It looks more professional

[Jadacrys]

I have a co-worker that bc'ed shortly after I did. She made a personal decision to relax her hair. She felt the need to explain herself about her decision to me. I want her to do what is best for her. It looks good on her.

On to the point....The boss noticed her new "hairstyle" and made it a point to compliment her that it looked so much better than the other style, and that it looked more professional. He emphasized more professional comment more than once, and I was in the room.



Even before this, I decided to tone down my hairstyles in the workplace (even though it is a warehouse). No wild fros, I will just wear twists, braids, and low puffs until I can bun). I will try some falls, ponies, and wigs too. I will not perm because of somebody else's hangups. This particular day, I had box braids in an updo.

I still processing this......let me know your thoughts

 

[Radianthealth]

I am sorry this happened. It is unfortunate that there are so many uninformed people in this world.

 

[HoneyDew]

He is crazy and really does not know what he is talking about. It kills me that people think that way about natural hair. I am relaxed, but I do get offended when people say things like that about natural hair. That is like telling a brunette that she would look more professional if she dyes her hair blond. How can some say that about how your hair is and what God gave you.

Anyway, there is a girl that I work with that has beautiful natural type 4 hair. She normally wears it in a low puff or a bun. I am always staring in envy and admiration - and she looks very professional.

I am not saying you should what I do, because I can't keep my mouth shut. I would wait for a good time to bring it up to him, even casually.

 

[Qetesh]

not to bring race into this but is your boss white or black?

 

[HoneyDew]

not to bring race into this but is your boss white or black?

Good question.

 

[Ms Lala]

Whatever color your boss is he is confused. Black women have fought hard to wear certain natural hairstyles in the workplace and if he tries to discriminate against you at all because of it precedent has already been set legally. The hair God gave you is not unprofessional. Straight does not equal professional. People are just conditioned to think it is neater and more aesthetically pleasing because of what we see on tv etc.... and the history of racism and colorism in the nation. Girl that would make me want to go to work with a big fro and dare them to say something. THere are certain styles like my big afro puffs (2 of them like lady of rage) and seriously big picked out fro that I think look a little unprofessional so I don't wear them to work but I think natural hair is professional in the workplace. Especially a twa, that's one of the neatest and professional natural styles one can wear. That guy is really tripping; I think his comment was unprofessional and offensive!

 

[Royal Glory]

Jadacrys,

I'm sorry you experienced this. Some people are just unenlightened, ignorant and maybe even biased about ethnic hair types and styles. (Regardless of their ethnicity.)

I agree that after you finish processing your feelings that maybe you should casually bring it up with your boss. Just let him know how his comment made you feel. "Straight" does not = "professional".

The good news is that more and more employers are becoming more and more enlightened about our desire and right to wear our hair the way we choose as long as it is neat and clean.

 

[InJesusName]

I am sorry this happpened to you as well. Unfortunately we are still victimized by the European strongholds placed on us centuries ago when we were forced from our native land where everyone had natural hair. I feel your pain. I have struggled with the decision to go natural for this very reason. I just don't think my industry (pharma sales) would support it. As a result, I continue to relax.

I agree with honeydew. Maybe you should bring it up casually and professionally at a later time. Express that you were displeased with the comment and ask for clarification. No one should be held to someone else's standard of professionalism. It is your hair and ultimately your decision. It is also a lawsuit waiting to happen in my opinion

 

[Cheleigh]

LOL. This reminds me of a story just the other day. My mother's friend was watching the television news, and she asked my mom if I was still working for a particular company (I'm a sr. marketing rep there). My mom said yes. She wanted to know the name of the woman representing my company on tv, and said she had hair like "Mahalia Jackson" or "Cicely Tyson," like a 1970s hairstyle. I immediately replied that "Mary" is our government liason--she is essentially our lobbiest and secures political favors and funding committments from elected officials. She was hand picked by our general manager, and recently lauded by our board of directors. Mary is natural, and usually wears her hair is a wild shake and go or twists/twistout.

I relay that story because in large measure, your accomplishments largely overshadow what you wear. Professionalism means many things to many people. I never questioned what my boss/clients would think when I went natural, because my compentency speaks for itself. My mother is a psychologist, and she didn't factor whether people would think she was not as professional when she decided to loc.

There are some people who prefer straight looking hair to kinky looking hair. And vice versa. It doesn't mean that all people feel like that, or that their opinion will materially affect the perception of your job performance.

Your boss is an idiot, because generally, it's in inappropriate to comment on your subordinate's dress/presentation unless you are calling them in for a formal review/discussion about their job performance. But anyhoo...I wouldn't pay him any mind unless he brought it up to me directly--then we'd discuss it.

