Absolutely, but if you are going to play averages someone who is going to follow stupid rules like “wear a tie” is more likely to follow all your procedures, gripe less, do their job, and not take risks. In some cultures, that is the guy you want. Doesn’t mean you are going to get it 100% of the time by taking the clean cut looking guy - nor does it mean the one with the facial hair and “Amber” tattoo’d on his arm is going to take you. But you have 200 applicants - throw out the ones with facial hair, in need of a haircut, who refuse to wear a tie and now you are looking for the honest guy who can do the job from a pool of 150.
I thought it fascinating in the late 90s when we never had enough people how quickly we slipped to “we don’t care if you don’t know how to dress yourself or shower - can you learn Unix?” What I found more fascinating was how fast after the labor market tightened how even in my job (I work in a factory where there is no dress code and you can wear jeans and a concert t-shirt to work - well, we had to put in a dress code - flip flops and cut off shorts and tube tops on women are forbidden) people started dressing up and how quickly other firms went back to higher expectations in dress and personal appearance. At my firm, there was no announcement, just over about a six month period jeans turned into khaki’s, t-shirts into collared golf shirts, tennis shoes into loafers. Women started to show up with a little makeup on. We still have a number of people who wear jeans every day (and they are still common on Friday), but far less.
I had assumed you weren’t, because of the way you described it. You said, “And yes, I find it discriminatory against a legally-protected class, but even more-so I found it insulting.” The tone of that sentence doesn’t really indicate a personal connection with the legally protected class. You might have said, for example, “I find it discriminatory against my religious beliefs,” or “I am a member of a legally protected class.” But to say “…discriminatory against a legally-protected class…” is not the kind of phrasing you’d expect from someone who is a member of that class.
Further, you later acknowledged that there have been many years in which you have been beardless, which also weakens the image that you observe a religious tradition that requires beards.
Obviously, though, it appears my assumption was incorrect. Although I will further point out, in the interests of providing you some possibly useful feedback on perception, even your post above has some ambiguity to it, because of the use of the word “really,” which is used in a manner that suggests that it’s NOT, really, true.
Officers too. There’s a few practical safety concerns about it, but otherwise it’s total bullshit --where’s the hard-drinking, grizzled one-eyed salts of yesteryear? You also can’t curse anymore, but what can you do, it’s all New Navy now.
In that sense, it’s kind of similar to the way Van Halen had a rider in their live performance contract that said they were to be provided with a bowl of M&Ms with all the brown-colored ones removed. And they’d throw a major fit if they didn’t get it just like that.
Their point didn’t really have anything to do with brown M&Ms, but rather, did the promoter/venue read the damn contract? The contract included very specific requirements as to the construction/weight-bearing capacity of the stage they’d be playing on (it had to be able to support many tons of equipment and props), as well as minimum electrical standards (to be able to power all that equipment without blowing circuits in the middle of the show). Finding brown M&Ms in the bowl told them in a quick and easy way that the contract probably hadn’t been read in it’s entirety, and that they’d better inspect the venue themselves. Apparently, there was more than one instance where they found brown M&Ms and the subsequent inspection revealed an inadequate facility.
Yes, though politely. And clearly the interviewer/manager had no fondness for the policy, so I didn’t take him to task for it (he actually apologized for the company policy).
Point granted, and intentional. The purpose of my post wasn’t to express outrage that my rights had been violated or to solicit advice as to whether I should file a complaint or sue, but merely to express complete surprise (shock, even). I downplayed my personal stake because I wanted to comment on the stupidity of such a rule, rather than how it affected me personally. If the company required brown hair, I’d still be just as shocked, even though I happen to meet their condition.
Are there any Disney villains which are “face characters,” as the company calls them (that is, characters that are allowed to be portrayed without a oversized costume head, such as the various princesses)? The Disney villains all have unique facial features, and I can’t assume any of them would be portrayed without a mask. Cruella DeVille, maybe, but she doesn’t have a beard.
Yes, and … yes. It is far too subtle for me to explain it though. I’m pretty stupid. (neither joke, nor whoosh, alas)
My employer just kicked our dress code to the curb about a month ago. Now it’s something along the lines of, “Cover your parts…but try to have some class about what you wrap yourself in.” Having just dumped a fair wad of cashish into some wardrobe refreshments I’ll probably be making no serious changes anyway, but it’s nice to have the flexibility to forego slacks & dress shoes for denims & boots when there’s 2 feet of snow & muck to deal with.
As for the OP, I’m a skinface anyway, but I’d have reservations about hooking up with an employer who felt the need to micromanage even my personal grooming decisions. Double that for an employer unwise enough to not realize that outdated policies like that are costing them talent.
Of late, the guys from Pirates of the Caribbean. Actually, I’m sure the guy who plays Captain Jack gets to have a beard too, if he so chooses (I saw him at the Ren Fair- that guy is fuckin’ hard core lol).
Anyway, I’m sure there are others. I’ve seen Captain Hook with and without a head/costume, so there’s one. Same with Jaffar from Aladdin, actually.
Heh… Every time they roll out another movie in that series, our Faire (Northern California) is over-run with Jack Sparrows, nearly every last one of them worse than the previous guy. FWIW, it’s rumored that Johnny Depp himself came to our Faire as Sparrow a couple years ago, but I’m so numbed to the character and all of its bad attempts that I didn’t notice.
As for beards at work, mine’s getting to the point where I can’t carry a guitar or people will think I’m from ZZ Top. I’m happy to work for a Fortune 50 company that’s generally “Please cover yourself” when it comes to dress codes. Our front-line tellers and sales people do dress in the ways you’d expect - suits, skirts, neatly coiffed and groomed, but those of us working in buildings that don’t bear the company name are free to be ourselves.
This is the one down in So Cal and the guy was AMAZING- he seriously would NOT break character, looked EXACTLY like Depp in the movie, had the moves down PERFECTLY, and NAILED the voice. It was amazing. He was like, falling all over himself, stumbling back and forth, hitting on women. One of the people working the fair told us he’s the guy who plays Sparrow at Disneyland.
That is a very silly way at going about things. In the venues that I have worked, there were separate departments handling the technical requirements and the hospitality requirements.
The person that books the acts will forward the technical requirements to the Technical Director where he will go over and make sure the venue has everything needed, or can get it. There would be a separate Hospitality Director (I am not sure if that is the proper title) that would arrange for all of the other requests pertaining to the band such as catering or whatever bizarre things the talent wants. The two departments might not even see the other’s requirements.
I know a horrible Technical Director who made the decision that a particular orchestra touring to his venue really didn’t need the baby grand piano like the rider said, and made those types of decisions all the time. He is the type of TD bands hate, and let me tell you he would have no part in the placement of M&M’s.
