To think work are being ridiculous

[Dolphin8765]

For work the main lanyard we are issued is a purple wire thin lanyard (photo attached). Myself and some other colleagues don’t like thin lanyards like that. The only other lanyard we are issued is wider like a normal lanyard, it’s a pride lanyard with the company logo on. We’ve asked work if we can buy and use our own lanyard and we were told. Aibu to think work are being a bit strict and ridiculous? What difference does it make if we use our own lanyard?

[RosaBonheur]

@BeingBrave22

Well there's lots of things I don't like about my work! They aren't going to change them just for me!!! Suck it up OP 🙂

Like what? Do they make you state which party you vote for in your email signature or wear a crucifix even though you are not a Christian?

[namechangeforthisbleep]

Some people are really reaching on here 😂😂😂😂

[RosaBonheur]

These things are no different to requiring employees to put pronouns in their email signatures or wear a rainbow lanyard.

Luckily my employer doesn't do this kind of shite.

[DashboardConfessional]

@Ktime

OP said she doesn't like them. And others have said they have sensory issues.

And yet you're dismissing it as a non-issue.

Oh right. So if the OP said she didn't like high heels without saying why, and someone else said they dislike them because they have bunions, it means the OP has bunions? You are ridiculous.

[User9765]

Just wear any lanyard, no one will notice I promise you. I wear a Disney lanyard at work and no one has ever noticed or batted an eyelid.

[RosaBonheur]

Employers imposing this rubbish on their employees to get sparkly Stonewall points.

[DashboardConfessional]

@DashboardConfessional

Oh right. So if the OP said she didn't like high heels without saying why, and someone else said they dislike them because they have bunions, it means the OP has bunions? You are ridiculous.

Sprry to quote myself but this thread is not about the purple one. It's about the agenda of the rainbow one.

[AnnoyedFromSlough]

@DashboardConfessional

Sprry to quote myself but this thread is not about the purple one. It's about the agenda of the rainbow one.

That might be what it is about now - but it started off as being about ops work not allowing them to buy their own lanyard.

[Emotionalsupportviper]

@SerafinasGoose

I, too. I am under the LGBT umbrella and these days would not be seen wearing a rainbow lanyard under any pretext. I think rather that attacking those who feel this way as the ubiquitous 'bigot', the people who are affiliated with Stonewall et al might do well to examine the reasons why they are losing supporters hand over fist.

As far as lanyards are concerned, the rainbow symbol is closely affiliated with Stonewall, and Stonewall are no longer a mere charity standing for the rights of a specific marginalized group. They currently have far too much power as a political lobby group, as well as having directly affected my organization's policy in a way I oppose. There is a reason why some staunch left-wing organizations like the BBC, certain health sectors and universities - particularly the Scottish ones - are dropping their associations with this 'charity' like a hot brick.

Wearing the rainbow isn't a neutral gesture. It signals affinity with an increasingly problematic movement which is harming the interests of those it was originally set up to protect. I don't support them, and am not flying any flags which falsely signal an allegiance which isn't there. As plain black lanyards are no longer available from my employers, I've bought my own. It would never even have occurred to me to ask my employers for permission.

In your situation OP I'd just wear the purple one.

Well said (re: the pervasive and unpleasant influence of Stonewall).

Plus - No politics in the workplace.

[EnjoyingTheSilence]

OP, you asked a question, you’ve had the answer.

You might not like it, you might not agree with it, but it’s the answer. Is it something you’re prepared to leave over, or kick up a big stink about?

[Emotionalsupportviper]

@RosaBonheur

I don't have any issues with the LGB aspect of it, although I believe the T+ aspect is currently a threat to women's rights.

If the rainbow was still just for the LGB and I was told to wear a rainbow lanyard, I would probably do so without thinking too much about it.

But it would still be weird if I did think about it.

Why this group? Why do our employers want to make everyone demonstrate visible support for this particular group, rather than disabled people, ethnic minorities, homeless people for example?

Whilst I don't doubt that homophobia still exists in our society, all the gay people I know are educated, affluent professionals in monogamous same sex relationships. A lesbian couple I know have recently had a child using a sperm donor and live very similar lives to me and my husband, except one of them is a woman. A gay couple I know have moved to the countryside and have an envy-inducing Instagram account filled with pictures of the amazing house they are painstakingly renovating, their extremely spoiled cat, and delicious things they have baked, broken up by regular fancy holidays. I don't see these people as oppressed minorities, I don't believe they see themselves as oppressed minorities or want to be thought of in that way. They want to be seen as perfectly normal couples, just like couples in a heterosexual relationship.

Of all the people I can think of that I might need to publicly demonstrate my support for to raise awareness of the struggles they face in life, those people are a pretty long way down the list.

And to be honest, I think if the rainbow flag was still just for the LGB, nobody would be forced to wear a rainbow lanyard.

It's the trans stuff.

By forcing you to wear a rainbow lanyard, your employer is sending you a very clear message that they won't support you if you object to a transgender male in the women's changing rooms. They're saying, "This organisation believes in gender woowoo, and if you don't, keep your mouth shut or leave."

