Odd limit

[mechamoose]

Ok, many of you know from posts a few weeks ago that I just started a new job in a management role.

At the time of my hire, I was about 1/2 an inch short of getting all of my hair into a pony tail. Asking about it with my manager, I got a story about one of his best friends who's wife had asked him to grow his hair out like it was when she met him. I got the green light to keep my hair. In another week, it will all be gathered up in a hair band.

A couple of the guys in my group have large gauge piercings in their ears. One even has 1" plugs. I figured I was 'good to go' on standard piercing earrings.. I put in two 'invisible closure' hoops in my left and a stud in the right. (A wonderful custom made one my wife had made for me. White gold disk with the birth stones of my 3 kids in it. It is my favorite earring, even more than the real 'ffin diamonds with flaws she got me)

My boss said stuff about 'client facing' and 'conservative'. Non-flashy, 'boring' earrings were over the line. Pony tail? Not so much.

I will honor the limit, no problem. It is just... odd.

That also tells me nail polish is not an option. Which is 'fine'. (minor grumble) My toes are still pretty.

Sharing...

- MM

[Katey888]

Goes with the turf, MM... If you're client facing, it may depend on the client, but it is also surely at the discretion of your manager. You are representing the organisation and as such the org has the right to determine how it wants its employees to represent it... I get that... I've had to counsel dev managers on which developers they were allowed to send on site when necessary - and it was sometimes a compromise between the best for the job and those whose customer facing relationship skills were 'better developed'...

You still have your hair and toenails... work that hairband too!

Katey x

[PaulaQ]

Lets not sugar coat what this is. I once worked for a guy who had several clients in the banking system here. Big ole conservative banks, in Dallas. He wanted to hire this young tech to do onsite work for his customers. The problem? The kid was African American, and he wasn't sure about him in a client facing situation.

I have no doubt all the same considerations about conservatism were used. They didn't hire the guy.

But I guess be happy you can hide. Many of us wouldn't get that job at all.

[mechamoose]

Everyone has personal prejudices, and some (many?) are influenced by geography. I got looked at all kinds of ways by a Texas cop responding to my being in a traffic accident, simply because I had painted nails and was wearing sandals. (GD.. It is a painted up frigg'in YANKEE)

I GET the idea of client facing. Banks and insurance companies are pretty humorless. Hard-core IT companies could care less.

It is about company culture, and that is OK. I was/am surprised that a piercing you could get at a mall kiosk would be considered 'too far'.

<3

- MM

[Katey888]

So make it your long-term hobby to educate them...

But it has to be long-term, and you have to get that 'valuable contributor' (or even 'invaluable'... ) before you can prod the sleeping ogre of corporate culture. I've done it - in other ways... it can be stimulating... even fun...

(I can be such a naughty, rebellious gal when challenged...)

Katey x

[kimdl93]

Huh. I guess thats the bosses prerogative. Sounds like a very cool custom earring.

[I Am Paula]

I'm so glad I work among the arts community. I could show up with a skunk on my head, and my client would say 'Cool skunk, let's discuss the lighting design.'

[Jean 103]

Simple and clean is the way I look at it. I am a service tech, part of my job takes me to customers’ homes. It’s about the first look when they open the door. When I was young I had very long hair and road a motorcycle. I was once pulled over by a CHP, He started yelling at me and gave me a speeding ticket. I wasn’t speeding, he just didn’t like the way I looked. Just one of those things in life, putting up with A_________. At least he is OK with your hair, the earrings you can always put on after work.

[MsVal]

You needn't worry about those other guys taking your job. <grin>

Best wishes
MsVal

[RADER]

It was all over the news lately, A woman on the School board did not want the board to hire
any Gay, Trans, or Lesbian people. The news people wanted to hang her, the local folks packed
the School Board Meeting with hundreds of people all wanting to fire this member of the board.
She did not come to the last meeting; we will be watching to see what comes of this ordeal'
BTW... She won her seat on the Board with 12 write in votes at the last election.
I wonder If I could get a job like her, being a CD, I guess I will with-hold that information on
my Resume.
Rader

[Beverley Sims]

Yesss,
I would take it slowly, what is acceptable for the goose is not always acceptable for the gander.

Don't rock the boat and sink it.

[Marcelle]

Hi MM . . . It kind of goes with the territory if you want to earn . . . got to play by the rules although I agree that a piercing seems a odd "bridge too far" . . . oh well I suppose that seems less conservative than long hair in a ponytail. Just because you have to play by the rules doesn't mean that someday you might be able to change them.

Hugs

Isha