As of: March 28, 2024, 4:24 p.m
By: Carina Blumenroth
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An employee's pink hair was too much for a company. The compromise: She wears wigs at work. But the hairstyles are not normal either.
Tattoos, piercings or noticeable hair – some employers don't like this if their employees present themselves outside the norm. What can the employer actually prescribe?
Employers about appearances: What rights do I have?
Is hair color a reason for termination? (Symbolic image) © Zero Creatives/Image Source/Imago
There is sometimes a fine line between the employer's right to issue instructions and the employee's personal rights. In principle, informs
haufe.de
, employers could set requirements regarding clothing at work, the appearance of fingernails or tattoos. This is okay under certain conditions:
Hygiene or safety regulations: If the job requires it, work clothing may be required and piercings or long fingernails may be prohibited.
Body weight: The body mass index (BMI) is generally not allowed to play a role unless the weight prevents the employee from doing the job.
Livia Merla, a specialist lawyer for labor law in Berlin, tells
impuls.de
: “The company’s interest must be recognizable. For example, if someone works in a warehouse without customer contact, there is actually no business interest in a dress code.”
Don't miss out: You can find everything about careers in the career newsletter from our partner Merkur.de.
Receptionist tricks with wigs: She shares her approach on TikTok
TikToker
@emuhleeebee
applied to be a receptionist. Those responsible did not see the young woman's hair, which was actually dyed pink. She was hired. In the video she shows how she deals with it. Her approach – wigs. These are also special; she herself describes them as ugly.
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When the pink hair was noticed, the woman suggested wigs as a compromise that she wanted to wear at work. According to
stern.de,
the employer
agreed - although the type of wigs was probably not agreed upon. The portal further reports that the employer probably has no further recourse because he has agreed to the compromise.
A woman with over 800 tattoos doesn't have it that easy; she complains that she can't find a job.
TikTok users celebrate the wig campaign
“I can’t express how proud I am of you and I don’t even know you.”
“I really hope you work with clients somewhere. I would die if I walked into an office and a receptionist looked like that.”
“Why do so many people get upset about hair, if you’re professional it should be okay.”
“It should be illegal to have a hair or beard requirement for the job – unless it’s for safety reasons.”
"You are a genius."
Regulations in Germany: hair color and co.
Hair or beard regulations may be permissible, the
Pöppel lawyers
inform on their website. This is the case, for example, in more conservative professions, such as banking. However, jobs with high levels of customer contact could also be affected. However, this is not always enforceable. Accordingly, the employer has a say in hairstyles if there is a safety risk. Hygiene measures can also be a reason for wearing a head covering, for example.
In principle, the employee has a free choice of haircut and hair color. This means that there are no labor law consequences, such as dismissal, if you dye your hair,
Pöppel
informs . However, employers could, within the scope of their right to give instructions, move the person so that they have less customer contact.
Are you looking for a job without customer contact? There are some options here, not for introverts.