Not being taken srsly @ work - shd I cut my hair?

[Allwelcone]

Is having long blond hair not professional? Had some off/ odd behaviours and comments from colleagues recently e.g from a slightly older women "you'll be fine, one look at you and they'll be putty in your hands" and another volunteer wanting to put photos of me and him on his insta and over-praising my professionalism as if he was surprised.
I dress professionally at times. My colleagues are a mix of older and younger.

Thing is I look shit when I tie my hair back. Should i get it cut? I am 49.
How to navigate the sexism thing?

I think people are trying to be nice to you. Smile and nod. Tie it back if you want to 🤷

I agree with this. You don’t sound entirely well OP. Ambulance drivers have to explain why they use sirens, everything is monitored.

Bit of a stretch for posters to say OP sounds unwell 😂 whether the ambulance put it's siren on for her isn't really the point, it's the fact that her colleague/volunteer suggested it was because of her. It's uncomfortable for colleagues to draw attention to what you look like consistently.

I had my hair dyed bleach blonde when I was in my early twenties (less than a decade ago) and my dad was mortified. I was a paralegal looking for a training contract and he was a lawyer. He told me I would need to dye it back if I wanted to be taken seriously 😟

I wonder why you think it is your hair in particular?

Anyway, regardless of whether your hair is the reason or not, if colleagues are treating you unprofessionally because you are an attractive woman, then it is they who have to alter, not you. Do you have a line manager who could help you address it with them?

Unless your hair is conspicuously straightened, dyed, etc, as part of an overly made-up artificial presentation that might be viewed as unprofessional in a work context, I can't see why you would focus on it.

On a visit yesterday with a volunteer a silent ambulance went by but blared it's siren at me which the older volunteer said was on purpose. I thought it undermined my authority

Can we revisit why you think the ambulance driver turned on the sirens for you?

I think she's already explained - because the other person said so.
The sensible response would probably have been a crisp 'don't be daft'.

What rubbish.

Are you Samantha Brick? No Ambulance is going to sound it's siren at you because you have long blonde hair fgs.

You are just attractive

😂😂

I'm pretty sure it's not your hair which is the issue, it's more about the people you work with, unfortunately some people are narrow minded.

I really wouldn't change anything about yourself, just because of some throwaway comments.

It's not your hair it's your colleagues

Every time I see the title of this thread, my mind reads it as arsely and my mind has to think oh it's ' seriously '

This.... it's probably not the hair itself, it's a general appearance thing, or what you are doing with your hair (constantly flicking it in a way that comes across as flirtatious).
I'd consider some sort of headband if I were you, but consider your general appearance and grooming more broadly.

😂😂

Definitely don't cut your hair! Ignore the sexist twats

It's the colour not the length.

I've gone brunette at work to be taken more seriously.

You really do get treated differently

Was the ambulance driver aware of your 'authority' before he or she decided to undermine it?

maybe the siren was coincodental, it's just what the older volunteer said, however it made me jump and I had to begin the meeting a bit unsettled.
It was in a very remote miss Marple type village anyway which added to the old fashioned feeling.

So a small village made you feel unsettled because..? You’re too glamorous and modern? I’m not seeing what the issue is here. I think you’re possibly over thinking the ‘comments’.

You spend a lot of time in your posts on the words ' volunteer ' - do you work in a charity shop and you are one of the few paid staff and the majority are volunteers.

Sometimes advanced search is a wonderful thing.

Good eye!

here’s a previous thread from OP saying how glam she needs to look, that it’s ‘essential’ (for a charity??): https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/style_and_beauty/5106033-if-you-have-a-job-where-looking-good-is-essential

OP also has a thread about how her boss is making moves on her and she can’t stop thinking about him giving her ‘looks’.

Hmmm..if you work for a charity I get why you may feel like this as in my experience there is a certain 'look'. Do not cut your beautiful hair just to conform to a stereotype. Their problem not yours

It's Sam Brick gathering material for her next book!

Well according to the OPs previous posts, this charity requires her to be good looking 🙄

You think an ambulance blared its siren when passing you because of your “glamorous” hair? 😬