A woman in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada was fired after shaving her head in tribute to her Uncle who passed of cancer. Stephanie Lozinski didn't ask or warn her employer (a Thai restaurant) about what she was going to do and the restaurant was found to have been within their rights to fire her. Being fired for a drastic change of appearance not based on a disability was found to be non-discriminatory as she had made a choice to shave her head.
Do you know your employers policy on personal appearance?
Many people make personal appearance changes regularly, hair color and style, new glasses or contacts or even just a change in wardrobe. Before making a sudden irreversible change to your appearance you might consider passing it by your employer to make sure it will still conform with their dress code or appearance policies.
Blue hair, tattoos and piercings are in style in the clubs and in the fashion world but not all companies appreciate a creative look. The bottom line is whether for creative reasons or to honor a loved one, your employer hired you looking one way; check before you change that in a way they might object to. You may feel your personal appearance is your personal choice; most businesses are trying to project a certain, often professional, image. Your personal expression through appearance may not be welcome.
See all of Stephanie's story HERE.
By Jodi Sonoda
Jodi has been blogging for over 3 years, and is excited to currently be blogging with collegejobbank.com for Nexxt. She is attached to the internet at the hip and enjoys the constant connection. She spends most of her offline time playing dolls and reading picture books with her two year old.
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