 

[CaramelMiSS]

This reminds me my father used to wear dreads but the company said that it was not "professional", so my mother was trying to convince him that it was a potential lawsuit. Well my dad ended up cutting them off, and about some time later it said on the news that some had filed a lawsuit and won because their management had told them the same thing they told my dad. Point is that if the manager tries to say something it could be a potential lawsuit because that is a form of discrimanation because that's who you are and that's how you chose to wear your hair.

 

[Jadacrys]

Yes, he is a white, older gentleman, ex-marine. Thanks for the input guys. I didn't know if I should address it or not. It's definitely discrimination.

People don't understand how serious this is. My husband told that this is no big deal. Don't worry about it....

 

[CaramelMiSS]

Yes, he is a white, older gentleman, ex-marine. Thanks for the input guys. I didn't know if I should address it or not. It's definitely discrimination.

People don't understand how serious this is. My husband told that this is no big deal. Don't worry about it....

You should worry about it could lead to a potential lawsuit and lots of money But seriously, you have to fight for what you believe in and thats healthy hair!!! I wouldn't do anything about it until he addressed me up front though.

 

[MochaSilk]

Food for thought: It is a lawsuit waiting to happen, imnsho. This is the only article I could find, but this reminded me of what happened here a few years back. What profoundly shocked me was that the police chief was a brotha, not in office a good year before he started trippin'. He's since been fired.

Please note: I don't care for the term DREADlocks, that was the author, not I.

Dispute Over Dallas Dreadlocks Escalates
(From The Dallas Morning News)

At least two Dallas police officers who had been warned that their dreadlock hairstyles do not conform to department policy have been placed on administrative leave for refusing to cut their hair, police officials said. The paid administrative leave for the officers and the highly publicized haircut last week for a department spokesman who had been wearing a dreadlock hairstyle has brought attention to the department's ban on the hairstyles under policies developed in the 1970s. Senior Cpl. Chris Gilliam, 37, who had been growing the hairstyle for about two years, was ordered not to appear in television interviews until he cut his hair.

Some in the department say the cornrow, dreadlock and other hairstyles worn primarily by black officers erode the respect needed by police officers to be effective in their work. Chief Terrell Bolton has privately told officers and members of his top command staff that he does not approve of the hairstyles. "The bottom line is that we have to comply with the general orders," said Janice Houston, special assistant to the chief of police. "There's a misconception out there that one group is being targeted, and that's not true. Everything and everyone needs to be in compliance."

Officers Gina L. Mosley, 30, and Frank Hasty, 37, were sent home last week after they showed up to work with dreadlocks. Officer Elizabeth Gates, 34, is taking vacation after receiving a memo saying her hairstyle did not comply with department policy. If she returns to work, she will be placed on administrative leave, department officials said. Several other officers with similar hairstyles also have been warned to change them, police said. Some say banning the hairstyles shows a lack of tolerance.

Letters are pouring into Chief Bolton's office in support of the officers' hairstyles, and the executive director of the National Black Police Association said the department should reconsider its policy based on the standards of society today. "Hairstyle has nothing to do with whether you are a good or bad police officer or person," said Ronald E. Hampton, executive director of the National Black Police Association. "It's totally absurd for a police department in the 21st century to be worried about hair. Have they solved all the crime in Dallas?"

Noliwe Rooks, associate director of African American Studies at Princeton University and author of Hair Raising: Beauty, Culture and African American Women, said, "Hair just pushes all these racial buttons, and a hairstyle starts to take up all these political meanings."

The department's general orders relating to personal appearance and grooming, written in the 1970s, address Afro hairstyles but don't mention the current styles. The policy says officers should present a "neutral and uniform image, to effectively relate to all segments of the population they serve." Male officers' hairstyles must be tapered on the sides and back and the hair is not to be ragged, unkempt or extreme. Female officers are allowed to wear braided hairstyles close to the head but are not allowed to wear ponytails or pigtails. Officers with dreadlocks say they pin their hair so it stays behind their ears and collar to conform to those guidelines.

A "hair committee" made up of officers from various departments convened several months ago to discuss the hairstyles. But no one on the committee had dreadlocks or any of the other hairstyles discussed. The 12-member committee voted unanimously to allow hair "twists" common to the early stages of the dreadlock styles, as long as they appeared neat. The committee voted 11-1 not to allow cornrows or braids. On the day the committee met to make the final recommendation, Assistant Chief Randy Hampton told the committee that the department would continue adhering to the general orders, officers said.

