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In a recent, off-hours discussion with my supervisor, I was basically told that my long hair would "be a consideration" for a new position opening up here that I'm planning on posting for. He gave me this anecdote about this other (now) manager who used to have long hair but cut it, which showed his dedication to the job.
Does anyone else see this as a LOAD OF !#$@? I want the job, but I don't know if I want it THAT much...
--Ambrose
I could definitely be wrong, but a good attorney maybe could make a case out of this.
That's a tough decision to make, but I don't think I would cut my hair in this circumstance. Also, it probabaly wouldn't hurt to start looking elsewhere for another job. At least that way you can look him in the face and tell his you are leaving, and it is his fault for not being committed to his employees.
In any case, what a pain in the arse.
It doesn't show dedication, it shows CONFORMATION!
In other words, they ultimatly want their employees to dress alike, speak alike, and LOOK alike so you can all stand as a team every morning and yell in unison as the team leader screams, "We are all individuals"!
See the irony yet?
Is this the same dedication the Enron, World.com, and Imclone short haired executives had when they sold all of their company stock,took the money, and ran when their firms went down hill??? Keep your hair and don't look like those white collar corporate crooks (like I do).
Manipulation is the word for that. People will dream up things that seem to bolster their opinion and should "appeal" to your sensibilities...only it doesn't make sense as you said.
An example is early childrens stories about the monsters in the forest, etc. came from Europe (specifically the Black Forest area) and were designed to keep children out of the vast forests so they wouldn't get lost/killed by scaring the crap out of them with tales of monsters, beasts and witches.
"Don't go in there because the monsters will get you!" Well, there are no "monsters" but it seems to work pretty well on kids. And it should work on "good employees"!
...is a major sensitivity of mine. I'm sorry you have to go through that. I am in law school and this whole employer-discrimination thing has actually given me a very large interest in studying Civil Rights and Employment issues.
I think it comes down to: Sacraficing your personal expression for your job, something I don't think is worth the trade if it can be reasonably avoided. I recently told someone that if I'm not able to become an attorney with long hair (a field which is supposed to promote justice), then the profession isn't for me. Although, I feel that my persistence will hopefully win in the end over the probable resistence I'll be fronted with.
I don't know what your position is, but if you can go to another company, that's what I would do. Unfortunately, although understandable, those that cut their hair at the request of their employers enable society to continue its unfair treatment.
Good luck to you and keep us posted.
I am in law school and this whole employer-discrimination thing has actually given me a very large interest in studying Civil Rights and Employment issues.
>>>...Please keep up the good fight! However, I hope we're not fighting a "no-win" situation?!
>>>...I'm no lawyer - never claimed to be either - but if I had to guess, I would say that once you have "proven yourself" then the world is your oyster. There are a few lawyers around here in my area (Atlanta area) who have extremely long hair - and they take all of the high profile cases (they are on tv a ton). I would have to imagine that once they gained the "respect" of their peers, then that's when the long hair started to grow?!
>>>...Preach on my man! I have been out of college for almost 10 years now and have "never" cut my hair...not that the thought hasn't crossed my mind before...but my experience is the simple fact that I am very careful as to the companies that I choose as potential employers...I also do a ton of networking amongst friends and contacts that I've made to kind of test the waters as to if these potential employers have a problem with long hair and earrings on men. If they do, then I strike them off of my list and go to the next employer that I am interested in. There are numerous jobs out there in which you can make a decent living and not have to worry about cutting your hair. You also need a little bit of common sense about you though - I mean you can't have your hair teased to stand three feet from your skull and things of that nature...save that for the weekends. Personally, I am getting close to my boiling point with the office atmoshpere though...I've never had to wear the "coat & tie" routine...I would rather keep my hair than have the money those jobs pay! I have been in the "casual dress" type of offices, and have really never experienced any grief about my hair...why? Because I am the hardest worker in the whole company no matter where I am presently working. Why? For the simple fact that us "long hairs" are often looked at with a label attached...Therefore, I work extremely hard to prove to my employers and my co-workers that I am not the typical "long haired pot smoking hippie" that society tends to portray us to be. It all comes down to personal care and how you carry yourself...it also has alot to do with a simple word called "chance" - if you could get over your stereotypes of me and my long hair and simply give me a chance, then I could/would work circles around all of your other employees...but you have to get that "chance" first and formost. Having long hair should not hold you back from anything at all, but sometimes it does indeed...just roll with the punches and keep "growing" forward.
...My dedication to keeping my long hair...
...shows that i have intergrity to mySelf...
...and THAT should be an asset to the Company...
...Oh, and by the way...
...how's my JoB performance? : )
Fight it. Don't do it, let every one know what they are trying to do. I was forced into doing it myself, so I know what I am talking about. It has made me very angry and bitter, and I suspect once it sinks in you well know what I mean. Find out if this is something your boss wants or it really is a managment thing. My boss lied telling me it was a managment thing, when they could care less, and knew nothing about his personal agenda. Threaten him back, with legal action, since he is technically threatening you. DON'T GIVE UP!
Use this to your advantage somehow, that is what I have done. My butt length hair that was gone, is now past my shoulders again, and I perseist in making my story known to everyone, and makeing my boss look as stupid as possible.
As for me, I have decide I will go back to school and study law, so I can help to fight and prevent this pain from happening to anyone else. No one should ever be forced to loose their identity, whatever it may be. My identity of most of my life was stolen, and I still haven't gotten it back, all the way yet.
To paraphrase the homeless who stand at offramps with signs saying "Will work for food," I tell people, "Will not chop off body parts for food." Good luck man.
Good one!
...that you don't work for a modeling agency. That if looks were what really mattered, half the people there need to b fired. And that if the company decides job positions based on hair, then they obviously don't care whether they have the best person for the job.
Then ask him to show you exactly where, in tghe employee handbook, it states a haircut shows dedication. Then ask his boss!
That's telling him. I never cease to wonder at the nonsense people come up with to try to get you to cut your hair.
Just a while ago my mother told me that my problem is that I don't have guts to cut my hair! I ask you!!!