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

Amazon is bit more optional than job. One of the reason why we have laws is to make sure employers can't just freely dictate. So the question here is, whether the policy is actually fulfilling some objective, or whether it is an unreasonable power trip.

In addition, the job probably didn't show their policies at the first contact, as is required for tradespeople, which makes the whole thing a bit unfair.

no the immediate question is why you would take a job when you didn’t agree to do what the contract stated. There are whole industries screaming for workers. The op has stated the rule was there beforehand- they just didn’t want it to be enforced.
lots of g to hinge in the ops replies and lack of addressing this point suggest that it might. It be the whole story.

@Thatlittleleaf the policy when I started was no pink or blue hair or extreme hairstyles. As previously said I checked it out in person before I started. Some years ago. I'm not new and neither is my hair colour - they have just decided they don't like it now.....

I have never gone to work with hair coloured pink or blue or purple. There are millions of people with red hair. If my workplace thinks my particular shade is unprofessional as too bright why do they exempt the extreme platinum blondes of which there are plenty? Or the absolute dead black? That's the real hypocrisy...

Update
I did change it - I picked a well known brand and a natural colour 'natural dark brown' to cover it. The result is unspeakably horrid (black, dark red and every shade in-between) and definitely looks 'unnatural' now but I have been thanked for complying!!!

If only I could afford to retire....

why do they exempt the extreme platinum blondes of which there are plenty? Or the absolute dead black
errr - they’re natural colours? You can’t even take being thanked - you really might be better off in a different job HTH

Thanks for the positivity @Incheesewetrust :)
I can assure you the blondes and blacks referred to do not look at all natural - as in they could not occur on human heads without chemical intervention!
But yes, I would now change jobs if I could - because it is clear that my qualifications, professional training, skills and experience are not valued in comparison to the shade of ginger my hair is!!

Or perhaps it’s your brand of rule bending, nit picking and almighty awkwardness that comes through with a lack of self reflection that’s evident in your posts but I guess you won’t see that either so👑

@Incheesewetrust interesting post! What rules do you think I have bent?

I haven't nit picked or been awkward. I have observed the rules as written and as explained to me orally before I started. For 3+ years there have been no problems.

I am venting on here because management's reinterpretation of the uniform policy seems to only affect me. I can't afford to lose my job. But other people continue to wear non-uniform items, alter their uniform, dye their hair in 'unnatural' ways etc etc - maybe they don't care if they get sacked. Good for them.

I am powerless in this situation as I have no alternative and it has made me unhappy because I believe in fairness and this is unfair. I have spent way too much time going over things in my head - which is obviously not sensible. :( I know I need to accept the fait accompli.

But how does that make me awkward or lacking in self-reflection? Please do explain.

The fact that you are almost gleefully describing the way you’ll make them go through all the permitted shades and then planning to choose something different is an indicator no? The fact that your colleagues have flagged it up also suggests that there might be something they’re not happy with. Although you probably wouldn’t take that on board the same way as you won’t take on board my points. You’re prerogative of course, just suggestive that it may not be them out to get you but that you contribute.