can you fire someone due to their hair cut?

Question

An employer says shaving your head completely bald does not look professional, please do not do it again.Employee does it again...can employer legally terminate employee?

Answer 1

Yes. Welcome to the real world, where we have to listen to the people that give us money.

The company has a policy that says an employee must dress a certain way and maintain a certain appearance because that employee is representing the company. If a receptionist continually wears unacceptable clothing to her law firm, they can dismiss her for failing to complete the duties of her job (which include the dress code). Most companies have a handbook that lays out these requirements that new employees must sign they have read and understand. This is why...they are covering themselves legally for if an employee fails to uphold their standards.

If the employee has already received a warning, s/he has absolutely no case as they cannot even argue they did not know it was a problem. In this case, the employee was likely terminated not for appearance but for insubordination. S/he was specifically told not to do something and did it anyway. If the first warning was presented as a written reprimand, the employer's case for insubordination is even stronger.

In addition, if you read the employment contract, I will almost guarantee it includes a clause that says the employer may terminate employment AT WILL. This is a standard clause included to ensure that employers can let you go without cause and without any need to provide a reason. The only way around that clause is severe mental anguish or sexual harassment.

And FYI - discrimination is things we have no control over (race, gender, age) not haircuts. And, some companies will fire someone for their weight (a controllable thing) if appearance is a part of the job. Again, if the contract says At Will, they don't have to give you any reason.

Answer 2

Generally, i don't think hair cut would be a sufficient reason for firing. But, to be in the safe side don't ever sign any kind of paper that mentions any misbehavior during working hours. Couple of such papers will let the employer do whatever he wants and the employee will have no case then. Don't even sign the annual appraise if it includes such notifications. Just be careful, otherwise, i don't think the employer has a chance.

Answer 3

Initial question should be what state do you live in? If you are like me, I live in illinois, and they are an 'employee at will' state, meaning they can fire you for doing nothing. IF you are in one of these states with this rule, yes, your company can fire you.

If not, then no, they must have a valid reason to do so. Maybe you have a medical condition which requires the shaving of the head? Or some other ailment which requires this? I do not see how shaving of one's head does not look professional, it is clean and shiny! :-)

ps - I hope you are not in an 'at will' state.

Answer 4

No that is the DUMBEST reason to get fired. If you fire someone for that , the employee have every right to be there to work. Haircut doesn't affect a person's performance on the job. He will file unemployment and he will tell EDD why he was terminated and they will call you to verify if that is the reason he got let go. You don't want legal issues from EDD do you?

Answer 5

If they do they can go to the labour board

You must have 2 written warnings of unacceptable behavior documented and signed by the employee and employer. Acceptions are things in a no tolerance policy pointed out and signed by the employee. Example - no being intoxicated at work or no stealing.

Check with your policies & procedures laid out when you started and check with the labour bored - to make sure that you don't get wrongfully dismissed

What do they do about people with hair loss????

Answer 6

It depends where you live and the laws of your state. I live in Ohio and Ohio is what they call an "at-will" state which basically means that you can be fired for any reason, at any time and with no notice. They can fire you if you wear red shoes and they hate red shoes. I was fired (along with another employee) when I contacted management about the employee assulting me at work. My husband was fired for sexual harrasment after being falsely accused. They never even asked my husband for his side of the story. We contacted lawyers in both cases and was told there was nothing we could do because of these "at-will" laws. There are rules and regulations typically to every job, and appearance is usually one specification. But, like I said, it depends on the laws of your state.

Answer 7

iam sorry this is just wrong a man looks handsome when he is bald in that case hes going to have to fire half the world most men shave there hair not because they are old but because they like it are there hair is reseeding at a young are middle age.shaving your head can be very professional if its done neat and clear,

Answer 8

years ago this truck driver came to work he had long hair, the
gaffer gave him a pick up to make, when he came back he had short hair, the gaffersez have you had your haircut in the firms time, the trucker sez it grows in the firms time, the gaffer sez it dosent all grow in the firms time the trucker sez i didn't have it all cut

but seriously, it depends how long you have been there if you want to make a case out of it, but now its been done you can keep it down so it will take about twenty years to get it how the boss likes it.

Answer 9

Yes, It depends on what is written in the contract. Most front line employees have to be of neat appearance and presentable.

Answer 10

No, you can't legal fire someone over their haircut!! That would be like firing someone due to the color of their skin or if they are overweight. Thats a thing called discrimination, look it up