Wearing fake eyelashes at work

[DARIO]

State: California

Is it discriminating to tell an employee she can not wear fake eyelashes to work?

[Mr. QuestionMan]

Not exactly the answer to your question but it is a related story...

Fired For Not Wearing Makeup – Discrimination, or Fair?

San Diego waitress Shenoa Vild refused to wear make-up to work – so she was canned. Her all natural, beach-girl image was allegedly no longer appreciated by management. She refused to accommodate the new “dolled up” look. She hates makeup. Says she doesn’t need it.

Was her dismissal discrimination? Or totally fair?

When you accept a position with an employer, you agree to conforming – within reason – to the rules of that organization.

I once worked in corporate events for the finance industry. I had to wear a suit to work every day, even when we weren’t seeing any clients. I hated it. But it was a job – one I liked – and I understood that this was just part of the office culture. Did wearing a suit make me a better Conference Producer? Definitely not. In fact, I may have done a better job in my sweats. But given the choice between dressing how I felt most comfortable, and being employed, I chose the latter.

Vild’s story is no different. Wearing makeup was part of the culture of the restaurant. Dolled up women, part of its brand. If she didn’t want to represent that brand, she didn’t have to. It was her choice. I’m sure there were scores of women ready and willing to take her place.

Read more...

[ESteele]

No. It does not violate either federal law or California law to prohibit an employee from wearing false eyelashes at work.

There are a small number of jurisdictions (e.g., Michigan) in which an employer cannot engage in personal appearance discrimination. One or two of these jurisdictions MAY be counties in California. The OP would have to check with the local Fair Employment Practice Agency to determine whether personal appearance discirmination is prohibited under local law.