Chief Hampton would not discuss the recommendations made by the committee, why it was formed or why he overturned the recommendations. "This is a personnel issue, and we're going to follow the general orders," Chief Hampton said. "Right now, that's what we're going to do.”

Officer Gates, a 13-year-veteran, said Deputy Chief Kyle Royster told her May 15 that her hairstyle was in compliance with department regulations. Two days later, Chief Royster called Officer Gates into his office and told her someone in the police academy had filed a complaint about her hairstyle. She said. "I asked them what I could do to come into compliance," Officer Gates said. "I was not trying to be disrespectful. I needed clarification, but they kept referring me to the general orders. I have always met all the personal appearance rules, now, all of a sudden, I'm not in compliance. I've had my hair this way for almost three years, and it has never been an issue."

The hairstyle issue for officers is not new. Dallas police Detective Dwaine Hall, a 32-year veteran, fought the department in the mid-1970s so he could wear an Afro. "I was at a point in my career where I was not being accepted in my own community," said Detective Hall, who works in the financial-crimes unit. Although Detective Hall said he does not support allowing police officers to wear dreadlocks, he said the department should have addressed the issue earlier. "I think what upsets the officers the most is that nobody said anything to them, and now all of a sudden someone decides to flex their muscles," Detective Hall said.

Some officers have met with attorneys at the Dallas law firm of Bickel & Brewer to discuss their options, said Kennedy Barnes, director of the law firm's storefront that handles pro bono cases. Most police departments have grooming policies to ensure officers' safety. Long hair and ponytails are seen as threats to officers' safety because offenders can grab the hair to overpower an officer. New York City, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia allow dreadlocks if officers can follow hair guidelines. In Baltimore, a Rastafarian police officer who wears dreadlocks for religious reasons is suing the department after being suspended for wearing dreadlocks.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland is representing Officer Antoine Chambers, who has been reassigned to administrative duties despite a federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ruling in his favor, said Dwight Sullivan, his ACLU attorney. "If the grooming standards are not a religious issue, the courts don't seem to be very receptive," Mr. Sullivan said.

The Texas Peace Officers Association, the largest black police association in Dallas, is backing the ban on dreadlocks. "The chief is well within his purview to set standards for hairstyles in the Dallas Police Department," said Senior Cpl. Vincent Weddington, the association vice president.

But not all members within the organization agree with the group. Sgt. Thomas Glover, president of the association, said he has asked top administrators to re-examine the standards because some officers say the grooming policy is not being applied uniformly.


I believe one of the officers became an activist, the others cut their locks.

 

[preciousjewel76]

Man, one of these days, I hope people are going to get over their silly hair-hangups.....I'm sorry that you have to deal with this.

Anyway, I definitely WOULD bring it up to your boss. However, try not to be too defensive. Pull him aside (privately) and let him know that you felt very insulted that he made comments about your co-worker's "professional" straight hair. Your hair has no bearing whatsoever on whether you are a good employee, and make sure that he gets that point.

Good luck to you!

 

[Qetesh]

Yes, he is a white, older gentleman, ex-marine. Thanks for the input guys. I didn't know if I should address it or not. It's definitely discrimination.

People don't understand how serious this is. My husband told that this is no big deal. Don't worry about it....

I personally wouldn’t say anything to him for his first offence, if he pulls you aside most def bring it up or if you see him deliberately doing something of this nature again.

I would give him one free card in that maybe he was just stating his own personal views which he is entitled to even if they seem bias and unfair. If you feel you are being treated unfairly because of this (ie raises, picked on) I would also be sure to bring it up to him and his superiors but if not I would put it to rest.

 

[Ms Lala]

You should worry about it could lead to a potential lawsuit and lots of money But seriously, you have to fight for what you believe in and thats healthy hair!!! I wouldn't do anything about it until he addressed me up front though.

I agree. He was addressing the other woman and I can't believe she didn't speak up. I wouldn't say anything unless he said something to me directly or if he said something that would be more obviously discriminatory. Like a woman can file a sexual harassment suit if people are telling dirty jokes about women around them that one would find offensive. But if a man says something sexual directly to another woman at the job and it is overheard by someone, I don't know (not sure) if that other person has grounds to say anything. I think your boss definitely crossed the line in talking to the woman but I'm not sure if it would give you grounds to say something and it may just make it worse. Now if he does something else I would bring it up and maybe try to get the other woman in your corner if possible.

 

[StrawberryQueen]

Unless your hair is visibly dirty, or some hair color that does not naturally occur in humans, he has no right to say this. I would have spoken to him about this very seriously.