Firing Someone With Dreadlocks

VenturaHighway · ‎12-10-2016

Or not hiring them because of their hair. This is the most ridiculous thing I have heard. I would understand if the person's hair was dirty but really, the braids that I have seen are a piece of art.

BirkiLady · ‎02-22-2015

Isn't that setting yourself up for a battle in court? Be very careful.

Money screams; wealth whispers.

KathyM23 · ‎11-20-2010

I like the look of them but I wonder how you wash them. As they are or unbraid and rebraid. That would be alot of work.

Carmie · ‎10-25-2010

I think it depends on the job. Long hair can be dangerous and get caught in machinery and scalp you in seconds. Some employers require you to wear your hair short or find a way to keep your hair close to your head and covered for safety reasons.

Jobs in food prep and serving require you to have your hair and beard under a hat or in a net....these are requirements and there are no exceptions.

If you do office or retail work, I don't see a problem with wearing dreads.

There is a big difference between dreadlocks and braids. Braids are woven hair that can be released. Dreads are matted hair that are sorta permanent. They are not easy to remove unless you cut them out.

I am pretty sure it is not illegal to fire or not hire someone because of their hairstyle if there is a dress code. I don't think this is the case very often.

SilleeMee · ‎05-22-2016

I have straight hair and had it corn row braided one time. I left the braids untouched for about two weeks and washed my hair like normal. But after that amount of time had passed...omg I couldn't stand it any more. It was driving me nuts that I couldn't drag a brush or comb across my scalp so I took the braids out as fast as I could. Then after that I shampooed and my hair remained kinky for about a week after that...ugh! It was dreadful! LOL!

kittyloo · ‎03-11-2010

@VenturaHighway is there a dress code in place??? a dress code can include hair, tattoos or nails.

Hair must have a neat appearance or tied up/or back

visible tattoos must be covered.

nails must be no longer than 1/2 inch past fingertip.

is it a privately owned business.

lots of factors.

personally i don't care for the look of dreads at all.

lovesrecess · ‎03-14-2010

The OP doesn’t specify whether someone was not hired...or was fired due to dreads. A person can fail to be offered a job for any reason....It’s doubtful an employer is going to say they won’t hire you because of your hair. It can be due to poor hygiene if the dreads haven’t been washed in weeks or months.....or if they are fired it may be unrelated to the hair at all.....

SeaMaiden · ‎03-10-2010

@SilleeMee wrote:
I have straight hair and had it corn row braided one time. I left the braids untouched for about two weeks and washed my hair like normal. But after that amount of time had passed...omg I couldn't stand it any more. It was driving me nuts that I couldn't drag a brush or comb across my scalp so I took the braids out as fast as I could. Then after that I shampooed and my hair remained kinky for about a week after that...ugh! It was dreadful! LOL!

@SilleeMee Did you have the Bo Derek “10” movie look? That was really hot for the day.

Foxxee · ‎10-03-2014

Many companies have dress codes for obvious reasons...some women wear short short skirts, skin tight pants, and very low cut tops, some men baggy pants with waists hanging down to their knees. Is that appropriate in the workplace?

There's also the safety factor...long hair (dreadlocks), scarves getting caught into machinery, food, and so on. Dreadlocks are not what we think of as braids that can be tacked up neatly on the head.

Employees represent the image of a company to the public. Is it surprising they'd want their employees to dress a certain way?

I'm for strict dress codes because it doesn't appear some have the common sense to dress and wear their hair appropriately. Some refuse to conform, instead sue to force companies to conform to them. For me, this is not a legitimate reason to sue a company that has given them a job.

Carmie · ‎10-25-2010

@SilleeMee wrote:
I have straight hair and had it corn row braided one time. I left the braids untouched for about two weeks and washed my hair like normal. But after that amount of time had passed...omg I couldn't stand it any more. It was driving me nuts that I couldn't drag a brush or comb across my scalp so I took the braids out as fast as I could. Then after that I shampooed and my hair remained kinky for about a week after that...ugh! It was dreadful! LOL!

I had my waist length hair braided in corn rows too for a Christmas Party on a Saturday night. I got a ton of compliments, but my head hurt. It felt like someone was pulling my hair and I had the worse headache ever.

II called off work as being sick on Monday to remove those braids and it took hours. Once and done..never again.