Employee & Employer rights
Having thought more on the topic of having pink hair at a job, I felt the need to add a few things:
I recall when I was younger I had long hair and a single ear pierced. I argued that women could have their ears pierced and long hair in a ponytail, so it was gender discrimination for them to not allow me to do the same. I had to fight constantly for my right to have long hair, and reached a compromise where as long as I kept my hair off my collar (the company policy, which was at a simple restaurant, BTW), they were semi-okay with it.
I felt (and still feel) that employers have no right to dictate how individuals may choose to modify their own appearance. If they want their employees to wear a uniform or what-have-you, that's fine. But on issues of piercings, hair colors, and tattoos, these are all things that aren't easily changed back and forth from off-the-clock to on-the-clock for employees, and should be left alone.
That being said, that is all Ideological Theory. In the really REAL world where we all live and work, the unfortunate Pragmatic reality of things is that employers get to dictate what is and is not okay for their employees to look like (I realize this is not Powell's decision but rather the problem with PDX itself). It's not fair, it's not right, but it IS the way things are currently. And unfortunately, this is an employer's job market, not an employee's market (when the unemployment is very low and employers are scrambling for good help). These are also some of the bigger reasons why I have never gotten any tattoos, kept any piercings, and cut my hair years ago. I decided long ago to pursue a profession that--for better or worse--is better for me if I have short hair, no piercings, and no tattoos. It's not the way things "should" be, but it is the way things "are." And I am, if nothing else, a Pragmatic person. We must all make our own decisions on what we do with ourselves and our lives, and live with the consequences of such, whether we agree with them or not.
I also must add that having been unemployed for several months, I must admit that I find complaints like this a bit grating, given that I'd love to have the luxury of complaining about a job (which I don't have). The unemployment in EUG was at 9.5% in 12/08, and not much better for the rest of the state, including Portland.
But for reasons that were prolly similar to mine back in the day (see above), this is obviously an important issue for her. I commend her for choosing to take a stand, and for various reasons, I made the very uncharacteristic move to be a bit of an activist and reply not only to the WWeek article, but also to file a formal complaint with PDX. Ultimately, "it is what it is," and when someone challenges someone else (including a corporate entity), there will be winners and losers. Unfortunately, the employees often lose. But I wish her all the luck in the world.
I recall when I was younger I had long hair and a single ear pierced. I argued that women could have their ears pierced and long hair in a ponytail, so it was gender discrimination for them to not allow me to do the same. I had to fight constantly for my right to have long hair, and reached a compromise where as long as I kept my hair off my collar (the company policy, which was at a simple restaurant, BTW), they were semi-okay with it.
I felt (and still feel) that employers have no right to dictate how individuals may choose to modify their own appearance. If they want their employees to wear a uniform or what-have-you, that's fine. But on issues of piercings, hair colors, and tattoos, these are all things that aren't easily changed back and forth from off-the-clock to on-the-clock for employees, and should be left alone.
That being said, that is all Ideological Theory. In the really REAL world where we all live and work, the unfortunate Pragmatic reality of things is that employers get to dictate what is and is not okay for their employees to look like (I realize this is not Powell's decision but rather the problem with PDX itself). It's not fair, it's not right, but it IS the way things are currently. And unfortunately, this is an employer's job market, not an employee's market (when the unemployment is very low and employers are scrambling for good help). These are also some of the bigger reasons why I have never gotten any tattoos, kept any piercings, and cut my hair years ago. I decided long ago to pursue a profession that--for better or worse--is better for me if I have short hair, no piercings, and no tattoos. It's not the way things "should" be, but it is the way things "are." And I am, if nothing else, a Pragmatic person. We must all make our own decisions on what we do with ourselves and our lives, and live with the consequences of such, whether we agree with them or not.
I also must add that having been unemployed for several months, I must admit that I find complaints like this a bit grating, given that I'd love to have the luxury of complaining about a job (which I don't have). The unemployment in EUG was at 9.5% in 12/08, and not much better for the rest of the state, including Portland.
But for reasons that were prolly similar to mine back in the day (see above), this is obviously an important issue for her. I commend her for choosing to take a stand, and for various reasons, I made the very uncharacteristic move to be a bit of an activist and reply not only to the WWeek article, but also to file a formal complaint with PDX. Ultimately, "it is what it is," and when someone challenges someone else (including a corporate entity), there will be winners and losers. Unfortunately, the employees often lose. But I wish her all the luck in the world.