It is complicated.
On one side companies sometimes have policies on the appearance of their client-facing people due to wanting to project the kind of image some customers expects (humans in general are pretty superficial in passing judgement, even when they’re supposed to be hardnosed professionals) rather than because people inside that company actually care about it.
On the other side, this stuff is widelly abused in the highly hierarchical structure which is the typical company to very visibly demonstrate the power of management through making the most visibly free-thinking employees comply (or leave, they don’t care: the purpose is for it to be seen by the rest).
Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 9 months ago
“More professional looking” has historically been used to justify racism and sexism.
Looking like a professional means looking like the person who knows how to do this job, whatever it is. Professionals come in all sizes, shapes, and colors. If I have a different mental image of “looking like a professional plumber” to “looking like a professional nurse” to “looking like a professional accountant,” that’s my boss and shouldn’t dictate who can be those things. Nor how they can wear their hair except for safety.
It’s not like she’s unclean, or doing her job poorly, or harassing the customers.
solstice@lemmy.world 9 months ago
We’re not talking about racism. Nobody has pink hair naturally. This individual made a choice to appear a certain way. If that is contrary to the business’s image they are trying to project then they have every right to terminate her or at least put in a back office role, not front house client facing.
Also how does not fall under dress code? Basically the same thing and nobody finds that controversial for the most part.
woobie@lemmy.world 9 months ago
She had pink hair when they hired her. If the organization has rules about things like this then the hiring manager is the one at fault.
solstice@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Mistakes can never be corrected, got it.