does your employer have "facial hair" policy?

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TraumaRN

Diamond Member
Jun 5, 2005
6,893
63
91
Originally posted by: TheVrolok
Originally posted by: Midlander
Mine does, but only for people who need to wear respirators.

Ditto. I work in EMS, and there's a possibility we'd need to wear masks to protect against TB and the like. No beard for me :(

Student nurse/soon to be RN...

If I'm working a unit with isolation room, cant have the facial hair. Gotta make sure those N95 masks do their job.
 

Viperoni

Lifer
Jan 4, 2000
11,084
1
71
In retail stores, neatly trimmed/groomed is all they care about.
In the warehouse, anything goes pretty much. I've come in pretty scruffy a few times myself.
 

Syringer

Lifer
Aug 2, 2001
19,333
3
71
Originally posted by: spidey07
Yes. Just like all employers should. don't go looking like a scruby vagrant at work.

How does facial hair affect your performance in any way?
 

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
Originally posted by: Syringer
Originally posted by: spidey07
Yes. Just like all employers should. don't go looking like a scruby vagrant at work.

How does facial hair affect your performance in any way?

It affects your performance because people don't/wont respect you based on your slobbenly apperance. Apperance/first impressions are everything.

Just like fat people underperform, so do those that aren't groomed well. It's no fault of their own (other than they just don't know how to perform), it is based on apperance.
 

Canai

Diamond Member
Oct 4, 2006
8,016
1
0
I work on campus, so my scruffy face is the least of my boss' worries :) Only one other guy that I work with has any facial hair at all, and it's an actual beard, whereas mine is just an I'm-too-lazy-to-shave-more-than-once-a-week type thing.
 

GeekDrew

Diamond Member
Jun 7, 2000
9,099
19
81
Originally posted by: spidey07
It affects your performance because people don't/wont respect you based on your slobbenly apperance. Apperance/first impressions are everything.

Just like fat people underperform, so do those that aren't groomed well. It's no fault of their own (other than they just don't know how to perform), it is based on apperance.

Some old guy came into the office complex that I work in, and happened to see me. He motioned me to come up to him, so I did. He proceeded to tell me that I needed to shave my goatee and shave my head and look like a proper male employee. I turned about 15 different shades of red, had no idea what to think. I hadn't worked there very long, and didn't know how to react. The department director happened to be within earshot... she came up, and informed the gentleman that she personally liked the way I look, and that if he cared to make another comment about my appearance, she would have him escorted from the property. I was rather pleased.

I'm not going to shave any facial hair due to a company policy *unless* it was for a technical/safety reason. Hazmat and etc., I can understand. Other than that... fvck off. Oh, and yes, I'll take any reprimands, terminations, etc., without regret, if so necessary.

Sometimes I agree with you spidey07, and sometimes I don't... but when I don't, it's to such an extent that I hope I never meet you in person. ;)
 

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
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Originally posted by: GeekDrew
Sometimes I agree with you spidey07, and sometimes I don't... but when I don't, it's to such an extent that I hope I never meet you in person. ;)

heh, I'm a pretty nice guy actually. Just a hard arse that's been in corporate world too long. But you would have to agree that appearance counts a big deal. If you can wear it and it fits your environment then so be it.
 

BurnItDwn

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
26,371
1,879
126
Hmm .. There is no official policy.

Of the 6 people in my group, 3 of us have full beards + staches, 5 have at least some sort of facial hair, one guy is completely bald and currently has no beard or mustache either. We call him baldy.
 

tm37

Lifer
Jan 24, 2001
12,436
1
0
Originally posted by: spidey07
Originally posted by: GeekDrew
Sometimes I agree with you spidey07, and sometimes I don't... but when I don't, it's to such an extent that I hope I never meet you in person. ;)

heh, I'm a pretty nice guy actually. Just a hard arse that's been in corporate world too long. But you would have to agree that appearance counts a big deal. If you can wear it and it fits your environment then so be it.

