# Can an employer force men to cut their hair while letting women keep their locks?

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-employer-force-men-to-cut-their-hair-while-letting-women-keep-their-locks/538293
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [May 4, 2010, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-employer-force-men-to-cut-their-hair-while-letting-women-keep-their-locks/538293 "2010-05-04T16:27:01Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 16

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### Author: ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2010, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-employer-force-men-to-cut-their-hair-while-letting-women-keep-their-locks/538293/16 "2010-05-04T18:02:59Z")

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> [@villa](#):
>
> Hair length isn’t going to become a protected class. It’s a lot easier to go to the barber than it is to become white or male.

I’m not arguing for hair length to become a protected class; as i’ve made clear on more than one occasion, i’m making an argument of principle, not of law here. I’m simply arguing that both sexes should be treated equally.

You are correct that it is easy to go to the barber, but it is also just as easy, from a practical standpoint, to allow the guy with long hair to keep the long hair. I have just as much of a problem with a dress code that refuses to allow women to wear pants, and insists that they wear skirts instead. Sure, it’s easy for them to buy and wear a skirt, but if wearing pants doesn’t impede their job performance, why should it matter?

This is not an issue i’d go to the barricades to defend, but i don’t think it’s completely trivial either.

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