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

Why are you so angry? You know your hair is not a natural colour, you know the code is for hair to be a natural colour, you might have got away with it for a while but now you have been asked to follow the code.
Are you 15?

Wondering if you are a nurse 🤔
We have the same issues in nursing.... however iI cannot figure how the colour of hair has ever affected patient care! Yanbu

I worked in the NHS with bright red hair. No one ever batted an eyelid

Nobody naturally has RED hair as in the colour red like vermillion it’s not a naturally occurring pigment, copper yes and auburn tones.

YABU

You knew the policy and tried to push it 🤷‍♀️

Urgh I had to pull someone at work up once on their appealing hygiene... not something I would want to repeat ever again!

Exactly. Funny how we're conditioned to accept any bright yellow as 'blonde' even when it's obvious that shade of blonde has never naturally occurred on anyone's head.

The paragraph is specific in that it should not be "unnatural" therefore I have never dyed it pink or blue as the rules require.

How is bright red hair a natural colour?!

C’mon OP no one is that stupid so stop trying to act dumb.

Just throw a wig over it

I don't understand why they're fussing. It's a nice colour. Not gaudy. They're acting like it's bloody candyfloss colour! YANBU @IntegrityisDead

It is a lovely colour but unfortunately it isn't a natural red, and I've seen all shades of red, ginger, strawberry blonde and everything in bewteen.

Just dye it a more natural shade, or change jobs

Had anyone actually told you there is a problem with your hair colour?

It's not bright red! The pic I just posted is the colour. ^

My colleague has bright red hair and is covered in tattoos.

She's also a bloody fabulous midwife and is super popular with the women and families in her care.

It's a massively outdated policy imo. Thankfully, the trust I work for is sensible about it.

Good question!

I'm worried she's busy dying indignantly on the hill without anyone knowing she's actually gone up the hill.

Is it cut and styled?
Colour is nice!

It's not bright red! The pic I just posted is the colour. ^

@WhileMyGuitarGentlyWeeps

Read the OP - she says it’s bright red.

You’ve posted the wrong hair dye.

I recognise the wording in your quote of the policy. Are you talking about Queens Regs or Books of Reference?

If so then this is absolutely NOT a hill to die on, Christ we only go the ability to wear hair in a ponytail within the last year, instead of wholly and completely above the collar (ie in a bun). The point is that it took years of campaining to finally break through the layers of misogeny, tradition and hierarchy to raise the awareness of the problems that rule caused in order to finally "win" the change. Your lone voice shouting out will quickly be subdued.

If you want to change within the Uniformed Services and changing the above mentioned regulations, then engage with the womens group for your service and join in the very active discussions on uniform procurement, supply and standards for women, we can affect change but it is a glacial pace and takes a large collective voice.

I speak from experience.

OP, do you understand what eg means?

Its always been a rule so thats just how it is
Just dye it one of the many many natural colours

"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."

So, it seems the rules about hair and tattoos are actually consistent with each other, because they are both related to what people see when they look at your face front-on.

Without knowing what your job is, it's impossible to say whether the rule is unreasonable - some places are just weird and petty about stuff like that for no really good reason.

But certainly there are jobs where having one massively obvious distinguishing feature like bright hair or a facial tattoo wouldn't be ideal - there are some jobs where it's advantageous to be as inconspicuous and non-distracting as possible. For example, when I was a press officer at the CPS I was only allowed to wear dark, discreet plain colours if I was going to be accompanying the prosecution team in court and I wouldn't have been allowed a non-natural hair colour. And obviously if you have a job where you're part of a uniformed team who all need to look as alike as possible (army, for instance, or police) it's not helpful for people to stand out.

You took a job with a uniform and dress code.
End of. Stop being childish.

Oh. Well, that's the one that came up when I put in google what the OP said it was - the brand and code etc. Odd.

Spitting feathers means thirsty.

This is the colour @WhileMyGuitarGentlyWeeps