In some work environments there are rules regarding how you have to keep your hair.

What would you do if your HR department said you had to cut your long hair to remain in compliance?

That is what happened to the guy in this story, but it turns out that the owner loved his hair, so she fired the HR director and told him to grow it back out.

Hair is in Compliance

So, with this story we are back at the resort I worked at multiple times. I worked at this place several times and I have to dip back into those times to explain how I got hired.

Young people do all sorts of things to their hair.

When I was 15 I had originally got a job doing room service and got really good at navigating the facility. When I was 18-19 I started growing out my hair and would wear a headband literally 100% of the time and thought I was cool.

I got a call one day from a friend and past coworker who was very tied into the resort. The dishwashing team walked out and they needed someone now.

Now that’s a good way to get a job.

I lived 150 ft from this resort and they were giving me a guaranteed job without an interview and would pay cash until I got in the system.

The catch? I had to do 3 full kitchens dishes right now with almost zero training.

This would be miserable, but it would be good money, I’m sure.

I worked solidly, by myself, in 3 kitchens, from open to close for weeks until they hired help. I lived somewhat close to the Lady in charge of the entire resort who LOVED that I was involved with the resort again.

She and I have always had a great friendship as neighbors. I ended up leaving to get a better paying job which didn’t really help me out because even though it was more per hour, I was working less and had to drive and spend more on gas.

They just keep bringing him back.

I got another call from that friend. I got an instant job there AGAIN! This time almost entire setup staff for banquets, meetings and wedding had walked.

Again, same conditions as above, I had a ton of work to do but just in a different department. I had found out that the Lady in charge actually suggested my friend specifically call me because I was a known reliable worker.

Ok, no big deal.

It’s at this point where this story really begins. I had long thick hair. No more headband, I wore it in a tight pony tail that came to my mid back. I will also mention that I am a guy.

Knowing I was going to be a front of house employee with guest contact, I would shower before going to work, and pull my hair into a tight single braid. Once in place I would run gel in so the loose shorter strands would stay in place. I looked professional.

What is it that HR wants?

Because of my unusual hiring conditions, I rarely ever saw HR. After over a year of working in this department, training a whole new team, and 2 customer service awards….. HR approached me.

I literally had a tray of covered food on my shoulder, about to walk into a wedding.

Wow, they aren’t giving him any warnings at all.

She stopped me, I saw her glance at my hair, and said “We’ve had several complaints about you, you need to put your hair into compliance according to the handbook by the time you show up to work tomorrow or consider this your termination notice.”

She said this to me while I was absolutely slammed with work during dinner service at a 300+ person wedding reception.

I’m guessing that nobody actually complained.

Several servers were watching and gave me the appropriate “What the %$@#, who would have complained?!” comforting words to myself. I put my head down and really don’t remember the rest of the night.

The next day, I am in my kitchen with my future wife, and my mother. We have the employee handbook out and are looking at it.

He needs to get this figured out fast.

I am due into work soon as we have to tear down the wedding from last night and reset up for a wedding reception tonight. It was determined that I needed the job more than I needed the hair but I LIKED MY LONG HAIR!

The area of the handbook we were looking at. “Male hair must be kept above collar length. Pony tails are not permitted.”

Well… ok. Ask and you shall receive.

Wow, he is giving up his hair for this job.

I washed and dried my hair, went back into the kitchen where my mom had pulled out the large soup pot that fit over my head and was deep enough to stop JUST over my collar and started cutting.

I do not have a picture of this….. But picture Edna Mode from the Incredibles except her hair is super thick and frizzed out like the witch from the old cartoon Sword in the Stone.

I would imagine that this would be quite upsetting.

We all equally laughed and cried. I found it hilarious but we all missed my hair.

I go to work, IN COMPLIANCE, and present myself to HR. She is shocked to see me. I don’t know if it was because she didn’t think I’d be back…. or that I literally looked like I just licked an electrical outlet.

Well, it doesn’t say that he has to style his hair according to her liking.

I quoted the handbook and said that we should be good now. She argued that I looked horrible. I pointed out that she shouldn’t shame my looks and that I, again, was in handbook compliance and would be going to work.

It was very memorable going back to work. EVERYONE had something to say.

I’m sure nobody was happy with HR at that point.

It had gotten around what HR had pulled and then it had gotten around what I did. Through all the laughs that were had we had work to do.

We had to get all of last nights wedding cleaned up, the grand ballroom had to get vacuumed, the tables and chairs placed in new positions, tablecloths and new place settings.

The whole shebang.

This will be a busy day for sure.

To those who have worked in this industry… I know you can visualize the amount of work. The Lady who ran the resort stopped by because she always does before a reception just to make sure our standards are up.

She sees me in the back hall carrying a rack of water glasses into the ballroom and yells my name. I pass off the glasses and run over.

Oh, so the owner liked his hair.

She is staring at my hair and asks “what happened to your beautiful hair?”

I explain the saga to her and see her body language change. Her lips thinned out and excuses herself. When I’m next in the hallway, my direct boss is there and hands me a hairband.

But this is against the handbook.

I’m to put my hair in a ponytail on boss’s orders.

I think that’s the end of it… then I hear the rumors. “She was in HR’s office for an hour” “HR just got walked out of the building” I never confirmed exactly what happened but I do know the HR office was empty the next day.

Wow, they replaced her fast.

A few weeks later we had a new HR lady. I found out cause I saw someone new in the back halls.

She approached me, held out her had and said “You must be OP” Why the new HR lady knew me by name and could pick me specifically out of a crowd should have worried me… but I was young and stupid.

Good, he kept it contained and everyone was happy.

My hair was in HR compliance for about 2 hours over the several years I works at that resort.

Some people just can’t accept that everyone looks and styles themselves differently. As long as it isn’t causing problem, why make them stop?

Let’s see what the people in the comments have to say about this story.

Nope, me either.

Yeah, this would have been great.

Yup, at least give it a try.

Yeah, this would have been the smart move.

This sounds like a valuable member of the team.

He should not have cut his hair so quickly.

If you liked that story, check out this post about an oblivious CEO who tells a web developer to “act his wage”… and it results in 30% of the workforce being laid off.