Pink hair gets man suspended from work

[CaptainCrunch]

The guy was being a t@@@. seriously he went in with pink hair last year and they said, sorry man we have standards for our customer facing personal, but they compromised and let him keep his pink hair but wear a hat.

Then this year, he doesn't even give the company a chance or warning and decides to do it to stand up for himself. Seriously WTF. Was there a charitable donation involved here, or was the guy just dying his hair pink under raising awareness. If this was actually supporting a cause, getting donations whatever then I'm sure if he went to Sleep Country they would have probably done some funky PR thing to help him raise money.

Raising awareness by dying your hair pink is either lazy or he just decided to dye his hair pink cause it looked cool and he created a cover story.

"Hey employee, your hair is pink and it will probably make some of our clients uncomfortable, and we want to be professional"

"Sorry dude . .. . . its in support of cancer"

"Oh man, thats great what kind of cancer"

"ummm you know cancer"

"Yeah cover it"

Then he wasn't fired, he walked off the job and didn't work his shift which is pretty much all the grounds Sleep Country needs to get rid of him.

Part of me thinks that he was looking for public sympathy so he could go for wrongful dismissal.

Sleep Country was completely in the right.

[Champion]

No problem with the employer. Rules are rules. Go work somewhere else if you want to turn your hair another color even if you are supporting something. No need to get all nuts about it. You knew for one year you were not allowed to do this.

You took a stand this year. Tough luck.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Moustaches are more offensive to me than pink hair.

I am fully on the side of the guy. Perhaps because I used to dye my hair wacky colours.

But hey, I guess I'm one of those people who believe that employers shouldn't really be able to dictate your personal appearance. Uniform? Sure. Cause you can change that after work. But I'm sick of all the control around piercings, hair, etc. If we're going to be that controlling then I would like a ban on moustaches in November please, talk about scary and hard on the eyes. I wouldn't want a guy with a crazy porn stache coming into my home.

The fact this guy was doing it for charity makes the employers stance even more ridiculous IMO. Appears I'm in the minority but hey that's Alberta for you Conservative to the core.

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

I am fully on the side of the guy. Perhaps because I used to dye my hair wacky colours.

So did I.

Then I graduated high school, got a real job that expected me to be presentable and that was the end of it.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

Appears I'm in the minority but hey that's Alberta for you Conservative to the core.

Useless addition to what was a reasonable post. Thanks for the stereotype, though.

[Moya]

Originally Posted by bomba

From Sleep Country:

Sleep Country Canada


Christine Magee’s response to the Calgary Sun:

We support our employees' dedication to charitable causes -- just as we do extensive charitable work as a company. We also have to make sure our customers are comfortable when our delivery associates enter their homes -- and that's why we require employees to maintain a professional, business-like appearance. In fact the acid test that I always use for the appearance of a Sleep Country delivery associate is whether my mom would be comfortable with this person setting up a bed in her bedroom.



Christine Magee
President, Sleep Country Canada

So lame. What is the pink hair going to do? Attack your mother?

[Moya]

The fact that it was apparently for Cancer shouldnt even matter. Its a hair color, its not a big deal.

People should seriously start worrying about things that actually matter.

Not saying companies shouldnt care about how their employees look like, but a hair color shouldnt be a big deal.

[Igottago]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

Moustaches are more offensive to me than pink hair.

I am fully on the side of the guy. Perhaps because I used to dye my hair wacky colours.

But hey, I guess I'm one of those people who believe that employers shouldn't really be able to dictate your personal appearance. Uniform? Sure. Cause you can change that after work. But I'm sick of all the control around piercings, hair, etc. If we're going to be that controlling then I would like a ban on moustaches in November please, talk about scary and hard on the eyes. I wouldn't want a guy with a crazy porn stache coming into my home.

The fact this guy was doing it for charity makes the employers stance even more ridiculous IMO. Appears I'm in the minority but hey that's Alberta for you Conservative to the core.

You and this pink hair fellow are free to go start your own company and make the appropriate attire whatever you want. Or go get a job that allows for it. It has nothing to do with Alberta's conservative nature either. It has to do with a company operating in a way that it sees fit. People can't just make up their own rules as employees of a company. The cause has nothing to do with it.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Sliver

If this employee approached the PR department internally it would have given them time to research the charity, promote it internally and externally (if they concluded it was a good fit for their PR strategies), etc. This guy showing up for work with pink hair doesn't give the PR department any time or traction to make this stunt do anything for the charity or Sleep Country. I would hardly rest the blame on the PR department for this falling flat. This is the employee's fault 100%.

They should have known from past experience he would do it again. Be procative as opposed to reactive, as i'm sure they knew the reasons why he dyed his hair pink. It might be the employees fault but also the company for missing out on a great opportunity to expand thier customer base. All they had to do is contact one of the local the media outlets and say we have a worker who is showing his support for Cancer research. Media does a human interest story on the guy and Sleep Country recieves alot of good will in community. The young man will be recognised by customers for what he's doing and noone will be intimidated by his so called scarey pink hair.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Moya

The fact that it was apparently for Cancer shouldnt even matter. Its a hair color, its not a big deal.

People should seriously start worrying about things that actually matter.

Not saying companies shouldnt care about how there employees look like, but a hair color shouldnt be a big deal.

