To keep my nose ring in

[Jixg]

I have a nose ring. I’ve had it since I was 16 and it’s very much a part of me and my identity. I started a new office job and they’ve asked me to not wear it to work. Aibu to be upset by this!?

Did they see you wearing it at interview? Did they mention it then about you needing to remove it?

If you did and they didn't (if you follow!), then a non-issue. You can object on that basis not to remove.

If you signed a contract that specifies no piercings but you still wear one, that's not so straightforward.

I have a family member who is a solicitor with nose piercings and all manner of ear piercings. Never been a problem.

I had an NHS psychiatrist until recently who had all sorts of facial piercings, tattoos, goth makeup. She was fab.

Probably best to just check their uniform policy.

If a customer can’t tell the difference between jewellery and snot they need to be at the ophthalmologist’s office, not an office.
Op that is very weird and old fashioned. I’ve had my nose piercing since 16 and have never had to take it out for work (asides one job which served food)

Have you ever looked in the mirror, spotted a bogey, and thought 'ooh did I mistakenly get my nose pierced!?'

Did they say AT THE JOB INTERVIEW that your nose ring will have to be removed? @Jixg OR did they wait til you started? Until you answer this question, it's hard to respond to you.

Personally I think piercings look fucking amazing.

It’s a bit old fashioned and I’ve never been asked, but it wouldn’t bother me much to take my nose ring out if I was - I take my engagement and wedding rings off all the time e.g. for the gym and cycling, it’s all just jewellery. Feeling upset about it is a bit much, your fashion sense isn’t a part of your identity your employer is interested in, which is fine - most people code switch and conceal and reveal different parts of their identity as and when appropriate.

No but I've looked at someone with a nose ring and thought someone should tell them to blow their nose

You’ve been asked to take out a nose-ring for an office job, in 2023? Really? I find this really weird. I’ve been working in offices for 25 years in corporate environments and in none of them would anyone have so much as blinked at a nose ring, let alone asked for it to be taken out. That would include people in public-facing roles.

Bit weird that they gave you a job if they have a policy against nose rings, given that you were presumably wearing it at the interview.

Why? A nose ring looks nothing like a bogey at all, and having a nose ring doesn’t make you any more likely to need to blow your nose.

If you wore it in the interview and they didn’t say anything then they’re being weird and stupid.

Yanbu. I totally understand you feeling it is part of your identity. I had my ears pierced as a baby and when I was asked to remove my earrings at school when I was about 12 I remember being really upset about it because my earrings very much felt they were part of me.

For some people facial piercings are part of or their cultual identity too - e.g Indian women or lesbians/bisexuals.

if you do love the job enough to comply though, you could try substituting the ring for a bioflex labret - that way your piercing is nearly invisible and you can easily switch-out the top of the labret to something more visible without having to remove the post.

TBH I would personally be uncomfortable working in an environment that uptight and traditional.

I wore mine during my interview. When I started I was told I needed to take it out. I just put it back in at the end of each day.

That is not a normal reaction. Do book an appointment at an optician.

If it's one of those bull ring type (septum?) piercings then yes, you should remove it. The sight of them on a person makes me feel nauseous.

I like them, so she shouldn't remove it.

How over the top. Maybe see a gastroenterologist about your overly sensitive stomach.

How over the top. Maybe see a gastroenterologist about your overly sensitive stomach

Alternatively, people could just stop inflicting the sight of them upon people.

I am so sorry. I didn’t realise the world revolves around you and that you just have to look at everyone and judge.

I work with a nurse with lip and nose pierced 2 full arm tattoos she’s lovely and great at her job. It’s not mine to say what she can and can’t wear its managers and I assume manager has ok’d it. But in an office I mean it’s not hampering you doing your job it’s a nose ring not anything more seems excessive to ask you to remove it.

Which is more important though, your nose ring or your job? You are in your probationary period. It's very very easy for them to fire you, whether they said you could wear your nose ring, whether they were silent on it, or whether it's in the policy you can't.

Alternatively you should look the other way, wear blinkers or shut your delicate little eyes.

Would you respond to a burns victim in such a way?

You're being ridiculous!

Unless there's a safety concern related to your job, I'd refuse. They ought to have made their dress codes clear before you took the job. Assuming that it's actually in their dress code and this isn't some manager overstepping and making shit up because they personally don't like piercings.

I had both my nostrils pierced for a few years. My nose is long and narrow which meant the L-shape posts always touched my septum and pushed the stud out, so I was always touching my nose to adjust it and it would sometimes looked like I was picking my nose. Frankly it looked gross. I eventually got tired of them and removed them and let the holes close. My company has never been and currently isn't strict on facial piercings.

Look up the company policies on dress code, if it's vague about facial piercings, ask about it. If there is no mention of facial piercings at all, I'd take that to mean only ear piercings are allowed.

Oh wow that's so old fashioned! I remember back in 1995 working in a small accountancy practice, I'd mentioned to one of the partners I was getting my nose pierced. He asked if I could cover it up (with a plaster!) once I'd got it as it might "scare the clients". Even HE said it actually looked quite nice once I'd got it done and allowed me to wear my diamond stud. Really surprised it's an issue unless (stretching here) you do some kind of job where it could pose a hygiene or health and safety risk.

I love piercings and have signed for my 15 year old daughter to get quite a few much to her father's disgust. It's quite a normal thing to do nowadays I think.

Would you respond to a burns victim in such a way?

You can't seriously be comparing a burns victim to a person that has willingly (and temporarily) disfigured their face with piercings?