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I have worked for this wireless company for almost 2 years, and I never had a problem with anyone about my hair. Now, a couple of days after the company X-mas party, my manager and assistant tell me that someone at corporate wants me to cut my hair. I'm assuming that it was the "folically challenged" regional manager that saw me at the party. Can they do this? And if I dont comply, do they have the right to fire me?
You will, no doubt, get lots of advice on how to deal with this...but I would say "get it in writing". I would assume you are doing a good job if you have been there almost two years. Is this there only complaint? Good luck on however this turns out...
In most jurisdictions the present state of the law permits employers to discriminate against longhairs. The first thing to nail down (through introspection) is how important your hair is to you and how important working at this specific corporation is to you. If push came to shove, would you cut or would you leave?
One man, who would never "cut", reported on here about three months ago that he had good success with the reply, "Just tell me when my last day is, then." Finding a replacement for him would have been major extra unnecessary work for someone, and with squeakier wheels to grease, it just never happened. In effect, he passed the ball to someone who chose to drop it. Of course, YMMV.
You may find some of what is written at the link below helpful in reaching your decision. Read from half-way through the page (starting with the title "Discrimination") to the end:
THATS JUST WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY. IF IT WAS THE YEAR 1992 YOU MIGHT ACTUALLY HAVE A PROBLEM SAYING THAT BUT THESE DAYS JOBS ARE PLENTIFUL AND A LOT OF BOSSES HAVE TROUBLE GETTING NEW EMPLOYEE'S. SO JUST TELL THEM TO TELL YOU WHEN YOUR LAST DAY IS AND IF THEY FIRE YOU THEN THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER JOBS YOU CAN EASILY GET. RIGHT?
Caveman:
...someone at corporate wants me to cut my hair. I'm assuming that it was the "folically challenged" regional manager that saw me at the party.
It looks like you have a PHB (Pointy Haired Boss cf Dilbert comics). These people are a major threat to the corporation since they're more into making the person they replaced look bad or harassing workers than actually runnning the company. It wouldn't be worth it cutting your hair to please him.
Taking Bill's suggestion would be a good move. Even bosses are getting wise to the Dilbertesque corporate subjugation stiffling actual productivity thing. The PHB is probably being watched closely by his peers. All you have to do is to be seen to work hard and get on well with the other workers.
The PHB almost certainly has a very small willy. I'm sure you woudn't comply with a request from 'corporate' to dock your willy. It's the same thing with your hair.
Have they also asked the long haired ladies to cut theirs? They cannot treat you any differently and can only ask those employeesa in which long hair is a safety or helth issue to tie it back or otherwise secure it - but they cannot require you to cut it, DON'T!!
There is only one right response to this.First of all I know it took you more than 2 yrs(the time you spent w/said company)to grow out your mane,right?Second,this hair is on your head so YOU wash brush and care for it,right?If so then get another job and tell them to kiss your ass.I am a woman with long honey blonde hair down to my butt and I had a manager to begin telling me not to come in to work with wet hair.(after working at this place 2 yrs)I told her it was part of my religion not to dry my hair.You might try that also if you want to stay at this job.Prisoners in prison get out of haircuts all the time by saying it's their religion.No one at a job wants to be sued over violating someones religious practices.