I think if the rainbow flag was still just for the LGB, nobody would be forced to wear a rainbow lanyard.

I agree . Prior to the influence of Stonewall I can't say that I saw rainbow lanyards (or much of rainbow anything) being pushed. When it was just LGB, we all knew that the rainbow was a pride symbol, but it wasn't the ubiquitous thing we see today - it really has been appropriated by the trans lobby and has a very political meaning.

Most organisations - and certainly public organisations - were careful not to show any political allegiance because it isn't appropriate.

[rwalker]

@Ktime

OP has said she doesn't like it and others (including me) have flagged sensory issues. I've made a reasonable adjustment by attaching my pass to my belt loop. OP's employer are denying people reasonable adjustments.

What next, tell people disabilities to suck it up buttercup?

You Missed the point completely
OP just doesn’t like it
if was a sensory issue problem you’d go via ohs and request a reasonable adjustment

not liking something is not a disability so you wouldn’t make an adjustment

your situation is totally different to OP

[Emotionalsupportviper]

Why should OP have to like a political statement she disagrees with?

[rwalker]

@Emotionalsupportviper

Why should OP have to like a political statement she disagrees with?

In that she can have the plain purple one with no political statement problem solved

[BeingBrave22]

@rwalker

In that she can have the plain purple one with no political statement problem solved

This! If the choice was rainbow or rainbow, OP may have a point. But she can wear the standard issue purple lanyard. She just doesn't like it! I used to have to wear a blue polo shirt to work. I didn't like it but that was the uniform, you just get on with it! This thread is bonkers!

[Emotionalsupportviper]

@rwalker

In that she can have the plain purple one with no political statement problem solved

The one that she dislikes wearing - whether it's for sensory reasons, or it catches on things? For whatever reason OP doesn't find it comfortable.

There is no reason whatsoever why her employer can't let her buy - using her own money - a broad lanyard in a neutral colour (or purple if that is the company colour) for her identity badge. She and her colleagues aren't asking for a wide range of lanyards to be provided - just to have one to wear that is comfortable.

[rwalker]

@Emotionalsupportviper

The one that she dislikes wearing - whether it's for sensory reasons, or it catches on things? For whatever reason OP doesn't find it comfortable.

There is no reason whatsoever why her employer can't let her buy - using her own money - a broad lanyard in a neutral colour (or purple if that is the company colour) for her identity badge. She and her colleagues aren't asking for a wide range of lanyards to be provided - just to have one to wear that is comfortable.

She just doesn’t like it non of your scenarios were mentioned
companies spend thousands on corporate wear everyone’s idea of what would be suitable is different

[Rosula]

@RosaBonheur

Lots of people don't agree that the thin lanyard is a perfectly good alternative.

Personally I think that if your employer is going to mandate what kind of lanyard you wear, they should all be the same, and completely non-political. At my workplace, everyone has an identical blue lanyard with the company logo on it.

If they allow you to freely choose your own lanyard, then you can buy a rainbow one if you really want to show everyone what a good little ally you are.

The only people suggesting that the thin lanyard isn't a perfectly good alternative are those suggesting that it causes sensory issues or is uncomfortable. As OP doesn't claim to have sensory issues that is irrelevant, and it can't realistically be uncomfortable given that it will be worn over a collar.

[Rosula]

@RosaBonheur

Yeah but these lanyard fuckwits who think that because they employ us they have the right to dictate our political opinions don't, and that's the problem.

But they're not dictating political opinions in this case. No-one is made to wear the rainbow lanyard.

[HollyBerri]

Why can’t you wear the pride one? Surely is just rainbow coloured but thicker like you want.

[Rosula]

@RosaBonheur

So you can have a comfortable lanyard if you're willing to publicly dance to Stonewall's tune and an uncomfortable one if you're not?

Riiiight.

You are so obviously twisting this argument to make a political point. We can all see that the plain lanyard isn't particularly thin, OP doesn't have sensory issues, she doesn't even claim it's uncomfortable. She just says she doesn't like it. There are lots of aspects of working life which people don't like - I don't like the fact that I have to share an office, for instance - but I put up with it because that's what it takes to do the job and get paid. Having to cope with a thinnish lanyard is hardly the most onerous thing anyone has to deal with in order to earn a crust.

[RosaBonheur]

It's the case both here (the fact that the purple lanyard also exists is the lamest excuse I've ever heard) and also in many other workplaces who have jumped on this bandwagon.

Unless you actually work for Stonewall, this shouldn't be a thing. No aspect or work uniform should be political unless you are actually working for a political organisation.

I can't remember who said above that I'd be OK with it if it was a cause I supported. Oh, the irony.

No, I wouldn't. I think employers plugging any cause by getting their staff to wear promotional items is wrong. The person who made that comment clearly doesn't get it, but would undoubtedly be unhappy if her employer wanted to wear a lanyard showing support for the Conservative Party, or Scientology.