I* was training a guy and when I mentioned his apearence he said "anyone that believes that my long goatee and jeans mean i don't know what i am doing is a close minded idiot"

And I replied "yes but our customers are closeminded idiots":)

very few compnaies can afford to lose customers on something that is as trival as personal groming. I work in an evorment that is pretty casual however my department that I run I require that they look "professional" when out seeing clients and "neat" when in the office. If you look slovenly you tend to act slovenly. and while the more enlightened among us can look past sloppy appearence the majority of customers (the people who pay our salary) go in with a neg first impression. Better to err on the side of professional trhan on the side of slob ;)

BTW I have a Goatee that I keep trimmed ;)
 

LanceM

Senior member
Mar 13, 2004
999
0
0
I work at home right now, but my previous employer didn't really care. I could've come in wearing superhero tights and no one would've bothered to say anything, good or bad.

Worst I ever tried was not shaving for a week, uncombed hair, shorts, and flip flops. I went in for a quick chat with our big boss (topics unrelated to my dress that day), and nothing was mentioned. Heck, he manages to have crumbs all over his shirt *before* he's had anything to eat that day.
 

middlehead

Diamond Member
Jul 11, 2004
4,573
2
81
No official policy. I do have a full beard and if I go too long without trimming the 'comments' start.
 

SirChadwick

Diamond Member
Jul 27, 2001
4,595
1
81
We're business casual and our employee handbook states that we must keep cleanly groomed, but doesn't say you can't have a beard. Sometimes I come to work w/ a thick 5 o'clock shadow and not a word has been said to me about it. I love it b/c I hate to shave as it irritates my skin.
 

nitsuj3580

Platinum Member
Jun 13, 2001
2,668
14
81
I can understand food services are other industries that if hair gets in the product, it is a bad thing.

However, I've never heard of a normal office policy disallowing facial hair aside from Steinbrenner and the Yankees (even though guys like Giambi seem to ignore it these days)
 

TravisT

Golden Member
Sep 6, 2002
1,427
0
0
If I owned a fast-food restaraunt I would have a no facial hair policy I think. Not for those that kepti t well groomed, but for those that didn't. There is nothing worse than walking into a fast-food restaraunt and see some teenager back there making food that has his hat tilted sideways, facial hair, an ear-ring, with his greasy mullet hanging out the back. I hate to be so sterotypical... but I just don't think I would want someone like that representing my company.
 

Gunslinger08

Lifer
Nov 18, 2001
13,234
2
81
Facial hair policies are stupid if they aren't in place for health/safety reasons. Professionalism and facial hair have nothing to do with each other. I will never grow a beard or mustache, but I absolutely support your right to do so.
 

ebaycj

Diamond Member
Mar 9, 2002
5,418
0
0
HELL NO. If they did I would quit. I do not work in the foodservice industry (where such a policy is understandable). In an office setting, such a policy would only serve to increase employee unrest.

Now if you go too long without grooming, you should expect your co-workers to make fun of you a little. This is normal. A policy from management is not.
 

lokiju

Lifer
May 29, 2003
18,526
5
0
I've interviewed at places that had a no facial hair policy, which I thought was odd at the time.

 

Stuxnet

Diamond Member
Jun 16, 2005
8,392
1
0
Originally posted by: BobDaMenkey
Yes, it's no scruff. So if you have a beard or goatee, you're safe, but you can't grow one.

I'd be in big trouble then! I shave my face and head every Sunday... and ONLY every Sunday :D .
 

mrizvi66

Senior member
Dec 16, 2005
409
0
0
Originally posted by: altonb1
Not that I am aware, but I would assume that something might be said if the facial hair is not groomed. I men, if I grew a beard out like Capt. Lou Albano, something might be said.

*realizes 1/2 of ATOT is too young to understand Capt. Lou reference. :D

everytime i saw him i wanted to cut his f'n beard....:|
 

gsellis

Diamond Member
Dec 4, 2003
6,061
0
0
They did; no beard. Modified about 5 years ago with the exception for folks that have to wear a mask as part of their duties (pilots, hazardous environments).