dreads and jobs
dreads jobs employment issues
i have been employed for the last 5 years as a policy analyst in the ministry of health for the government of new zealand - yes, a complete and utter bureaucrat.shirt and tie most days. 5 years ago, short back and sides. started dread a year ago. i get a few stares on a daily basis, but no one has given a major hassle about the hair. one of the bosses from another area (out of curiosity more than anything) asked me if i grew dread because i was rasta. she thought it added some spark to the workplace.in fact, nobody said anything at first because i wore an oversized beanie for a year. my direct managers / overlings have never brought it up as a problem. did my work before i started dread. it is still getting done now. that is all they are worried about.nz recently had a member of parliament with ankle dread - hon nandor tanczos (his pic is somewhere else on this site). there are a few who play for the national sports teams here (shop dread though). maybe having dreads in the public eye has dulled the suspicion and hassle that might have been expected. i realise that i am in a fortunate spot.on a different level, i have received more hassle from church (mormon) and family about dreads than from the workplace. not enough to put a frown on for though. too much time has passed. the hair has gone well past the 'just-winding-people-up' novelty phase. i am not growing my hair to wind people up. i have always wanted dread ever since i was little. strange that i would wait until almost 40 to start. then again, maybe not so strange after all. but everything in my life is for my wife and my kids. i loved them before i had dread. i love them right now.i am lucky to have a job so that i can provide well for my family. one of the main reasons why i go to church is to care for my family - immediate and extended. i am glad that i live in an environment where i can do these things regardless of the way the hair goes.hope that everyone else finds such a situation.