My red hair is 'unprofessional' but tattoos aren't!!

[IntegrityisDead]

I work in a uniformed role in the UK, uniform standards say 'Conspicuously "unnatural" colours (e.g. pink) and extreme hairstyles are not allowed.'
I am spitting feathers!!
My hair is L'Oréal Preference Bright Red 8.624.
Yes it's bright

Your chosen colour also turns pink as it fades...

We have natural red hair though. I bet it's nothing like yours.

This is very true.
I use light ash brown onmy hair and it comes out looking dark. Mid brown made it look very dark and dark brown, the one that looks most like my natural non grey bits on the packet, looks black on me.

I absolutely hate these kind of idiotic rules. Absolutely bloody detest them.

The colour of a person's hair, and many similar things, have no impact on a their ability to do their job!

The latter part of your post is the relevant bit. If someone is capable and competent then their appearance is irrelevant.
As for dress codes then the purpose has to be considered. If it is a case of no jewellery/long hair tied back because of danger (physical) or contamination, etc. fine. If it is a case of no pink hair because one person's delicate sensibilities might be offended by something 'unnatural' then it serves no purpose.

As for "pride in your appearance" then by not allowing people to express themselves, surely that is stopping them being able to feel good/proud of themselves.

Incidentally many years ago, I worked in a non-customer facing role and had dyed red hair. We were a UK 'arm' of a European company and often had visits from the bigger bosses from overseas.
One day I happened to be in the lift with one such boss. He told my manager that my hair colour "was not in keeping with the corporate image". My boss told me.
I dyed my hair brighter red that evening. Didn't get sacked .Didn't get reprimanded.

Had this back in the 80s. Its rubbish. Your hair colour should not be relevent - but they say it is. It should be down to your ability to do the job. Personally if it says Pink not red I would argue it and if it used to say "pink or blue" I would be tempted to change to bright blue and see what they say - and yes get a union involved. Its discrimatory. Would it stand up at a tribunal? Might be worth riding this out and see what happens, but thats depending on whether you feel you would like to change the unjust world we live in. I would be prepared to change job for this and did myself when it happened to me but thats a personal choice. I then had cyclamen pink hair. I felt so srongly about my freedom of choice I gave in my notice. In a different job I later just got sacked and did not stand up for myself. It was normal back then. I also have lots of tattoos. Back then they were not at all accepted. A mate was found out for a tattoo on his arm. He worked in catering and got sacked. Several people ( all sexes) were sacked for wearing white office type shirts where tattoos showed through the fabric. Its all rubbish but unfortunately the world ( especially the UK) is very discrimatory. I feel very sorry for you because I had thought that times had changed since I was a young person. I am obviously wrong if this can still go on now. You totally have my support!

I don’t give one shiny about the colour of someone’s hair, generally.

Just give me great legal advice, clean my home properly, get rid of the electricity issue, do my accounts, vote on behalf of what your constituents elected you to do, or bring me my coffee or fecking bagel.

FFS. Hair colour and tattoos.

Meanwhile, here is DAME Ruth Silver, from the education sector: Hint: probably not her natural hair colour.

Don’t sign up for a job that has rules you don’t like. If you do, expect them to be enforced.

I only got 2 pages, so apologies if this has been covered.....
The rules mention pink and blue, it doesn't mean just pink and blue though does it? otherwise, people could die their hair green or yellow and get away with it. Yes, you can dye your hair red and probably fairly brightly but it has to be natural tones. Not hard to figure out, but hey ho..

But again...what is the actual purpose of this rule? If tattoos are acceptable then it can't be aesthetic reasons.

@RiftGibbon the OP said there are rules for tattoos:

Non-offensive visible tattoos are permissible anywhere on the body, including hands and arms, as long they are not on the face or on the front or side of the neck (above the collar line). Tattoos behind the ear lobe on the back of the neck are also acceptable within these policy guidelines.

offensive tattoos must be covered.

Again, if a tattoo (non-offensive) is permitted, the reasons for rules around hair colour cannot be aesthetic. I still don't understand the purpose of the rule.
People who don't like coloured hair are certainly less likely to like tattoos.

My daughter is a senior fire officer and she has multi coloured hair and whilst the policy does say the same as OP's just about everyone thinks it is ridiculous and it is not enforced.

I agree it won’t affect the OPs ability to do her job but if you accept a job with an expectation to look/dress a certain way you’re agreeing to comply with it. Like a PP stated if you allow you one ‘unnatural’ colour where do you draw the line? The OP has been there long enough to know the rules her employer has set. The sad thing is that it’s her colleagues that have complained after a little while and if she worked with a different team might have gotten away with it.

Their justification is that employees know about the uniform and hair colour rules before they take the job, and by accepting the job offer and starting work, they are accepting those rules.

Tattoos are permanent, so can't be removed when starting a new job. Hair dye is temporary.

Ridiculous rule. What does it matter if you do your work properly and are polite to clients and customers/patients?

The comment on salt/pepper hair would have entirely pissed me off. No one would say the same thing to a man.

Much as I loathe Liz Truss, and I loathe her greatly, good on her for doing some TV interview in trainers. I mean she’s shit but it was not the trainers fault. Some rules are stupid.

Where does it stop with rules you know in advance, take the job and then decide you don’t like? Don’t like the rule, don’t take the job - or at the very least don’t be pissed off when the rule you knew about gets enforced.
I wonder if there is a bigger picture of non compliance with the rules especially given the stated intention to have them go through every shade.

But why should jobs get away with arbitrary rules which don't serve any purpose?

If there is a reason, the job can easily explain it.
Otherwise it should be required for job places to publish all requirements when advertising the vacancy, so potential candidates don't loose time with self-important policy-writers.

Exactly this.

I can't imagine anyone reads the entire rule book for their job from cover to cover, do they? Basic stuff about maintaining professional conduct, not stealing, not using company stuff for your own purposes (unless authorised), hours, pay, etc. sure - but who expects to be told that they can have tattoos but not dyed hair. It makes no sense.

I would die on the hill, but I have massive issues with companies and schools power-tripping and dictating how people can dress and look when it has literally no bearing on the quality of work produced. I have quit a job before over their stance on another employee having an eyebrow piercing.

Where do you draw the line with people that don’t like the rules they signed up for? Come in a bit late cos I don’t like the 7am start rule? Go a bit earlier cos I don’t like the 7pm finish rule? Have a 45 min lunch break rather than 36? Don't want to do that aspect of the job so won’t? don’t expect the rules OP agreed to to change because they don’t like them. Bigger back story methinks.don’t like the rules, choose a different job.

But timekeeping and punctuality are nothing to do with appearance. Those are factors that impact someone's ability to fulfil the responsibilities of their role, and negatively impact others' workloads. Having brown, blonde, green or purple hair doesn't.

Doesn’t matter - it’s what OP literally signed up for. It’s what was agreed in the contract. Don’t like it? Fair enough - but don’t sign up to the terms and conditions.
I don’t like the way Amazon is dominating various sectors… so I don’t sign up for Amazon prime tv🙄