Rudderow 2 #1 February 11, 2004 I am going through a liberation. I just moved in with my boyfriend, I've been disowned by my father, I'm trying to decide if my career path is my father's or my own, and I want to dread my hair. I figure I'll just try it for a few months. I can cut it off in the summer (makes it easier to skydive anyway). I work in a professional setting though. I know I wouldn't get fired for having what they would think is a bad hair day, but should I even be thinking about doing this?? PMS #165 Swooo #613 CSA #687 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #2 February 11, 2004 My .02C. Dreads aren't anything even REMOTELY close to professional. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pammi 0 #3 February 11, 2004 Depends on how important your job is to you I'd say. It's one of the things that aggravates me, but I also see both sides of. While I didn't think I should be judged for my nose ring while interviewing for a job, I was. I needed the job, therefore, bye to the nose ring. I wish it weren't true, but it is. I hate growing up! Pammi Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Unstable 9 #4 February 11, 2004 I wouldn't do anything to annoy those who sign my paychecks..=========Shaun ========== Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rudderow 2 #5 February 11, 2004 Interviewing is one thing. I already have my job though, and I am good at what I do. So if they fire me, I can scream discrimination, right? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jb092 0 #6 February 11, 2004 QuoteMy .02C. Dreads aren't anything even REMOTELY close to professional. I must agree with you on this one. What could possibly go wrong? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zenister 0 #7 February 11, 2004 QuoteQuoteMy .02C. Dreads aren't anything even REMOTELY close to professional. I must agree with you on this one. can you say culturally biased? i can..... dread it if you want to, if it doesnt affect your job performance your boss should have no reason to bitch..and take the time to educate your supervisor about dreads so they dont assume "dirty flithy, undisciplined etc..." as many have already....____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #8 February 11, 2004 QuoteSo if they fire me, I can scream discrimination, right? No....you'll be talking to yourself because the door will have hit you in the ass on the way out. If you fail to maintain dress and APPEARANCE standards they can fire you. PERIOD. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #9 February 11, 2004 Quotecan you say culturally biased? BULLSHIT! I'm a Georgia redneck. You see me wearing a freakin mullet to work. NO. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
happythoughts 0 #10 February 11, 2004 Quotecan you say culturally biased? i can..... In the IT industry, we have guys who have foot-long ponytails. Most of those guys wear them to show their independence. Companies don't want independence. They want people who show up everyday and do what they are told. The cocky "I do what I want" attitude isn't what they are looking for. It is generally known that if you aren't very, very good and necessary, then wearing a ponytail is career-stopper during an interview. The same would be true for dreads. That said, my partner wears his hair platted and Hawaiian print shirts to work everyday. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rudderow 2 #11 February 11, 2004 I'm leaning towards getting the dreads. I can keep them clean and make them look nice for work even maybe. head band? scarves? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkymonkeyONE 4 #12 February 11, 2004 I am not a fan of dreadlocks at all, but hey, it's your life and everyone has different opinions on what is stylish and what is not. What I would not tollerate, though, if I were your boss is your coming to work smelling like pot. I have never met a person who had dreads that did not reek of pot. Dreadlocks really hold odor in and generally those who wear that hairstyle do not do a lot of head washing. In my very-worldly experiences, I have seen only very few exceptions to that stereotype and none of those exceptions were skydivers. I will just say that if you do dread your hair and you do party, then you better do your best to keep them free from that scent at work. Chuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lawrocket 3 #13 February 11, 2004 Why are you asking us on this board if it will be okay when you should be asking your boss? You work there, the boss knows you, and you know the boss. Ask the boss. My viewpoint? Unprofessional and dirty. Freedom of expression? No such thing in private life. It's to prevent givernment interference. Discrimination? Freeflir is 100 percent correct on it. Point? Ask you boss. Then you get an answer. My wife is hotter than your wife. