I read an article where Amrit Lalji was sacked for wearing a nose stud by Eurest. This is ridiculous! What in the world is offensive about a nose stud? Or are employees not supposed to have any individuality at all?
Are people fired about earrings? Or high heels? Or folding their kerchiefs in a certain way? I can understand how a person could be offensive if she was supposed to be part of the service to VIP customers and dissolve into the background and suddenly coloured her hair purple and kind of defeated the entire purpose of unobtrusive service.
But a tiny nose stud? I mean, her face already has to be noticed for anyone to see that its there. Or should she be removing her face as well if she is stunningly beautiful? This is total nonsense and a prime example of how too much of “uniformization” can make an organization totally blind to any objectivity or sense of proportion in their actions.
I can understand bad service being an issue, or if a customer complains about how the nose stud is offensive, if it is really that noticeable, though I would ask the customer to quit staring at the staff and use the services. Are people in big positions in big organizations really all that idle to be creating issues out of personal presentation to such extents, where it is not even about aesthetics, but simple nitpicking? Who cares if a service staff wears a small nose stud because she likes it?
Just create clones for people. They should walk, talk look the same. And then, speak with pride how your organization appreciates individuality (but of course, not on the job). I wonder what comes next - firing left-handed people?
On the flip side, I find it really bizarre that the woman defends her nose stud with her religious beliefs. I think making a statement out of religion is fashion. Particularly if it breaks rules. But if that’s how the way things are, I would have fired the woman, not for wearing a nose stud, but for bringing a religious connotation into her professional image, considering that she is interacting on behalf of the company.
Honestly, I don’t even have anything about the religious image, but if that is the significance of the nose ring and such an immediate consideration rather than her right to wear what she wants, she’s probably going to explain the religious significance to any customer who comments on it too, which in my opinion gets personal, and emphasizes the difference between the organization and their clients, which could be perceived as a gap by a client and be harmful for PR.
So, coming full circle, I’m happy that she got fired, but I don’t agree with the reasons.
Indian worker sacked for wearing nose stud at Heathrow Airport-Indians Abroad-The Times of India
