Beards in the Work Place
Beards in the Work Place
Perhaps the oldest fashion accessory to date, even older than cloth and jewelry, is the beard. Throughout the ages, the beard has had different connotations to different cultures. Sometimes, they were a favorable fashion trend, other times they were sign as a sign of uncleanliness, or even laziness. In today’s world though, the beard went through a movement that has put it at the forefront of pop culture. When the current generation sees someone with a well tamed beard that reaches down past their neck, thoughts of manliness, sophistication, and respect radiates back to them. With beards taken such a prominent stance in the modern world, the question has to be asked, where do they stand in the workplace?
The main variable to consider for this question, is industry. Depending on what service your business supplies, and the role of the bearded person in question, are the two main factors in deciding the proper dress code. For example, a long beard in a fast moving kitchen might pose certain health threats (especially if an health inspector sees one not tucked into a beard net), where as a long, well kept beard in an office environment might make someone look more in control. Of course, there are no laws stating that you have to allow beards either. If you want to make it a point to not allow beards in the workplace, or to only allow very short beards, you have that right as a business owner.
So let’s look at different industries and how a bearded man can effect each one, starting with the culinary arts.
Food Industry: When it comes to preparing food, safety and proper protocol is crucial. No one wants to find a hair in their food. It doesn’t matter if it is from their head, chin, or anywhere, a hair in a meal means you might lose that customer permanently. So it is important to make sure that hair is under control in the kitchen and beyond. It is not impossible for a server to hair a single strand fall onto a T-bone steak and ruin the entire meal. For this reason it is understandable to put a strict dress code in place for your business. This can mean limiting beard length or requiring the use of beard nets when around food. Luckily when servers deliver food, they hold the food away from their body, so there is a far less chance that the food can become contaminated.
Factory Based Industry: Working in a factory is an entirely different field of work from the kitchen. It can involve different jobs including working with machinery, moving around heavy products, or inspecting the quality of products before they head out to the warehouse. For working with machinery, it is usually safe to have a beard, as long as it is kept under control and not too wild. In some instances, working with parts that spin or grip, a beard might not be a good idea.
Retail: When working with customers, appearance is key to success. Your employees have to look presentable, professional, and capable. People don’t want a caveman telling them where the cookie dough is. They want someone who looks welcoming, clean, and professional to guide them in their grocery or electronic seeking adventure. This is when it becomes more of a best judgement situation than a dress code one. Some people can manage a beard, using combs and oils to keep it straight and professional. It is when their beard goes up left and right that you need to set the line. If you are open to beards in your retail business, keep an eye on them and make decisions as you go, or restrict them in the dress code found in the employee handbook.
Office Based Jobs: Office based jobs come in two different varieties, ones that deal with customers and clients, and those that don’t. Office based jobs that deal with customers, such as banks, some insurance companies, real estate, and so on, deal with customers and clients on a daily basis. Much like the retail job, they have to be presentable, often times more so due to the services they are providing. It’s one thing to help someone purchase a $5 pack of hamburger meat, it’s a whole different field when you are trying to get them to purchase a $150 a month automobile insurance plan with $500 deductible. Office based jobs that don’t deal with customers most often center around information input, organization, or the behind the scenes portions of the customer based office jobs. In these instances, the professional attire can be traded in for a more casual appearance, but still be maintained and well kept. Just because you won’t be interacting with customers doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still be professional.
Avoiding Confusion: How do you make sure the rules on beards is understood by all of your employees? The best way is to have a comprehensive employee handbook that goes into detail about what is appropriate for the workplace and what is not. While listing etiquette on beard growth, it is also fitting to talk about other trending fashion topics that are emerging in the workplace, such as tattoos, piercings, and colored hair. Some companies take a strong stance against all of these in the workplace while other companies are becoming more open to them. Luckily, an employee handbook, and some of the policies found within, can be changed overtime. You don’t always want to give into current trends, but sometimes it is good to change a little to strengthen employee/management connections.
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