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?

If it's the actual comfort factor of the lanyard that's an issue then perhaps see if you can get a 'pin on' version of your ID (that's what many places had before lanyards). Assuming that yours has some sort of easy release for safety then can you ask if they'll offer a wider purple one?

Do you dislike rainbows or is it that you don't want to be identified as supporting LGBT rights?

I don't wear anything that suggests adherence to Stonewall policies as I DO support LGB rights. (I'm not the OP).

I get you. Lanyards irritate my skin, I don’t wear them. I clip my badge onto my dress or cardigan. Never been an issue. Your work is being OTT.

A plain black normal lanyard would be much better, but id suck it up because its the work rules.

As cabin crew surely you are aware that the lanyard will have been tested to break if someone grabs at it.

So no, OP cannot adapt it. If you work for the airline PP think you do, then your uniform is a blouse with a large collar. Just slip the thinner lanyard around that.

Or leave.

Some people may have hypersensitive skin, so a thin lanyard may irritate them more. I find thin lanyards very irritating - that’s not being petty.
Others may not agree to wearing something that has particular political connotations. The only type of lanyard I would wear to indicate any political leanings would be a suffragette colours one.

I work for the NHS. I have a rainbow lanyard with NHS logo (issued pre pandemic so before 8t got taken over as a symbol for the NHS). I'm straight, but hopefully anyone struggling with their sexuality know I won't pass judgement. (I'm a community mental health nurse btw, employed to do assessments of new referrals so yes it is relevant!)

Just wear the Pride one if the other causes you pain. Wearing one won't turn you gay.🙄

They’ve given you 2 choices and I think YABU to be so picky.

Having everyone wear the same lanyards does look much smarter.

What is the issue with the purple one?
I find the thicker ones much more uncomfortable.

Oh now I see what OP could be doing wrong. OP, lanyard should be worn over your clothes, not under them. 😂

(Still not sure how the thickness would change anything it if it is purely the fabric that irritates).

For a short heady summer it was a thing to wear your lanyard around your waist to highlight how terribly thin you were 🙄fortunately that cohort of student placements ended.

I agree with a PP, just buy a thick purple one. No one will notice or care.

YABU it's a fucking lanyard, why do you care? What if someone else doesn't like the uniform jacket and want to wear their own, you have a uniform, you wear the uniform. If you don't want a uniform get another job.

How, when working in airports and planes, can you possibly think it's not to do with security. I have worked in a high security industry and lanyards are an important part of ID.

Aren't there specific lanyards at an airport that signify whether you're allowed airside or not?

I was of the opinion 'wear the purple or change to the rainbow one' on the basis that the purple one shows people where you are allowed to be as others have said.

However, how does that work if you're wearing a rainbow one? In our school staff have a certain colour lanyard, teachers a different colour and sixth form a third colour so you can immediately see if a sixth former is in a building when they're supposed to be in assembly or whatever. But if we wore rainbow ones we'd not be able to tell, would we?

So the 'wear either one and don't make a fuss' doesn't really wash if you're linking it to security.

I now think your employers are being a bit unreasonable in not offering a thicker version of the purple one OP. Or clip on versions with the colour around the edge (if it is a security thing).

Just wear the Pride one if the other causes you pain. Wearing one won't turn you gay.🙄

That's really condescending. The Pride colours are political and represent a particular take on personal identity that I do not subscribe to. I absolutely support LGB rights as well as the rights of women so I will not wear it.

Is it possible, OP, to make a wider, soft cover for the neck area for the thin one?

I can understand that a string style lanyard will irritate even worn over clothes. I sometimes wear a lanyard but have a croc clip and retractable reel between the card and the lanyard, the clip holds the card to my lapel and still allows me to swipe doors but keeps the lanyard loose enough that it doesn't irritate. My preferred option is a belt clip and reel.

For maximum uniformity with discretion, use a safety pin and attach the badge slightly above where it would normally hang. It won't pull down or swing about, reducing the irritation, but still looks to everyone as though it is worn correctly. Added bonus, when you are bending down it won't swing out and hit into things/people.

As a larger chested lady, lanyards are the bane of my working life hence always having various options to suit different clients and sites.

I wear mine over my clothes, but unless I’m wearing a polo necked jumper, it sits on my skin on the back of my neck. Maybe you don’t have a neck?

Exactly this. I would put up with the thin one in this case.

If you have any type of diversity forum or group maybe raise it there.

We have several different lanyards…then people can pick what they want, feel like they have choices but actually all the options are similar & all have our logo. But then our branding has lots of different colours.

My other thought is …. ‘Wow, this is a first world problem’ and that your workplace must be magnificent if this is the thing you post about.

Just when I thought I'd seen it all..... Well done OP.

I don’t like wire thin lanyards which the purple one is

Why not?

At my work, different colours mean different things. First Aiders, mental health support, security etc all have different colours to the rest of us.

I agree with the earlier posted about the boob issue. These have definitely been designed by men.

I hear you, OP. Pride has gone political and no longer has my support because of the other things it promotes outside of rights for lesbian, gay and bisexual people (happy with those) . You shouldn't have to have this Hobson's choice of discomfort or apparently aligning yourself with a political cause.