awkward stage.
BTW, How did those DOOM Wads work out?
ESDI
Hi, I'm still a student at college.... studying computer applications & software. and I really hope the long hair will not affect my chances of getting a job when I'm finished college..!
I applied for several jobs and only once did the issue come up. I just walked out and went to the next interview. It's one employers loss and another employers gain.
I am a manager with AT&T (formerly SBC). I'm not considered "customer-facing," so I've really never had any issues with my hair.
I work as a computer analyst/programmer for the IRS in the US, and surprisingly where I am anyway (the National Headquarters offices) there is no real dress code. I have had absolutely no problems with growing my hair out while there. In fact, nobody says too much about it except an occaisonal joke. There are only about 10 or so longhairs in a huge building of hundreds of employees. Government jobs can be good, especially in IT for longhairs.
I'm an engineer at a large semiconductor company.
Hair has never been a problem in the office (except perhaps when it gets caught on chairs!)
Ed
I'm a 24/7 hopeless romantic. Oh, and a student. Studying English. Yay Engwish!
So that explains why your linguistical skills are so good for someone who is 18! lol. Sometimes i read your posts and i'm like "what was that last word mean?" hehehe
YES it as on a few occassions but they couldnt do anything due to it not being in my contract also it wasnt retroative to
No Never as happened as yet
Im the only guy at my Works that has Long hair as such there another guy with his hair just over his ears
Oh they tell me to get it cut but that falls on deaf ears, as the guy that says it loss all his hair at 18 years of age so i put it down to Jealousy haha
I am currently between jobs so I have not had any hair issues. My last job was in retail and some guys there had long hair but they have had long hair for years no one I saw that had just started a hair journey. When my situation changed I started to grow out my hair.
When I tried to grow my hair out once before about 10 years ago while I was studying I finally got a job and was told to get my hair cut at time it was just touching my shoulders, I did get it cut I needed the job. I thought to myself I can always grow it again so here I am and I hope it does not become an issue again, when I am fit and well enough to return to some sort of job.
Hi 80s_Metal,
I works as a consultant in financial enginieering in Paris. My present customer is a big international bank.
No.
No and yes ; but I am quite a young longhair (20 months), so I have not had that much experience.
They make some rare comments, and then, it has never been aggressive, or critical in any way.
Actually, I confess I never heard any bad comment at all since I passed (not so long ago) the awkward starge !
More generally, I think that if you are really good at something, have bery good diplomas, etc, employers will shut their eyes on many things they could dislike.
I have the chance to have good graduation, my customers appreciate me (so does my employer) for my work, my relationship management, and my methods. I am usually wearing a clean ponytail and suit.
Take care
Garath
Im an engineer at a small company (very small, like 5 people). Ive been there for a year and a half, and no one has even mentioned my hair! I wear it in a tail or a bun.
About six months go I quit to take a job teaching high school physics. No one cared about my long hair. I ended up quitting teaching and returning to my engineering job.
In both jobs ive had, no on has had a problem with my hair, I guess I am darn lucky!
Choose a career in education or engineering, and you should be fine!
-TIMO
An engineer. But I don't have any problems because I am my own
boss. hehe.
My clients? I don't know and don't much care.
Like some other guys here I am working as a computer system administrator. I think this is one of the jobs where longhairs have hardly any problems. In my departement are working about 30 persons and no other longhaired guy, but there is no attitude, neither positive nor negative. Its completely ignored. Not even my boss has ever mentioned my long hair. The only important point is that you do your work - and thats the way it should be, I think...
In the house where our company resides (where about 500 people are working) there are 2 other guys with long hair. I do not know them, because they are working in different departements, but sometimes when I meet them on the way to the cantina, the smile at me or say "hello"... so there seems to be some type of "connection"...
I work as a logistics/technical analyst for the US Navy.
Well, so far the major issue has been a restriction on travelling. As long as I work in the office and don't deal with the customers face-to-face nobody raises a stink.
I started growing it after taking this job.
I keep it either tailed or braided at work.
My co-workers and the few clients I've met don't seem to care one way or the other. One of the bosses is the one with the issue about it.
I am a company director in transport - and own it! So I do not disapprove!!
However being serious I would have no objection to any employee having long hair or a shaved head for that matter. I really fail to see what the length of hair has to do with performance.
I have few 'rules' - hair should ALWAYS be clean and tidy whether or not an employee might expect to meet a customer or otherwise. That goes for clothes or any other aspect of appearance or personal cleanliness so nothing special there.
Secondly if either health/safety or hygiene regulations demand it, hair should be in a bun or tail as appropriate. That however is no different from any other feature of such requirements.
Have I come across anyone that dislikes long hair - yes - their problem not mine.
Hi 80's,
I work as an electronics repair technician for Bose Corporation. Since im not an office worker, my hair has never been an issue. There are a few other longhairs there but they work on different shifts. Much to my suprise, i have actually had quite a few good comments about my hair from the ladies.
Erik
I'm a pipe organ technician and my long hair doesn't seem to be an issue. My boss, who owns the company, doesn't seem to mind. At least he hasn't said anything to me! I ponytail it during the day because it's much easier to do my job. As far as co-workers go, it's just the 2 of us. As far as our clients go [mostly churches], no one's said anything.
In previous jobs I've had, my long hair was never an issue. It was shorter that it is now, but was still long.
I play in quite a few jazz bands and usually wear my hair loose. Definitely, not a problem!
--Rick
I work as a transit operator for the San Francisco Municipal Railway (currently, driving electric buses).
Nope. That ground was broken for me decades ago, in part by a guy who only recently retired. Muni is far more interested in whether you come to work and drive safely while you are there than what you look like.
There are companies I chose not to consider due to hair policies. Nor has it ever been raised when I was applying.
Don't know, never worked for a company that had length issues.
Positive, rarely a passenger will dislike it, usually by being offensive in some way, which I try to escalate to them getting off the bus in a huff and never riding again (sometimes it takes a few tries...I had to buy a super sparkly hairclip to get one old jerk to stop riding...of course, I still get to use the clip :) he gets to watch me drive by and wave my hair at him).
I work in a children's museum. People seem to love it, my coworkers especially, including my boss! :)
Despite being very young (30) I work as a senior adviser in the private office of a membe of the government of a major West European country. This involves me in face-to face contact with some of the most senior politicians, MPs and government advisers in the capital of this country...
The dak suit/clean preppy look is de rigueur in this environment and even wearing a brighter-than-average tie (let alone no tie at all) is regarded as the height of eccentricity. Basically its worse than banking.
I decided to grow my hair in the summer of 2005, and started off with a few light trims while I was growing it out, but haven't had any trims since October 2005.
To add insult to injury, now that my hair covers my ears, I've also started sporting earrings...
Despite my minister being very cool, he has asked me to cut my hair. I know he feels uncomfortable about it... and basically I'll eventually have to either cut my hair or leave the job.
Sad, eh???
I am attending my last year of High School and i used to work part-time at Hot Topic(which is a punk/goth) store in the mall. It is cool there, and they are all open minded when it comes to hiring people.
Biologist with the federal government.
No, at least not openly.
No.
I've only had one employer since growing out my mane, and how I wear it hasn't been an issue.
My boss and co-workers couldn't care less, but dealing with the public is a different issue. I usually control it with scrunchies and tuck it in my shirt when "out and about" for work.
