Employer demanding I remove piercings

Saruman

What i find odd is that he works in a music store?? I thought this was all part of the image slacks and a shirt? In a music store???

If i walked in to a music store with people dressed like they were working in an office, i would probably walk out thinking i made a mistake and went into the wrong place.

Now i personally do not like piercings, i do not get them... But if he has piercings and its been fine for 9 months and all of a sudden its a problem... then something is odd.
OP you should ask for the request in writing, and add that you need it to send to the employment rights crowd.. see what colour his face turns. He might back down.

I bought my PS3 in Virgin (blanch) before Christmas, the guy had long hair, piercings, tattoo i think and black nail polish... sound guy who let me take COD4 (released that day) as part of the bundle and just pay the price difference of €10. Thats the kind of person i expect to see in a music store....

Le Rack

yeah any people I know workin in music stores have that general image, one girl i know in HMV has a tonne of facial/ear piercings, mad hair, is a general nutter, wears big rings, big ass studded boots with jeans and the hmv shirt...is it an instrument store or cd store?

It's a CD shop, but he reckons the phone side is more important. The fact we sell on average of one phone a day and upwards of 5 or 6 hundred eurp worth of CDs never seems to be considered.

I have asked that he put all the new rules in writing but nothing as of yet.

I'm looking for a new job and hoping to find one quick, as my boss is a complete waste of space whos wage chequs have a habit of bouncing.

Shelli

You should take action against him, as NERA has told you there's no way he can win. People like him need to be taught a lesson!

TelePaul

Man hit him up for 2 grand in the small claims court.

Crumble Froo

i would love to see this guy brought to justice... darko, if anything happens, definitely keep us updated!

Gauge

I work in a music store and have to remove my facial piercings. I used to have to take out most of my ear ones too, but the manager let up once I took out the lip ring. I wear solid plugs as a courtesy because the manager doesn't like when she can see through my ears.

I need the money... c'est la vie.

Reku

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm looking for a new job and hoping to find one quick, as my boss is a complete waste of space whos wage chequs have a habit of bouncing.

WTF?!?!:eek:
I've worked in a sh*t place or two but at least they always made sure I got paid!
Seriously, it really does sound like a NERA investigation would shut this guy down he's that bad. Are you sure your parents would be that disappointed if you left the job before having another secured? Have you told them about all this hassle from your boss and the paycheques bouncing?
While other employers might ask you to remove any visible piercings, a small minority perhaps going further and making the highlights and either clean shaven/bearded (or moustache and clean shaven for the rest, etc.... as long as it looks groomed as opposed to slept in the gutter), you'd find that they'd make it clear from the start and usually have it in writing. If nothing else you'll find that they at least pay you.

As to him not paying you if you left, if he tries that you can bring him to court, I had a co-worker who had to do that to her former employers. I was rather horrified to hear this since the former employer in question was one of the big multinationals which had decided to chance their arm, but she won in the end. Yay, papertrails!

Stance

Gauge wrote: »

I work in a music store and have to remove my facial piercings. I used to have to take out most of my ear ones too, but the manager let up once I took out the lip ring. I wear solid plugs as a courtesy because the manager doesn't like when she can see through my ears.

I need the money... c'est la vie.

You said it , it's not worth the all the agro and besides as you said,... you need the money .

jenizzle

I wore one lip stud and nose ring, and had brown hair when I started my current job and the one before this.
In my previous job, I only ever got asked once to take out my lip stud, my manager apologised profusely as her area manager was watching her asking me to take it out, and that I could put it back in as soon as the area manager left.

In my current job, I gradually started wearing more and more facial jewellery. I basically wear what I like, and have my hair whatever colour I want. I don't wear my septum piercing in as some people find it a li'l offensive, and it doesn't bother me to leave it out.

As far as I'm aware, once they employ you looking like you do, they can't suddenly change their mind. Sounds like yer boss is a bit of a c*nt, though.

haff

Sad to read of all the troubles people are experiencing by simply being themselves, life is tough enough without having to deal with bigots like that music shop manager. Christ, will you just go and take that scumbag to court already. He deserves nothing short of getting the crap sued out of him. It was people like that manager that made up my mind to move away from Ireland. Bigotry seems to be a way of life at times there (I suppose you run into it everywhere).

Now I live in and work for a very cool company in Arizona, sunshine all year round but thats besides the point, my boss is this 6'2" biker who's covered in tattoos. He and I are the only 'normal' people in the office here, its a corporate world but we are free to have our ink and, in my case, piercings in full view. Might be due to the fact that nobody gets discriminated against in those ****e backwards Irish way of 'its ok for women to have piercings but not for guys' same with long hair, sexuality, colour of your skin etc etc.

Take that guy to court, teach him a lesson he wont forget, spread the news. Might take a while to sort through but oh so worth it in the end
. I know because I took a previous employer to the small claims court in Dub a few years back (I stood up to a manager who fired me, got bouncers to physically pick me up and throw me backwards out the front door where I bounced out into oncoming traffic - ow me arse - she then refused to pay me, return calls etc, I had to write a letter to head office to get access to my locker to get my stuff back) the spineless fecks settled out of court by calling my lawyer 3 minutes before the start of the hearing, they didn't even bother to attend as they knew they would have lost regardless of their presence. Would have appreciated them calling the night before but whatever. Learn from that, you have to push till the very end. Seeing as your music shop manager couldn't tell you face to face, he must have itty bitty tiny balls...lol

XJR

The fact that they waited a year to inform you of this is probably quite relevant irrespective of their policy.

