'Work' Hair

[Zombi]

I have a question for those in either management or HR. I'm going to a goth/industrial music festival in Germany in July, and I want to put dreadlock extensions in. Now, it's about 5 hours of work to braid them in, and I'd like to keep them as long as I can, not just for the weekend. My question is - will work be able to ask me to take them out? At present, I'm a teacher, but come the end of June, I will cease to be a teacher and become the full-time exams co-ordinator, meaning that I don't deal with the public at all. The main problem is that my immediate boss (not big boss, but supervisor) is my mother. She's very conservative, and has hated everything I've done to my hair in the past 5 years (including getting it layered so I don't look like something out of 'Little House on the Prarie' ) I have a feeling that my big boss is a little less bothered about such things, though.

I'm asking for opinions because I've looked on the staff intranet, and I can't find any HR guidelines which would prevent me from having extensions. They'll be mostly black, to match my natural hair, but with a few contrasting coloured ones. Mum hates the idea, but what would you do if one of your employees came in with dread extensions?

[Kiwi]

for work can you pull your hair back, wind the extensions into a plait (braid) or into a bun?

as long as it isnt distracting from your work or for the students, I dont see why it should be a problem

[Rapscallion]

Maybe find someone from HR and ask them beforehand?

Rapscallion

[BlaqueKatt]

our handbook state that hairstyling is left to the individual employee-as long as we abide by the dress code otherwise. I'd ask HR to be on the safe side.

[Andara Bledin]

I would definitely try to get ahold of the actual rules regarding hair and hair style. In an educational environment, I would be exceedingly surprised if they didn't have one.

And if you get it and it says something vague, like "appropriate for the situation" sort of thing, then ask the HR/staffing department for more concrete boundaries. If you can go in armed with tasteful pictures, even better. You can check quite a number of different potential styles that way.

^-.-^

[Gurndigarn]

I have a question for those in either management or HR. I'm going to a goth/industrial music festival in Germany in July, and I want to put dreadlock extensions in. Now, it's about 5 hours of work to braid them in, and I'd like to keep them as long as I can, not just for the weekend. My question is - will work be able to ask me to take them out?

Yes. The better question, though, is will they? Some places are lenient; others are uptight. Teaching situations usually ask for conservative dress and deportment... but some places are hard up for qualified applicants ans will let stuff slide, or they just don't care so long as it doesn't interfere with your job.

[Broomjockey]

Yeah, ask HR if you can. A lot of professional environments have a "no serious changes to appearance" clause in the contract or dress codes that would cover something like this, even if there's no specific mention of hair. Even a line like "must be in line overall with a professional environment" could be used to say no. So either ask HR, or steel yourself against possibly having to lose them and just go for it anyways.

[Zombi]

Teaching situations usually ask for conservative dress and deportment... but some places are hard up for qualified applicants ans will let stuff slide, or they just don't care so long as it doesn't interfere with your job.

That's why I'm not getting them now, but waiting until July - come the end of June, I won't be a teacher any more. This place...hard up for staff is an understatement. Are you upright and breathing? Great! Here's a class for you!

Thank you for the input, everyone. I was planning to ask HR anyway (probably should have put that in the original post!), because I can't find a single rule that says I can't, but I suppose I'll just have to take the plunge and see what happens. The worst that can happen is that I'll be asked to take them out, right?

[BossLady]

I'd think that if you were waiting after your school year is over and you are waiting until a week or so before you leave on your trip to make a radical change to your look and don't intend on keeping it until the school year starts again that it would be okay.

To reassure yourself I'd talk to Mom's boss (Mom will be too emotional about it) casually, something like "I'm thinking about doing something different with my hair, would this cause a problem over the summer months?"

[Zombi]

(Mom will be too emotional about it)

That's putting it mildly. Thanks for the advice.

[Evil Queen]

I'm told I can do anything I want to my hair as long as it looks good. One of my co-workers has some tasteful yellow-blonde streaks in her hair (her hair is originally darkbrown/black).

[Gothicsmurf]

Not sure if this is too late or not.

I currently have neon red and black hair down to my waist. Prior to that it was purple and black.

Unless there is anything written in the dress code about hair they can't fire you for it... but they can fire you for other reasons. (Loophole)

I wear a wig to work and all my hair fits in it.

www.wowwigs.com Reasonably priced and they come in fast.

Don't know if that will help. I know that getting dreads and extensions can be painful and you do need a bit of time to learn to care for them so I see why you're looking to get them sooner rather than later.

[Zombi]

They can't fire me - who's going to mark all those exams? I really doubt anything much will happen, I'm just a chronic worrier.

*is presently worried about the baggage retrieval system they've got at Heathrow*