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RoadRash 0 #14 February 11, 2004 QuoteWhy are you asking us on this board if it will be okay when you should be asking your boss? You work there, the boss knows you, and you know the boss. Ask the boss. My viewpoint? Unprofessional and dirty. Freedom of expression? No such thing in private life. It's to prevent givernment interference. Discrimination? Freeflir is 100 percent correct on it. Point? Ask you boss. Then you get an answer. I considered getting dreads myself, and came to this conclusion. Most settings, (unless you worked at the hippie store near a University, like I did) don't condone dreads and they tend to give the impression that you are unclean. I'm going with lawrocket on this, ask your boss. If he frowns and looks like you are nuts, you have your answer. Good luck! Cheers...~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Fly the friendly skies...^_^...})ii({...^_~... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zenister 0 #15 February 11, 2004 QuoteQuotecan you say culturally biased? BULLSHIT! I'm a Georgia redneck. You see me wearing a freakin mullet to work. NO. its still a prejudice and a stereotype (look up the definition, if you doubt) and as such a stupid way to make value judgments that have no bearing on performance. once we as a society get past such ignorant attitudes lots of other equally ignorant attitudes can be banished too... of course everyone has to open their minds first..____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rehmwa 2 #16 February 11, 2004 Liberation of yourself is an internal thing, so I don't see the connection except as a very insecure or rebellious statement. tattoos, piercing, dreads can be a personal appearance choice - as such, there's nothing wrong there if the choice is based on just cosmetic or whim. But as an 'expression of my freedom' that's a pretty weak choice to make an external change to represent something internal. I'd rather my 'expression of my freedom' be represented by the choices I make and the actions I take. If you think that dreads is one of those choices, then that's ok for you, but to me it's pretty insubstantial. But live with the consequences and don't scream discrimination of the workplace disagrees. Frankly, though, it seems you are looking for a fight if you'd consider 'screaming discrimination' if the workplace disagrees. That's not adult freedom, that's a child's tantrum. There's a difference. Edit: I mean do it if you want to, not because you think you father wouldn't want you to. Get me? ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rehmwa 2 #17 February 11, 2004 Quoteeveryone has to open their minds first.. I loath that statement, it's so completely self-congratulatory to those who use it. ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflir29 0 #18 February 11, 2004 Quoteand as such a stupid way to make value judgments that have no bearing on performance. once we as a society get past such ignorant attitudes You're missing the point. It's not about prejudice....it's about professionalism. As a redneck....if I show up in overalls (No I don't own any ) and a John Deer hat with a chaw in my cheek......I don't look too damn professional do I? Think about it........ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhillyKev 0 #19 February 11, 2004 I used to be the long haired hippy guy. I cut my hair. I'm the same person but get treated with more respect by many people. It's a simple fact of life. You can say you don't care what people think of you, but deep down everyone does. First impressions shape attitudes that people will have about you for a long time. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DJL 235 #20 February 11, 2004 Basically what people are saying is that to dress corporate is to sell out. This is semi-true. I think wearing a tie is stupid unless you're wearing a suit but I'd rather spend my time on other fights. I got sick of it coming up on my reviews that I don't wear a tie, my boss doesn't really care, he notes it and gets back to work. But I wasn't going to change my company, so what's the point. I'm not exactly freeing Tibet with my no-tie statement. I wore a tongue ring while I was at VMI and just got tired of people making a big deal out of it. If I owned a company then I'd have different guidlines. Not better or worse, just a difference. Like whether or not to provide either bagels or doughnuts on a Monday or Friday. Basically, do what you want but you have to understand that how you dress and what you do may become a distraction to who you are and what you're about."I encourage all awesome dangerous behavior." - Jeffro Fincher Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lawrocket 3 #21 February 11, 2004 Quoteits still a prejudice and a stereotype (look up the definition, if you doubt) and as such a stupid way to make value judgments that have no bearing on performance. once we as a society get past such ignorant attitudes lots of other equally ignorant attitudes can be banished too... of course everyone has to open their minds first.. I would not call it stupid. I'd call it pragmatic. I've got plenty of friends who appear countercultural. Nice folks. Smart, too. I would not hire them. Why? Because employees are hired to make money. Period. Work is not the place for making your personal beliefs or political stances known, unless the job consists of that. Do you see dudes in suit and tie working tattoo or piercing parlors? No. Why not? Because they have no credibility. Could I claim "Freedom of Expression" in arguing that I should not be fired, even though no customers come in, anymore? I know that there are certain jobs that I won't get because of my appearance, like as an extra in the television show "ER" playing an emaciated elderly homeless man. I don't look the part, therefore I won't get the part. Freedom of expression my ass. I'm a good actor. Tough noogies.. Know the requirements of your job. That means meeting customer expectations. If your customers expect you to be dressed like a flight attendant, then dress like flight attendant or get another job. My wife is hotter than your wife. