Discrimination can come in all forms. In the workplace, if discrimination is present, there may be legal consequences. A man recently filed a federal lawsuit against his employer, claiming employment discrimination related to facial hair. Anyone in Colorado who feels they have been discriminated against due to appearance may be interested in the story.
The man contends he needed to take and pass a fitness test in connection with his employment. He apparently passed the test. However, he alleges he was instructed to shave off a goatee and retake the fitness test.
He says he always had the goatee during his time working for the company. The worker also alleges he was barred from a promotion and also endured being treated differently than other workers. The man also says he observed other forms of discrimination and was also discriminated against in other ways that were not specified in the news article reporting the filing of the lawsuit. He has also requested that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigate his claims.
Employment discrimination laws exist at the state and federal levels to protect workers from certain forms of illegal conduct on-the-job. While there may be dress codes or appearance regulations at some companies, there may be a case for employment discrimination if those policies are not clearly outlined and/or are applied unfairly. Anyone in Colorado or elsewhere who believes they have been punished or discriminated against for appearance issues that are not part of a company outlined and agreed upon standard may have cause to pursue a lawsuit against that employer.
Source: The Southeast Texas Record, Employee sues TPC Group claiming discrimination over goatee, Joel Brakken, Feb. 21, 2014
