Appearance of theme park workers - does it matter?

[Ian]

I read this silly story this morning.

A petition started by engineering student MarKeese Warner has received 26,000 signatures after she was denied a summer job at the theme park because of her hair.

A creepy old guy enticing families with his party bus is all well and good at Six Flags, but an employee sporting dreadlocks? That’s just in poor taste.

That’s what Pennsylvania State engineering student MarKeese Warner learned when she applied for a food service job for the summer at the theme park in Mitchellville, Maryland this month, and was denied employment because of her choice of hairstyle.

The young woman, who is black, says she went to the interview neatly dressed and with her hair in a pony tail. She has started a Change.org petition to raise awareness of the Six Flags policy, and more than 26,000 people have signed it thus far.

"I think this policy is discriminating. And I think it does enable racial profiling," Warner told Vice, adding that though it affects people of all races, "in practice it affects predominantly black people because the majority of people with dreadlocks are black."

Perhaps the saddest parts of Warner's story is that she had been a Six Flags fanatic for years, taking regular trips there since childhood. No longer. Warner, who hoped to make connections this summer that would help her land an engineering job at Six Flags upon graduation, said she will not be returning to the park.

Warner said in her area, there are a lot of people who sport dreadlocks, most of them black.

"I feel like this policy is preventing them, especially the youth, from getting jobs," Warner said. "Thank God I'm not in the position where I have to take care of my family. But there are other people around my age who have those kinds of responsibilities."

For its part, Six Flags told Vice it is an equal opportunity employer.

"We have a very conservative dress code," a company representative said. "We don’t discriminate based on gender, age, or race."

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/s ... icy-339276

Firstly LOL at mentioning "who is black" - that's irrelevant, but moving on...

I think it's right that park employees should wear a uniform and be well presented, but I couldn't give a **** about their hairstyle, tattoos, piercings and so on. Providing my safety, enjoyment and they don't dribble in my food is adhered to.

Would it bother you if that young woman - "who is black" - has dreadlocks or not, or should parks stick to a strict dress/appearence code?

 

[ATTACKHAMMER]

Re: Appereance of theme park workers - does it matter?

I don't think parks need a dress code, I can't see how appearence is important when deciding on whether some gets a job, appearence isn't important the important thing is if they are good at their job.

 

[Kata1]

Re: Appereance of theme park workers - does it matter?

I don't think parks need a dress code, I can't see how appearence is important when deciding on whether some gets a job, appearence isn't important the important thing is if they are good at their job.

Actually, appearance is a lot.

 

[nadroJ]

Re: Appereance of theme park workers - does it matter?

I think things like how you present yourself are important, however I don't think tattoos, piercings, mental hairstyles, etc, always equal to a bad presentations of yourself. To me, bad presentation is scruffy, unclean uniform, defensive and unfriendly body language, the way you talk to people and the expression on your face. If a person has dreadlocks, or a face full of piercings, or arms full of tattoos I couldn't really give a **** as long as you're doing your job properly and don't look like a scruffy piece of ****.

When I went to SFMM I was greeted outside the gates by a fat woman wearing a filthy, creased up shirt not tucked in and she stank of BO. To me that is SO much worse than a smartly dressed, clean person with some sort of body modification or radical hair.

I think there is still massive prejudice towards 'extreme' styles because it used to mean you were a bit of an anarchist who wouldn't follow the rules, ie, a troublemaker. However, times have changed massively and now I believe it's more of a fashion thing than a political thing and workplaces, especially theme parks than employ a lot of young people and serve a lot of young people, learn to understand this because as far as this generation goes 'extreme' styles aren't that extreme to us, and frankly we don't give a **** if someone has blue hair but we do care if people are scruffy and unclean.

 

[ATTACKHAMMER]

Re: Appereance of theme park workers - does it matter?

[Actually, appearance is a lot.

Care to elaborate?

 

[Hurri]

There have been some policies at parks I've known that have been over the top, including regulations on the colour of staff members' underwear in case they bent down and a guest saw their pants...

From experience in the industry, staff who are permitted to have their hair how they like, whatever colour and style, and piercings etc, usually perform better in terms of customer service because the 'park staff member' character they're playing is closer to themself as an individual. Whilst there's an element of putting on a front, false smiles and everything, it's less than it would be if their individuality was being surpressed as well.

I'm all for general park staff members having individual styles, providing they're wearing the correct uniform to be easily identifiable to guests, and if they've got any tattoos they're not vulgar. Obviously certain staff who are playing known characters must have restrictions - you couldn't have Cinderella with a nose ring and snake tattoo, for example...

 

[kimahri]

Uniforms are needed to make staff easier to identify from the mass of flesh in a station but hair and other stuff I don't mine. It's nice to keep some individuality.

 

[FaceYourNemesis]

I could care less what theme park staff look like. As long as they're helpful, friendly (to a degree) and have safety as a top priority, I'm happy!

 

[Intricks]

I kind of get where the parks are coming from as they want to seen as professional as possible.

Lets face it, from Day 1 we are fed an image through the media on what is deemed socially acceptable and what isnt. Rarely do you see a grissly murder done by someone in a business suit, just like you rarely see someone completely decked out in piercings, rad hair and tats being the nobel peace prize winner or something like that. Yes, the image is changing, but it is still stuck in the whole olden days of how men and women should dress.