Maybe we should do a poll and see who's scared of pink hair

[VO #23]

Seems Sleep Country was reasonable and flexible, and this guy took his ball and went home when he didn't get it completely his way.

No one likes crybabies, no one wants unreliable flakes working for them, don't let the door hit you on the way out buddy.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by VO #23

Seems Sleep Country was reasonable and flexible, and this guy took his ball and went home when he didn't get it completely his way.

No one likes crybabies, no one wants unreliable flakes working for them, don't let the door hit you on the way out buddy.

I like workers who stand up for what they believe in, especially when it's a good cause. And I also see no problem with a worker finding another job if he doesn't agree with the companies policy. Sleep Country could have made an exception for the young mans cause but didn't. I suspect the negitive publicity will cost SC a few customers, including me.

[RougeUnderoos]

I'm sure I'm not the only one who noticed that this guy does in fact have a new job and has taken his brazen hair elsewhere.

It certainly is fun to say "harrumph, the employer gets to decide what color hair the bed mover is allowed to have so if he doesn't like it he can go somewhere else and where are my dentures?", but he already did that.

[VO #23]

Originally Posted by Dion

I like workers who stand up for what they believe in, especially when it's a good cause. And I also see no problem with a worker finding another job if he doesn't agree with the companies policy. Sleep Country could have made an exception for the young mans cause but didn't. I suspect the negitive publicity will cost SC a few customers, including me.

Yeah, fair enough, and I can appreciate your perspective. I just think he could have gone about this in a more diplomatic fashion, producing a more even result that everyone was happy with. Instead, Sleep Country has been demonized for trying to have its employees maintain a minimum standard of appearance (even if this was negotiable). But negotiation clearly wasn't on this guy's agenda: he made the decision completely unilaterally.

[normtwofinger]

First impressions. Unfortunately, physical appearance gets judged within seconds of meeting someone. The physical look of a man having pink hair could lead the consumer to have a first impression that they and the company they represent are unprofessional.

[Igottago]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

I'm sure I'm not the only one who noticed that this guy does in fact have a new job and has taken his brazen hair elsewhere.

It certainly is fun to say "harrumph, the employer gets to decide what color hair the bed mover is allowed to have so if he doesn't like it he can go somewhere else and where are my dentures?", but he already did that.

So what is the point of this story? To paint Sleep Country with the brush that they love Cancer and are are evil tyrants towards those with pink colored hair? Totally unfair to the company.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by VO #23

Yeah, fair enough, and I can appreciate your perspective. I just think he could have gone about this in a more diplomatic fashion, producing a more even result that everyone was happy with. Instead, Sleep Country has been demonized for trying to have its employees maintain a minimum standard of appearance (even if this was negotiable). But negotiation clearly wasn't on this guy's agenda: he made the decision completely unilaterally.

This was the second year he had dyed his hair pink. He got nowhere with his negotiations the year before where they told him to cover it and he complied. This year the stance was much tougher with no room for negotiation. If he was doing it to be a jerk or tick off management, i'd be on the side of the company. Sleep Country deserves to be demonised when many other companies choose to allow thier employees to show thier support. And it's not like the public doesn't know what pink stands for.

[Igottago]

Originally Posted by Dion

I like workers who stand up for what they believe in, especially when it's a good cause. And I also see no problem with a worker finding another job if he doesn't agree with the companies policy. Sleep Country could have made an exception for the young mans cause but didn't. I suspect the negitive publicity will cost SC a few customers, including me.

I'm sorry but as noble as that sounds, its not like this guy is Rosa Parks. Standing up for what you believe in the face of true adversity is totally different. This guy isn't fighting the establishment or fighting on behalf of those that are less empowered than him. He's just being an ass.

Ask 100 people on the street if they believe in defeating cancer and i'm sure 100 people will say yes. What makes what this guy did with his hair so remarkable?

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Dion

Sleep Country could have made an exception for the young mans cause but didn't. I suspect the negitive publicity will cost SC a few customers, including me.

But sleep country didnt even get a chance to work with the guy. He just showed up the first year was told to put a hat on, he did. The issue was solved in everyones eyes. If the employee was really comitted to his job and his cause he would have spent time working with sleep country to make is hair acceptable or part of a store sponsored event. He didnt, after his slacktivism was over he just waited until next year when he showed up again with the hair without any notice. How was sleep country supposed to know he would do it again and this time object to their reasonable comprimise. The onus was on him to get his cause approved. He didnt. In fact this reeks of a very creative way for a disgruntled employee to screw over his employer.


I if price is equal, will by my next bed from sleep country. They shouldnt lose buisness because of this.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Igottago

I'm sorry but as noble as that sounds, its not like this guy is Rosa Parks. Standing up for what you believe in the face of true adversity is totally different. This guy isn't fighting the establishment or fighting on behalf of those that are less empowered than him. He's just being an ass.

I don't think he's being an ass. We'll agree to disagree on that.

Ask 100 people on the street if they believe in defeating cancer and i'm sure 100 people will say yes. What makes what this guy did with his hair so remarkable?

We have yearly events in the city where people support cancer research and the loved ones they lost by wearing pink. Some wear shirts and other do parts or all of thier hair. Then there's the people who have thier head shaved. It's a symbolic way of showing support. One I have no problems with people doing.

Sleep Country fears some old people will get scared by the pink hair which I find laughable.