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Hair colour – dress code
The issue
Would there be a breach of employees’ human rights if your company added to its dress code a ban on the wearing of coloured hair – pink, blue or other unnatural colours?
The responses
A very lively discussion includes contributions from a number of members, responding directly to the original posting and also developing related issues. Do the interests of the majority outweigh those of the individual? Is it ever right to discriminate on the grounds of appearance rather than competence? One contributor outlines the situation where such personal adornment may cause unfavourable reactions from customers, for instance in the hospitality industry, thereby affecting business. But where does ‘appearance’ really matter, or should employers be able to see beyond it? In today’s society individualism is much more evident then in former times and hair colour or style is instantly observable. So who is right, the employer wishing to enforce a dress code or the employee wishing to ‘be themselves’? And, is this a human rights issue?
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