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discriminated for his earrings

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laurajess1

Junior Member
What is the name of your state? california

My boyfriend has been working for this RIDICULOUSLY strict company since March. We are currently living in CA but both from the east coast.

We are migrating back east at the end of August (which neither of our employers knows yet) but that's about the only thing that keeps him going everyday. Knowing it will soon be over.

When he was hired he was told about thier policy with piercings. If they don't show, you can keep them in. Male or Female... you cannot show ANY piercings.

He has a pretty big tongue ring and wears it everyday. HOWEVER, he also has two diamond studs (one in each ear) that he's been having to remove every morning and replace everynight.

Last week he started noticing (quite frequently) that various women thorughout the company were sporting earrings themselves... even DANGLY ONES. So this morning he put his earrings in and said, i'm going to weart them until someone tells me to take them out. We both thought "Damn the man! No one would REALLY say anything"...

Obviously you can see where this is going, he got a notice about a meeting with his supervisor asking him why he had them in. My BF flat out said, i saw other people wearing them. His supervisor asked him "who?"... BF told him (the list included a woman with alot of status in the company).

His supervisor, then said "yeah it's only men who can't wear them"

BF says: "that's illegal"

Boss says: "if HR hears you say anything with the word illegal, they'll find a way to fire you and state it as another reason"

do we have ANY options?
They have been so far out of line on more than one occassion!!:mad:

I know most people would probably say "oh just let it go" but... COME ON! THIS IS CRAZY!
 


seniorjudge

Senior Member
laurajess1 said:
What is the name of your state? california

My boyfriend has been working for this RIDICULOUSLY strict company since March. We are currently living in CA but both from the east coast.

We are migrating back east at the end of August (which neither of our employers knows yet) but that's about the only thing that keeps him going everyday. Knowing it will soon be over.

When he was hired he was told about thier policy with piercings. If they don't show, you can keep them in. Male or Female... you cannot show ANY piercings.

He has a pretty big tongue ring and wears it everyday. HOWEVER, he also has two diamond studs (one in each ear) that he's been having to remove every morning and replace everynight.

Last week he started noticing (quite frequently) that various women thorughout the company were sporting earrings themselves... even DANGLY ONES. So this morning he put his earrings in and said, i'm going to weart them until someone tells me to take them out. We both thought "Damn the man! No one would REALLY say anything"...

Obviously you can see where this is going, he got a notice about a meeting with his supervisor asking him why he had them in. My BF flat out said, i saw other people wearing them. His supervisor asked him "who?"... BF told him (the list included a woman with alot of status in the company).

His supervisor, then said "yeah it's only men who can't wear them"

BF says: "that's illegal"

Boss says: "if HR hears you say anything with the word illegal, they'll find a way to fire you and state it as another reason"

do we have ANY options?
They have been so far out of line on more than one occassion!!:mad:

I know most people would probably say "oh just let it go" but... COME ON! THIS IS CRAZY!

Q: do we have ANY options?

A: You don't have any. Your boyfriend's option is to keep working and leave his ear rings at home OR lose his job and wear his ear rings.
 
S

shell007

Guest
laurajess1 said:
What is the name of your state? california

My boyfriend has been working for this RIDICULOUSLY strict company since March. We are currently living in CA but both from the east coast.

We are migrating back east at the end of August (which neither of our employers knows yet) but that's about the only thing that keeps him going everyday. Knowing it will soon be over.

When he was hired he was told about thier policy with piercings. If they don't show, you can keep them in. Male or Female... you cannot show ANY piercings.

He has a pretty big tongue ring and wears it everyday. HOWEVER, he also has two diamond studs (one in each ear) that he's been having to remove every morning and replace everynight.

Last week he started noticing (quite frequently) that various women thorughout the company were sporting earrings themselves... even DANGLY ONES. So this morning he put his earrings in and said, i'm going to weart them until someone tells me to take them out. We both thought "Damn the man! No one would REALLY say anything"...

Obviously you can see where this is going, he got a notice about a meeting with his supervisor asking him why he had them in. My BF flat out said, i saw other people wearing them. His supervisor asked him "who?"... BF told him (the list included a woman with alot of status in the company).

His supervisor, then said "yeah it's only men who can't wear them"

BF says: "that's illegal"

Boss says: "if HR hears you say anything with the word illegal, they'll find a way to fire you and state it as another reason"

do we have ANY options?
They have been so far out of line on more than one occassion!!:mad:

I know most people would probably say "oh just let it go" but... COME ON! THIS IS CRAZY!
What is your BF's specific occupation?
 
S

shell007

Guest
laurajess1 said:
he's a courseware developer

and his company is privately owned. does this mean anything?
Nope...just wondering.

Tell BF to pitch the CZ's and/or look for employment elsewhere if he doesn't like the rules.
 

cbg

I'm a Northern Girl
Your boyfriend is mistaken. It is NOT illegal for a policy to allow women, but not men, to wear earrings.

Dress codes are excluded from gender discrimination rules. He should check his facts before telling his employer that they're breaking the law. Or ask him whether he's planning on wearing skirts, hose and high heels to work tomorrow.
 

mlane58

Senior Member
cbg said:
Your boyfriend is mistaken. It is NOT illegal for a policy to allow women, but not men, to wear earrings.

Dress codes are excluded from gender discrimination rules. He should check his facts before telling his employer that they're breaking the law. Or ask him whether he's planning on wearing skirts, hose and high heels to work tomorrow.
Now thats just an ugly visual
 

AHA

Senior Member
laurajess1 said:
What is the name of your state? california

My boyfriend has been working for this RIDICULOUSLY strict company since March. We are currently living in CA but both from the east coast.

We are migrating back east at the end of August (which neither of our employers knows yet) but that's about the only thing that keeps him going everyday. Knowing it will soon be over.

When he was hired he was told about thier policy with piercings. If they don't show, you can keep them in. Male or Female... you cannot show ANY piercings.

He has a pretty big tongue ring and wears it everyday. HOWEVER, he also has two diamond studs (one in each ear) that he's been having to remove every morning and replace everynight.

Last week he started noticing (quite frequently) that various women thorughout the company were sporting earrings themselves... even DANGLY ONES. So this morning he put his earrings in and said, i'm going to weart them until someone tells me to take them out. We both thought "Damn the man! No one would REALLY say anything"...

Obviously you can see where this is going, he got a notice about a meeting with his supervisor asking him why he had them in. My BF flat out said, i saw other people wearing them. His supervisor asked him "who?"... BF told him (the list included a woman with alot of status in the company).

His supervisor, then said "yeah it's only men who can't wear them"

BF says: "that's illegal"

Boss says: "if HR hears you say anything with the word illegal, they'll find a way to fire you and state it as another reason"

do we have ANY options?
They have been so far out of line on more than one occassion!!:mad:

I know most people would probably say "oh just let it go" but... COME ON! THIS IS CRAZY!
It's very common for women to be allowed to wear earrings in the workplace, but not men. Just like in some places I know, women have to wear pantyhose when wearing a skirt, not wear open toe shoes, not wear sleeveless tops etc etc.
 

Dandy Don

Senior Member
Tell boyfriend to compromise and only wear the earrings outside of work. Employers don't like earrings because customers/clients, whether rightly or wrongly, view men who wear them as effeminate. Which does he love more, making money without the earrings or proudly wearing them and being unemployed/unhirable?
 

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