Can an employer by law make a person that works for him take off his wedding ring?

Question

My husband came home today and told me that his supervisor wants him to take off his wedding rings while he is working and my husband has been told they cannot legally make him take it off. They are trying to say it's some kind of hazard but they can wear stud earrings and watches and they can wear their badges around their necks so why not wear a wedding ring? My husband is refusing to take his off. He feels he didn't stand up there and take his vows and been married for 7 years to take his wedding ring off and/or it get lost or stolen. They told him he could take it off and put it on his key ring and come on now...The key ring could damage his wedding ring and how many people lose their key rings? Then they said he could put it in his wallet...again how many people lose their wallets or they get stolen? I just think its not ethical for an employer to make someone take off their wedding bands. Am I wrong? Isn't it against the law to make someone take off their wedding rings?

Ok people are asking what he does for a living and if it's a hazard. They wear gloves when they are working! Plus, they allow people there to wear stud earrings and watches and badges around their necks. Other people who work there have worn their rings for 12 years or more. It is not a hazard. My husband does not work somewhere where he will lose his finger if he wears his wedding ring. I told him I didn't want him to get fired over it but for him this is a very personal and important issue.

Answer 1

The gloves where he works don't necessarily protect him. This is the risk. If his hand (with or without gloves) is momentarily crushed many times it will only be a bad bruise but a wedding band made partially of soft gold and will bend. When this happens it can’t be pulled off and must be cut off. It could cut off the circulation to the finger. Rings can also catch moving equipment and rip off fingers if gloves are not worn. The business can be held liable for workers injuries on the job so they have a right to limit their liability by requiring workers to conform to safety regulations.
I suggest you get a chain and let him wear the ring around his neck. It won’t get caught on anything if it’s inside his shirt, it won’t get lost and he will still be technically wearing it.

Answer 2

If the job involves a product or equipment which could catch on a wedding ring, yes, the company is entirely within its rights to insist employees remove wedding rings. The company is very probably trying to protect its employees and avoid lawsuits for lost fingers and hands, plus paying workman's comp for accidents which were avoidable.

Remember, he's no less married and committed to you because he leaves his ring on the dresser or locks it in the glove compartment before he goes in to work.

FWIW, early in his career Mr. Maryn studied industrial and manufacturing accidents, and there are many, many instances of fingers and sometimes hands or even whole arms being lost because equipment caught on a ring.

Answer 3

I don't know about the law, but I work at a place where we cannot wear any jewelry at all, because it might damage the product we work with. (Brand new cars) But they don't make people take off their wedding rings - rather, they have to wear a ring guard to cover it. It's like a felt covering. I don't understand why your husband can't do this - it would actually hold the ring on better too.

Answer 4

Depends on what type of work your husband does. Wearing rings while operating certain types of machinery is a safety hazard, and an employer does have the right to make him remove his jewelry.

Answer 5

My husband works at a wood mill and a few years ago an employee was moving his hand a way from some piece of equipment and it caught his wedding ring and tore his finger off... no kidding.. It's only for safety reasons.. By law I suppose he dosen't have to take off his wedding ring but if its a rule then they can LEGALLY fire him... Just have him take it off at home if your so worried about him losing it.. don't stress out about it girlie! :)

Answer 6

your question becomes can employer restrict certain jewelry in the work place? if yes, is there an exception for jewelry with a religious symbol?

if the job is at will, without a union or other contact, then why push the envelope on this one, if he would be terminated do you have a case? maybe or maybe not, would a lawyer take the case sure but would require a retainer say 5K

so in reality is it worth it to you and your husband?

Answer 7

Depending on what type of work you do , a wedding ring can cause serious injury,if it gets caught on a protrusion it can skin your finger, however some works will let the ring be bandaged

Answer 8

It depends on what he does for a living. If he's working near machinery, the choice is to remove it voluntarily, or risk having his finger pulled off when it gets caught in something.

If it's that important to you that he wear it, give some thought to which of the remaining fingers he should wear it on if that happens.

Answer 9

I'm not sure if they "legally" can, but they CAN terminate him if he fails to abide by company policy....so it's pretty much the same thing.

Let me ask you and him this, tho.....does a missing finger because the ring caught on something and ripped the finger off (seen it happen) say "I love my wife"?

If it bothers him that much, he needs to quit and get a desk job.

Answer 10

No, it is not against the law for them to say that. If it is a safety hazard- say, he works with electricity- then yes they can make him take it off.