Suspended from work - advice?

nathanjpj

I would shave, too, but I respect his choice not to. We all have basic liberties and should be protected from tyranny and bullying.

An employer not accepting a certain style of beard but accepting others is draconian in this day and age, especially if the worker is not interacting with the public in a service role.

And if he is being bullied, shaving the beard wont change the situation. A determined bully will simply move to the next tactic.

Wake_up_call

Convert to Islam.

nathanjpj

Wake_up_call wrote: »

Convert to Islam.

lolz - no denying that would protect the beard status

sangie595

I think that people need to get back to the heart of the matter. This is not about whether he should or should not be allowed to have a particular style of beard. It is about the fact that this person is a food handler and the employer should have enforced the " beard or net" rule all along, and with everyone. And everyone shouldn't have needed management to enforce it because they are food handlers and should know the rules. This should not be a matter of choice, and nor should it be one person singled out either. But in the end there is no point risking one's job over it, because the requirements of health and safety are clear, and a dismissal, if it came to that, would probably be considered fair because even if others haven't been doing it, management are now insisting on it and he refused. Taking a stand over something that you won't win on is foolish. And if you have hair in your fish, you won't be too impressed either.

As I said previously, it isn't hard to apologise and agree to follow the rules of health and safety. Either shave or wear a net.

nathanjpj

sangie595 wrote: »

I think that people need to get back to the heart of the matter. This is not about whether he should or should not be allowed to have a particular style of beard. It is about the fact that this person is a food handler and the employer should have enforced the " beard or net" rule all along, and with everyone. And everyone shouldn't have needed management to enforce it because they are food handlers and should know the rules. This should not be a matter of choice, and nor should it be one person singled out either. But in the end there is no point risking one's job over it, because the requirements of health and safety are clear, and a dismissal, if it came to that, would probably be considered fair because even if others haven't been doing it, management are now insisting on it and he refused. Taking a stand over something that you won't win on is foolish. And if you have hair in your fish, you won't be too impressed either.

As I said previously, it isn't hard to apologise and agree to follow the rules of health and safety. Either shave or wear a net.

Beard or net rule? What's that?

You seem to be missing the OP's point that this bloke is being singled out. He's not being told to wear a beard net, he's being told a certain style of beard is not acceptable.

If the OP is being truthful, this has nothing to do with snoods, or beards or shaving, and has everything to do with bullying.

nathanjpj

Apparently, women are required to wear snoods, too, if they have a hairy chin.

Is the employer demanding hairy women shave, too?

nathanjpj

Another relevant question is whether the OP's partner is actually preparing food.

Food prep is preparing food for eating, and generally requires selection, measurement and combination of ingredients in an ordered procedure so as to achieve desired results. Food preparation includes but is not limited to cooking. A fishmonger might not count as food prep. I've never seen supermarket meat/fish/deli servers wearing snoods.

sangie595

nathanjpj wrote: »

Beard or net rule? What's that?

You seem to be missing the OP's point that this bloke is being singled out. He's not being told to wear a beard net, he's being told a certain style of beard is not acceptable.

If the OP is being truthful, this has nothing to do with snoods, or beards or shaving, and has everything to do with bullying.

If you read all my posts you will find that all these points have been covered. The OP is in a food preparation area (fishmonger) and there are health and safety rules that should be adhered to. Singled out or not, he is in the wrong too. There is a simple way of dealing with this. Or ask to be transferred to a non food area.

nathanjpj

sangie595 wrote: »

If you read all my posts you will find that all these points have been covered. The OP is in a food preparation area (fishmonger) and there are health and safety rules that should be adhered to. Singled out or not, he is in the wrong too. There is a simple way of dealing with this. Or ask to be transferred to a non food area.

Your posts are of no importance. What matters is the OP's question.

Butchers and fishmongers don't need to wear snoods. Go to any supermarket, you see beards on display. It all depends on whether this "fishmonger" is preparing food to be eaten or not.

So you are wrong ... whether the OP's partner is in the wrong or not is a pending question. And employees do have obligations to follow rules, but the employer has a higher obligation to ensure employees know and follow the rules.

Your corporate/conservative bias is tangible.

sangie595

Wake_up_call wrote: »

Convert to Islam.

nathanjpj wrote: »

Your posts are of no importance. What matters is the OP's question.

Butchers and fishmongers don't need to wear snoods. Go to any supermarket, you see beards on display. It all depends on whether this "fishmonger" is preparing food to be eaten or not.

So you are wrong ... whether the OP's partner is in the wrong or not is a pending question. And employees do have obligations to follow rules, but the employer has a higher obligation to ensure employees know and follow the rules.

Your corporate/conservative bias is tangible.

Your constant reinventing of employment law, and insulting of anyone who doesn't agree with you is becoming wearing. If you wish to endanger your own employment with your ignorance of the law, then be my guest. But when you endanger other peoples employment with it, then you are playing with people's livelihoods. I hope that your posting record, including the posts that have been removed because they went beyond insulting and become abusive will guide individuals in their consideration of who to believe.

Beyond that, I am finished with responding to your insulting posts. Anyone who knows my background and employment will find your assertions of conservatism highly amusing. And most people here do know.