Isn’t it illegal to refuse to hire people over hairstyle?
I love dreadlocks but the company I want to work for has a policy against men having long hair and dreadlocks. Isn’t it discriminating and illegal to refuse to hire people because of their choice of hairstyle? Mark
Dear Mark,
It is always advisable to read and understand the human resource manuals at your workplace and when in doubt, consult the human resource dept for interpretation and guidance, depending on the job you have been employed to do. The HR manual provisions usually include sections on dress code for employees.
Organisations define their brand identity and that is what they promise to their customers. They hence inculcate the brand values into their employees such that the staff meet and exceed the customers’ expectations, which results in customer retention.
If you work in areas where you regularly interface with the orgnaisation’s customers, you are obliged to dress and manage your appearance (including hairstyle) according to the orgnaisation’s brand promise.
Mark, I have a feeling you would be in for a shock if you went for an evening in a nightclub and found waitresses smartly clad in
The gomesi as an attire is a very decent dress but if you found that in a nightclub the implication may be that the brand promise by that business to its customers has not been met.
You should, therefore, try to understand why many organisations insist on a dress code that represents their brand for all employees who directly deal with clients.
Moses Ssesanga
Head Human Resource
NMG - Uganda
[email protected]
