Piercings in the Workplace? How can we make this work?

[Maria Elena Duron]

She’s got some on her brows, on her nose, and on her lips. No, I’m not talking about makeup. I was referring to the body piercings of the woman I saw early this morning. She reminded me of the controversial case between Costco and their employee. The said employee was wearing facial piercing and was asked to cover it up while at work. However, she did not want to cover it and the situation ended up in court as she claimed that she was being discriminated. As managers and businessmen, we do not want such sensitive situations end up in court. So how do we work with people who wear body piercings at work? Let me give you 10 tips that could help you in such situations.

1. Set the right expectations
When you first meet an employee, it is important that you set expectations with them. For example, if today is Employee A’s first day at work, why not set up a brief meeting discuss what your expectations from each other are? This gives you an opportunity to get to know more about the new member of the team. By simply talking to them, you will find out not only their motivations but why they’re wearing body piercings and how they feel about the company’s dress code. This meeting gives you an opportunity to explain the rationale behind the policy and why we can’t exempt people from following it. Keeping an open communication right from the very beginning is a great way to strengthen work relationships. Aside from that, asking them to follow the policies later on will not be as difficult since the expectations were already set.

2. Base the dress code/policy on business-related reasons
Having a policy about the employees’ appearance is not enough. It is important that it is based on business-related reasons. For example, if you are working in the food or medical industry, having a dress code is must due to health and safety reasons. Other companies, on the other hand, simply want to protect their image (just like Costco). Whatever the reason is, as long as it impacts the business, you may incorporate this into your dress code. It is recommended that the policy be written in a positive manner.

3. Coordinate with your recruitment team
If you are looking for someone who will represent the company, of course you need someone who is well-groomed, right? But then we don’t want to discriminate those who wear body piercings during the hiring process. You can work with your recruitment team in hiring the right person for the job. Aside from job fit we also have to consider if the applicant is flexible and is willing to take off their body piercings during work hours. You may tell your recruitment team about what kind of person you want for the job. You may also take part during the interview process to screen the best candidate. By doing so, it minimizes the chances of encountering problems regarding the dress code with a potential candidate.

4. Communicate the dress code to everyone in the office
Most companies have orientations for new employees. This is done to ensure that everyone understands the policies and procedures of the company by explaining and entertaining questions from the participants. Now, if there will be changes in the policy, it is very important that it is immediately communicated to everyone to avoid confusion. Conducting a team meeting helps a lot. It allows you to talk about the dress code and a chance to get the employees’ “pulse.” Knowing what they think about the dress code helps you understand where they are coming from. This will help you manage change more smoothly. A team meeting is a fair approach since you will be talking to everyone and it avoids unnecessary upsetting anyone because it’s a general discussion and not an attack to a certain person.

5. Give some feedback and coaching
If a member of the team is violating the dress code by wearing body piercings, the best thing to do is to coach him/her. I believe in the power of feedback. Being a coach is sure tough but it helps other people to become better. Whenever I coach a member of my team, I talk less and I let them talk more about their behavior by asking questions. Although asking why is easier, asking what is less annoying to the coachee. I usually validate if they know what the policy is before jumping at anything. If they don’t know about the dress code, then I could help by telling him/her about it. However, if it isn’t the case, asking more questions would help you figure out what kind of approach you need to take. After getting their opinion, it would also be nice if you ask if the dress code benefits him/her. You can explain how business-related reasons impact the employee as an individual. Employees usually want to know WIIFMs or What’s in it for me? Once they understand why following the policy benefits them, they are more likely to comply.

6. Be consistent in enforcing the dress code
If you want people to follow you, then you should set as an example. Ever heard of the saying, “No one is above the law?” The same goes with company policies. Nobody should be exempted, thus everyone is expected to follow. A policy will not be very effective if someone gets away with it. We want to be treated fairly at the workplace and exempting anybody from following the rules is definitely unfair. This makes it more difficult to ask everyone to comply, too.

7. If needed, make reasonable accommodations
There are some people who wear body piercings for religious reasons. In some cases, they are forbidden to remove their earrings, studs, or hoops. You may give reasonable accommodations for these employees. Don’t get me wrong, we’re not exempting them from following the policies. If they’re not allowed to take their jewelries off, then we can ask them to at least hide them during work hours. Covering it up with a band aid or hair net are just some of the suggestions. Have you tried seeking involvement from the employee concerned? How do they want their piercings covered? You’ll never know if they have a better way of doing things. And if their idea sounds reasonable, it’s even easier to ask them to comply since it was their idea anyway!

8. Follow the due process
Okay, so let’s say you’ve already coached someone but he/she is still violating the dress code, what are you supposed to do next? If you are the immediate supervisor/manager of the person, you may issue a show cause notice. It is a formal and written way of asking why he/she is not meeting expectations. Ask for a written reply from your employee. Once you receive the reply, read his/her explanation. Is it reasonable? If not, does it merit any disciplinary actions? Just make sure that you follow the due process carefully to avoid violating anything in the labor code. If in doubt, ask an HR specialist.

9. Consult a legal counsel regarding more complicated issues
It is better to ask an expert if someone feels discriminated because of the dress code. There are laws that protect both the employer and the employee. Knowing is winning half the battle so being knowledgeable about the company and employee’s rights is one of the keys in sorting this one out. Also, this matter should be taken seriously as these situations were already seen in court in the past. Remember that not only lawsuits cost money, losing an employee and replacing them is a cost to the company, as well.

10. Value diversity and have respect for the individual
Imagine a workplace where everyone is the same. If everyone were cut from the same cloth (same educational background, ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic standing, etc.), then where would new ideas come from? There are actually some advantages in having unique employees. There are things that we can learn from people who wear piercings. Maybe that sounds weird but it’s true. Have you tried asking for their opinion about your company’s recent marketing strategy or what they think about the new company logo? Also, if they are following the policies and are doing extremely well in their department, isn’t that a proof that their appearance is not getting in the way in making the company a success? Their appearance should not stop us from recognizing a job well done. Valuing diversity and having respect for the individual not only increases employee satisfaction but it also lessens employee turnaround.

If you will notice, most of the tips are about communication between the employer and its workers. It is really best that we maintain an open communication among our employees as it helps resolve conflicts, reduces confusion, minimizes attrition, and strengthens work relationships. This just shows that talk is not cheap at all!