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Can I Be Fired For............

343 views 14 replies 15 participants last post by  Famous 
#1 ·
Dying my hair punky yellow?


I work in a arts and crafts retail store as a stocking associate.
 
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#4 ·
CAN you be fired for that?

Officially no. But if you are an at will employee (which I would assume you are working in retail), your employment can be terminated for ANY reason (or no reason) save a handful of protected classes (you know what I mean, race, gender, religion, those guys).

WILL you be fired for that?

That's up to your boss, depending on the area it might not be a big deal. At an arts and crafts story where I live that wouldn't raise an eyebrow but in a small town with small town middle america values that could be seen as the work of the devil. If your boss thinks it will cost him customers you can be fired for it.
 
#5 ·
I'd ask your boss, or skim through the company handbook.

My job allows us to dye our hair as long as it is a natural color (reds, browns, blondes, black). If you go in there with bold yellow hair, you might be given the option of quitting, or dying it a natural color.

I wanted black, with dark purple underneath, but I settled for dark brown and highlights.
 
#7 ·
i always thought that it was:

"if it does not hinder job performance, or does not attract unnecessary attention while you work, you cannot be fired for it"

i only think this is true, because some of the women at the library have highlights or dye their hair, and it looks fine and they are not troubled about or for it. some wear glittery patterned shirts, and are okay.

as an IT person, though i cannot have those things, and must dress in nice pants and shirt while at work.
 
#8 ·
I'm sure one could be fired for that & for many other aspects of personal appearance. Being of neon yellow hair is not a protected class, after all.

Of course, it really depends on your boss. I'd suggest you run this idea past your boss first. I don't think most folks care what exotic & unnatural hair color someone stocking shelves may have.

Lots of jobs have dress codes though. Yellow hair clearly wouldn't go over at a place where casual Friday means you can take off your sport coat.
 
#11 ·
You can be fired for anything in an at will state. Discrimination on sex, race, religion, and disability are illegal. Most states have public policy exemptions also.

Under the public-policy exception to employment at will, an
employee is wrongfully discharged when the termination is
against an explicit, well-established public policy of the State.
For example, in most States, an employer cannot terminate an
employee for filing a workers' compensation claim after being
injured on the job, or for refusing to break the law at the request
of the employer. The majority view among States is that
public policy may be found in either a State constitution,
statute, or administrative rule, but some States have either
restricted or expanded the doctrine beyond this bound.
The public-policy exception is the most widely accepted exception,
recognized in 43 of the 50 States.
You can check your state statues, but I doubt hair color is an exemption.

I looked it up and see that Montana upholds employment at will only when new-hires are working during a probationary period. Outside of that, employers in Montana must have good cause to discharge employees.
 
#12 ·
It looks like urine.

You could get arrested by the fashion police.
 
#13 ·
I think that since you are basically working in retail, it might depend on your average clientele. You say it is an arts and crafts store. Do you get a lot of eccentric artist types or a lot of little old ladies who are int scrapbooking? Would yellow hair make you stand out or make the shoppers nervous around you? I doubt if most places would actually fire you for it but they may ask you to change to something more natural.
 
#15 ·
When I had punk hair(green + purple) when punk was real(35 yrs ago) I got "told" wear a hat or don't bother coming in tomorrow.

"Punk" is now a word representing some way to sell sexist clothes to little kids,(ie "Punk B!tch") in sequins on the bum pockets of a little kids jeans. sickening, what mum does that to their kids?
 
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