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zenister 0 #22 February 11, 2004 QuoteQuoteand as such a stupid way to make value judgments that have no bearing on performance. once we as a society get past such ignorant attitudes You're missing the point. It's not about prejudice....it's about professionalism. As a redneck....if I show up in overalls (No I don't own any ) and a John Deer hat with a chaw in my cheek......I don't look too damn professional do I? Think about it........ what you define as professional is defined by your prejudice. are mustaches unprofessional? beards? goatees? colored hair? or any hairstyle thats meets a min hygenie standard do any of those affect your job performance? professional is about performance. your perceptions of professional is about your prejudices. that is the point. think about it..____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WrongWay 0 #23 February 11, 2004 QuoteQuoteeveryone has to open their minds first.. I loath that statement, it's so completely self-congratulatory to those who use it. Ditto to that dude. ANYWAY, I like dreadlocks, I think they're cool, and yeah, I could see it being cute on a girl. BUT, it's not a method of self expression, it's a hairstyle. If you wanna risk losing your job over a hairstyle, you go right ahead, I'm not going to stop you, but doesn't it sound a bit stupid when you say it? Let's face the facts, whether you are or not, and whether you like it or not, people are going to look at you with the stereotype of anyone who has dreads: that you're either Jamaican or a pothead. Things like that generally don't go over well in the workplace, and you may find yourself in very uncomfortable situations because of it. Am I saying it's fair? Of course not, it's not fair, but neither is anything else in the world, so you're going to have to either get used to it and "conform to what society says is right" or lose your job and claim your indepenence. Take it from me girlie, it's not worth it. Wrong Way D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451 The wiser wolf prevails. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zenister 0 #24 February 11, 2004 QuoteQuoteits still a prejudice and a stereotype (look up the definition, if you doubt) and as such a stupid way to make value judgments that have no bearing on performance. once we as a society get past such ignorant attitudes lots of other equally ignorant attitudes can be banished too... of course everyone has to open their minds first.. I would not call it stupid. I'd call it pragmatic. I've got plenty of friends who appear countercultural. Nice folks. Smart, too. I would not hire them. Why? Because employees are hired to make money. Period. Work is not the place for making your personal beliefs or political stances known, unless the job consists of that. Do you see dudes in suit and tie working tattoo or piercing parlors? No. Why not? Because they have no credibility. Could I claim "Freedom of Expression" in arguing that I should not be fired, even though no customers come in, anymore? I know that there are certain jobs that I won't get because of my appearance, like as an extra in the television show "ER" playing an emaciated elderly homeless man. I don't look the part, therefore I won't get the part. Freedom of expression my ass. I'm a good actor. Tough noogies.. Know the requirements of your job. That means meeting customer expectations. If your customers expect you to be dressed like a flight attendant, then dress like flight attendant or get another job. and if those customers expectations are based on prejudice? actually yes i know several tatoo artists who DO wear suits and ties when they wish to, but they are restricting and pointless (like the majority of dress codes) in the work place, so they dont wear them, but they certainly could if they wished, and for the most part it wouldn’t effect their income as that is based on their reputation as established by their work. Again, performance not perception. yes, its a social problem as a whole, and continued conformity to ignorant prejudices does nothing to improve the issue, it only reinforces the belief that "everyone else does it so it must be ok..." your analogy to actors is ridiculous, appearance is a function of their job performance. It is not for the majority of jobs, but social mores have made it so...____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zenister 0 #25 February 11, 2004 QuoteQuoteeveryone has to open their minds first.. I loath that statement, it's so completely self-congratulatory to those who use it. to bad its the truth.. did you not notice the 'EVERYONE' qualifier??____________________________________ Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