Check out your rights as an employee on www.employmentrights.ie

Given the type of place it is you might be aswell off telling them to fV<K off and just leave. I know I'd feel a good deal better after that !

haff

Not forgetting that sweet satisfaction of screwing him out of some cold hard cash along the way. You could use some of your well deserved gains to buy some flash piercings and swan about in front of the place afterwards

DonnaDarko

hope you get this sorted, it really sucks. nowhere will hire me because my piercings and i cannot take them out yet as they havent fully healed. grr.

XJR

XJR wrote: »

The fact that they waited a year to inform you of this is probably quite relevant irrespective of their policy.

Given the type of place it is you might be aswell off telling them to fV<K off and just leave. I know I'd feel a good deal better after that ![/QUOTE]

I was told that he has'nt got a foot to stand on, the fact that he waited so long means he cannot enforce any rules.

haff wrote: »

Not forgetting that sweet satisfaction of screwing him out of some cold hard cash along the way. You could use some of your well deserved gains to buy some flash piercings and swan about in front of the place afterwards

Well thats the plan. I know that there is a better than good chance I'm going back to college in September and once I get confirmation of it I'm teling him where he can stick his job, after I get some holiday pay and all due wages of course.

Mr.S wrote: »

meet him half way, get thoes retainers that are hard to see, if its possible for your piercing, it sucks, but at least youll get to keep them.

I'm getting retainers but they're hard to come by in Ballina, in fact it's almost impossible to get a labrett in any shop here.

DonnaDarko wrote: »

hope you get this sorted, it really sucks. nowhere will hire me because my piercings and i cannot take them out yet as they havent fully healed. grr.

I know the feeling. I had one interviewer take one look at me nad say, "sorry youre not right for the job". Hasve to admit that I was quite taken aback by it.

DonnaDarko

Deleted User wrote: »

I know the feeling. I had one interviewer take one look at me nad say, "sorry youre not right for the job". Hasve to admit that I was quite taken aback by it.

yeah people can be pretty rude.
my friend was working a night shift full time in dunnes (he had a lip piercing and long hair) and they made him shave all his hair and take out his piercing if he wanted the job,he was desperate for money and they were paying like 12eur an hour so he did it,but i thought it was ridiculous considering he was working at night when the store was closed and there wouldnt even be any customers.he ended up quitting after a few weeks,the manager told him to change the footwear he had on(new rocks,the flat ones though) and that pissed him off too much

no-I-in-3some

Ha, I find this all really amusing.

People working in music shops, with the "typical" music shop employee image (stereotype much?) being told they've to look "normal"...

I'm a childcare worker, have facial piercings, tattoos, used to have mad hair, and nothing has ever/will ever be said about my image...

My cheques are a cause for concern though :-/

I agree with everyone up there ^^ though... Look after your rights... Then they can't touch you.

Peace

no-I-in-3some

DonnaDarko wrote: »

the manager told him to change the footwear he had on(new rocks,the flat ones though) and that pissed him off too much

Ha, I'd be the same... love my new rocks too much... Although shaving his hair off is way too extreme for Dunnes...

Crumble Froo

started new job yesterday and the lip ring is staying! w00t!

Star Lord

Awesomeness!
\o/

MargeS

Hi Darko, any chance of you pming me the name of this shop. I won't be shopping there any time soon. Your boss is an ass.

Crumble Froo

Crumble Froo wrote: »

started new job yesterday and the lip ring is staying! w00t!

Lucky you. Hope it goes well.

jezza

kickoutthejams wrote: »

Such a strict policy isn't done for women.

You should have seen the women managers.
Most of them had tashes like Hitler.


I mostly worked in a freezer round the back,
if I was lucky I'd get to stack toilet paper in the lovely warm store.

LOL im sorry but that made me LMFAO

Lockstep

jezza wrote: »

LOL im sorry but that made me LMFAO

Thank you, thank you.

I aim to please.

haff

Had me LMFAO too:D

Crumble Froo

i have a new party trick at work.

*toddler points to lip, confused*
i pull it.
*toddler half freaks, half needs to pull it too*
*toddler pulls it, freaks, hides behind someone, then comes back to do it again*.

weird how even at such a young age kids find piercings so 'weird'. i'd always figured it was a kinda socialisation thing.

Reku

Crumble Froo wrote: »

i have a new party trick at work.

*toddler points to lip, confused*
i pull it.
*toddler half freaks, half needs to pull it too*
*toddler pulls it, freaks, hides behind someone, then comes back to do it again*.

weird how even at such a young age kids find piercings so 'weird'. i'd always figured it was a kinda socialisation thing.

Ah bless, sure toddlers can find many things weird that the rest of us take for granted. My poor cousin used to get confused when we'd visit as like his dad I've an unusually deep voice (not Barry White-ish alas:(), so everytime I spoke he'd suddenly turn around and stare at me, trying to figure out why his dad's voice was coming from me.:o

Crumble Froo

hehe, reminds me of my lil sis when she was 3 / 4 years old, and my dad's 2 brothers came to visit from england, (they do look somewhat alike, same general height/shape/hair colour and lack of hair :P) , and one would bend down to talk to my sis, she'd suddenly realise it wasnt dad, go and cling to the leg of the other one, thinking it was dad, realise it wasnt, and panic and just run away.... hehe, poor thing.

but it wasnt just the toddlers, it was the preschoolers too (4-5 yrs), who would ask what was in my lip, why it was there, why i put it there... curious, but well aware it wasn't "normal", and would cringe/flinch, when i'd pull it to show it's well attached and no big deal.

Gauge

Most of my young cousins/my brother have no problem with piercings because they're so used to me and my sister with them... my brother is equally fascinated and disgusted by my ears, he always asks me to take my plugs out and then runs away going 'EEEW!' My god daughter likes showing me off to all her friends...

I think it's pretty fun when kids ask to see how "that's stuck in your mouth" and then run away when you show them. It's a shame everyone was'nt as tolerant and open to new things as kids are. It would make the world an easier place to live in and be yourself.