Questioning Equal opportunity employment.

So I was just told yesterday that my hair is unacceptable for my work environment and had to be covered or cut. I have my hair covered half the time anyway willingly but I've begin to notice negative effects due to how often I have it covered. I'm going to post a couple quotes from the eeoc website for anyone wondering if they're legally allowed to wear their locks or not. Anyone feel free to add to the laws below.

"An employment policy or practice that applies to everyone, regardless of race or color, can be illegal if it has a negative impact on the employment of people of a particular race or color and is not job-related and necessary to the operation of the business. For example, a no-beard employment policy that applies to all workers without regard to race may still be unlawful if it is not job-related and has a negative impact on the employment of African-American men (who have a predisposition to a skin condition that causes severe shaving bumps)."

Religious Accommodation/Dress & Grooming Policies.

"Unless it would be an undue hardship on the employer's operation of its business, an employer must reasonably accommodate an employee's religious beliefs or practices. This applies not only to schedule changes or leave for religious observances, but also to such things as dress or grooming practices that an employee has for religious reasons. These might include, for example, wearing particular head coverings or other religious dress (such as a Jewish yarmulke or a Muslim headscarf), or wearing certain hairstyles or facial hair (such as Rastafarian dreadlocks or Sikh uncut hair and beard)."

My question for anyone who may know the answer is this. I was shown a form of guidelines by my company which stated: "Hair will only be tolerated in a conservative style and color." So, does their company policy reign supreme over the civil rights act simply because they inforce it? Or is this infringing on the civil rights act and should be disregarded?

Any help on this matter is appreciated.

And btw my job position in which my hair is being called a "distraction" and "intolerable" is a cart attendant at good ol' Sams Club. aka Walmart.

updated by @lucid-madman: 02/14/15 06:25:52AM

omfreaking.g. WALMART is complaining about your hair??? In Canada I sometimes don't know where to look at the cashiers at Walmart due to multiple facial piercings and very exciting hair color - and they are complaining about DREADS? Give me a gigantic break!

company policy cannot violate civil rights

thats the bottom line

company policy can trump civil rights onlyu if you claim no religios or other rights if you give up your rights by claikming its simply a fashion statement for instanbce

explain that conservative style means diifwerent things to diferent cultures burkas are conservative to muslims as an example

so stand up for your rights explain that these are basic civil writes guarantre4ed to all and not limited to one race or religion and that dreads are common to nearly all religions in existence

they cannot require you to

cover

cut

groom

or change in any way

you should howe3ver write up what your personal beliefs are what you are willing and not willing to do and why

simply stating that covering slows progress may not be suitable reason but requiring they be covered is not legal so you may state your willing to cover at certain times if your directly interactibg with the public as an example but thats voluntaryu on your pasrt

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

theres a whole famouse photography series .. the people of walmart photographing the total freak fashion nightmares found in walmarts around the world

they complain how you look while catering to the most nightmarish freaks youd ever see

and your pushing carts? i dont mean this to be offensivce at all but thats the 1 job a barely trained monkety could do it sure isnt a conservative job hell you could not wash your ass for a decade and stink up a storm and who would know? ypur pushing carts..in a parking lot you could have leprocy and noone would care your not interacting with anyone but carts you arent trying to impress anyone or fit a corporate imafge i mean dont homeless people push carts alot?

i dfont just mean can collectors but i swear ive seen homeless oppl at walmarts and shopping centers doing that job for a few hours in exchange for food or a couple bucks in change

if you want to be cocky tell em ok u dont like my hair while pushing carts how bout i apply for a manager possition and take your job

you could get a manager possitioin and keep your dreads

Janice said:

omfreaking.g. WALMART is complaining about your hair??? In Canada I sometimes don't know where to look at the cashiers at Walmart due to multiple facial piercings and very exciting hair color - and they are complaining about DREADS? Give me a gigantic break!

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

Thanks SE and Baba. Just the affirmation that I needed to stand up to them. And no offense taken SE, I realize my job is very low on the totem pole and plan on it only being temporary. No way am I spending my life as a Walmart employee. I specifically took the job because I figured I'd evade this very situation.

The problem is that franchises like these tend to give the boss free reign to do whatever they want. Like the whole foods I worked at. I complained that the hat would eventually not cover my locks enough to be food safe, and requested a tam with the WF logo on it that I had seen at other stores. I was told no by the boss, and that he was given the authority to run the store like it was his business. When I made the point that by law I was allowed certain leeways, That's when I was told that I'd have to choose between work and my hair. I just complained to corporate, and they let me get the new hat.

If your boss says you have to cut your hair, you can just take it to the next level. But be careful, because they'll know it was you. And it makes you stand out as a trouble maker. Even if you are a great employee, they can, and probably will find the smallest things possible to write you up on until they have enough to fire you. And then it's your job to prove that it was an unjust termination.

Word to the wise, if you get written up, NEVER NEVER sign it. If you do, and then try to complain about them firing you, your signature on those papers will prove that you agreed that what you did was wrong, and that you acceptedresponsibility. You wont be able to win your case

The better business bureau isn't going to help anyone. The only time any company is seemingly required to answer to an inquiry from the bbb is if the particular company cares about having a good rating with the agency. Otherwise there are no regulatory requirements for any company to comply with the ideals of the bbb.

Britany said:

it must vary by state because i know there is dreaded kid working at our sams and also our walmart seems to be extra accepting of transgender/gay/bi group ( thankfully) as there are several working at both stores. i don't think they can make you change your hair. you have rights, i think the better business bureau could help you.

That's awesome Misty!

well i feel that if a person owns the company says things are or are not allowed then thats how it should be...however a manager has no right to decide on any of that with or without the laws we have in place today...

i think that if the government and people in general would take their nose out of other peoples business then we wouldnt have these kind of issues. you would go to one place they would say no dreads "oh no problem, the place next door doesnt give a crap if i have them or not" but in this case thats just an asshole your dealing with.. like SE said your pushing carts, not swinging 8 foot long dreads in small childrens faces as they eat. if i were you (and yes this would probably cost you that job) i would give them the finger and ask ur boss if they are having problems in the bedroom because he seems awful moody lately.

whatever you do dont lie to them though. if you really believe in a certain religion or something then all is well but dont tell them you have done something like taken some religous vow that you haven't. that would just make u more like them. trying to manipulate the world to get their way, just because they can.