waitress sacked for refusing to wear makeup

[BookstoreEscapee]

Nah, all-out clown makeup is an obvious refusal to meet their guidelines. With just tacky overly done makeup, you can simply claim you just don't wear it and don't know how to apply it right. I think I always look like a painted doll when I try, so I stay away from it. If someone forced me to wear it daily I'd look rediculous - but it's incompetence, not insolently refusing to do their bidding.

Good point. When I do wear makeup you can hardly tell...since I err on the side of caution when I apply it. I don't wear mascara because my eyelashes are long enough as it is (they touch my glasses). The only thing I wear on a regular basis is a little powder on shiny spots and lip balm...which is colorless so I'm not sure it really counts as makeup.

I did like the comment on the article that went something like "If my employer told me I had to wear makeup I take my inspiration from Gene Simmons."

[One-Fang]

Oh, the other side of this, if you're in a similar situation yourself, is to whack a little lip gloss on.

It's "makeup", right? You're "wearing makeup". Unless they start stating exactly how much and what kind, you're adhering to their policy.

[Titi]

That's what I was just coming on here to post OneFang! Just put on a little lip gloss or a touch of clear mascara and you are technically wearing makeup.

[Nyoibo]

Which it just silly. Take the average males toilette compared to the average womans +makeup and you'd have a win.

Bull.

Men are frequently expected to be clean shaven and/or have short hair in jobs, I don't see how this is any different.

[blas]

WOW, and to think I was constantly sent to the bathroom to "clean that shit off of your eyes, you do not come to work with all that crap on your eyes, ever!" when I worked at the truck stop.

The worst part was, I'd come home from school and use a q-tip with eyemakeup remover to get rid of my eyeliner before work. They were really a zero tolerance makeup place....except for the older women. They could wear bright, obnoxious red lipstick and all the jewelery they wanted, despite younger girls being threatened their jobs if they came to work with hand or finger jewelery or big earrings.

[RayvenQ]

Bull.

Men are frequently expected to be clean shaven and/or have short hair in jobs, I don't see how this is any different.

I do, sort of.

I'm pretty sure putting makeup on every day costs more/takes more time than getting a haircut once in a while and shaving every couple of days.

[One-Fang]

Indeed.

Give me a face any time over legs, pits, arms, bikini, then cleanse, moisturise, tone, base, foundation, powder, lips, eyes, cheeks and lashes, THEN you can start on styling your hair.

Men may be required to have short hair, but I'll take that requirement any day over having to 'do' hair. (I don't 'do' hair. I have short hair. I *did* take that! LOL)

Sorry, you still lose. Men have it easy.

[crazylegs]

I've only heard of one job which it was reasonable for the company to expect you to wear cosmetics, and that was working for a cosmetics company.

For a food serving position? Nah, that's not reasonable.

[Nyoibo]

Indeed.

Give me a face any time over legs, pits, arms, bikini, then cleanse, moisturise, tone, base, foundation, powder, lips, eyes, cheeks and lashes, THEN you can start on styling your hair.

Men may be required to have short hair, but I'll take that requirement any day over having to 'do' hair. (I don't 'do' hair. I have short hair. I *did* take that! LOL)

Sorry, you still lose. Men have it easy.

I cleanse and sometimes moisturise, depending on the season and what I'm doing I shave my pits too, when I'm not growing a beard I shave every day, and I also have hair longer than almost all the women I know, oh and I'll raise you nails too.

[the_std]

I cleanse and sometimes moisturise, depending on the season and what I'm doing I shave my pits too, when I'm not growing a beard I shave every day, and I also have hair longer than almost all the women I know, oh and I'll raise you nails too.

Yeah, but are you expected to do all of that?

[JLRodgers]

Yeah, but are you expected to do all of that?

As everyone basically said all I was going to on the who had it harder thing -- that kind of sums it all up.

While there are men who do as much as women (I know some who wear some makeup even!) -- it's not expected, and if some employers found out they'd probably "request" it be stopped.

But really it comes down to things not even entirely related to time: women are expected and required to do things that cost money, whereas men don't for the same position.
Makeup, hair stuff, etc all cost women money -- yet men don't even need it. A man can wash his hair, then shake like a dog, and say "my hair's supposed to be like that" and get away with it.

[ShinyGreenApple]

I can't help but wonder what the reaction from management would be if a male member of the serving team showed up in eyeliner/shadow and lipstick. I mean hey, there are some guys who can really do that look quite well

I wouldn't be able to tolerate a job that required that of me for several reasons.

1. I really can't be bothered to get up early enough each day to put all that on.

2. I absolutely *hate* spending a lot of money on cosmetics, so when I do wear what I have, I usually have dark rings under my eyes at the end of the day.

3. Foundation + running around on my feet all day, probably in a greasy environment + my already oily skin. GAK! I'd be ready to kill just to wash my face and put Noxema on it at the end of my shift!

Being a non-wearer most of the time is fun. I dolled myself all up for graduation night a few weeks ago and my classmates went berserk and started screaming "AWWWW LB has makeup on! AWWW!"

[Buglady]

But really it comes down to things not even entirely related to time: women are expected and required to do things that cost money, whereas men don't for the same position.

I often wonder exactly what would happen if women weren't constantly getting sidetracked (forcibly, quite often) into putting resources of time, effort and money into their looks. The world wouldn't know what hit it if we all one day said "you know what? No thanks. I'm not going to play this game any more." We'd have SO MUCH energy and smarts to put toward actual problems in our own and other people's lives!

Of course, the conspiracy-theorist part of me thinks that's exactly the point...

[Nyoibo]

Yeah, but are you expected to do all of that?

Yes I am.