Plus, it is all about the image of the park itself. Average Everyday Joe and his family are more likely to go to a park with a cleaner, well kept staff that does a below average job, than the park that does superbly and has laxer rules on appearance.

To me, it honestly doesnt matter as the well kept people are mainly twats in real life, and those with some bod mod happening are usually better to deal with imo (this is from doing Drive-Thru at BK for several years. Just cause you dress smart, doesnt mean you are smart).

Thinkimg on this as well, the most "out there" hairstyle I have personally seen on a park employee was a Faux-hawk. I still rarely see any male employee with ear piercings as well, and that is pretty much a social norm nowadays.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Hyde]

Appearance and dress code does matter, as ultimately amusement parks are all about customer service, and customers are always going to pick the well-kept, well mannered individual over the non-traditional dress.

As humans majority of our communication is actually non-verbal, some researchers say as much as 95%, which means majority of our analysis of other people is indeed skin deep. The values we associate with any individual at first glance are purely synthesized, but still influences how we interact with them. This is often called the Halo Effect; if I think someone looks smart, I will then assume that they have a good job, know plenty about current news, etc. If someone looks like an irresponsible punk, that is how we think he will act. If someone look like a hard worker, we will think they are the safest ride operator.

NOW, that being said, I do believe amusement parks can go a bit more lax on their dress codes. Cedar Point, for instance, has a very strict dress code:

• Hair must be cut to appropriate length, not touching the collar of the work uniform.
• Mustaches cannot go past the curl of the lip (leading to very awkward mustaches).
• Nails must be painted basic, skin tones.
• No mohawks, dreadlocks, or other nontraditional hair styles.

It is a conservative code that wouldn't hurt from broadening. For instance, Apple Store employees have a fairly free choice of dress. The only requirements are to wear the Apple employee shirt and jeans.

When free choice is given to the Apple employees, they still make appropriate dress decisions, as they still know they must look professional. So you end up with very approachable looking individuals, such as:

In theory, as long as amusement parks can maintain a professional atmosphere and level of expectancy with their employees, dress codes can be more relaxed. Disney, for instance, already has a less limiting dress code, allowing employees to have facial hair or different hair styles (as long as they are tasteful). Not all of their employees immediately start dressing in wild styles however, because they still realize they are there to work and must always be presentable to guests.

A large factor to consider with this discussion is seasonal vs. year round parks. Seasonal parks see massive turn over, and with it, loads of new faces still learning the park culture. It can take a while for these new recruits to assimilate, and a rigid dress code helps enforce key principles of the organization.

 

[Error]

^Ugh, CPs dress code was horribly strict. I got talked to twice while working there:

First time was about a month into the season. We have a split shift on most rides, and I had one that day. Instead of going home to come back in about 2 hours, I had a black shirt under my work one so I could relax in the park. I got a write up for breaking dress code, as it can only be white.

Second time was just my hair was too long.

As for the topic, I agree with Hyde. If parks had simple dress codes, employees would have more freedom and expression to look professional. Obviuosly, those who coupdnt manage it would work there long.

Sent while out and about

 

[SaiyanHajime]

I think employers generally have it backwards. No one cares what damn hairstyle a theme park employee has, if anything whacky variation is appropriate... But guests will care if your work clothes are clearly old, tatty, too big, dirty, etc. And you can bet the parks don't give a damn then, when it involves them spending money.

Same thing with behaviour. Employers tend to praise or encourage behaviour that I, as a customer, DETEST.

I think there are times when piercings or tattoos should be removed or covered. Obviously if they are offensive, but I remember once I went to a restaurant and the waiter had a piercing in his wrist. I don't think that's appropriate when serving food, because it grossed me out.

It's common sense, the problem is that people don't have common sense. Or rather, that somebody will always try and push the boundary, so the boundaries end up all exclusive. Same reason that disabled access at parks includes literally anyone who wants to kick up a fuss about it.

 

[nadroJ]

Same thing with behaviour. Employers tend to praise or encourage behaviour that I, as a customer, DETEST.

Like what, I'm intrigued ;]

I know what you mean about the uniform thing. Many time have I been in a work place where they've hired new people and the only uniform size they've had available is extra large, so you end up with tiny people wearing ridiculously oversized uniforms and just looking scruffy and ridiculous, but that's OK because you're wearing a uniform, but something like pink hair is unacceptable? Madness.

 

[rollermonkey]

"Most" parks in the US tend to follow the Disney Look Book, whether they admit it or not.

The interesting thing is that when Disney updates (like last year's addition of beards), not every park follows suit.

I wore a uniform for 20 years in the Navy, so I don't really care, but I agree with the part about parks not wanting to spend money on this stuff. When I was at 6F, we got 2 shirts. We had to pay for them. The park I'm at now didn't charge for basic uniform items, but only gives us one.

Seriously? I have to to laundry every day just to wash my uniform shirt? Lame.

 

[kimahri]

Would like to add some sort of safety boundry into consideration. Still fine for having pericings and uh, styled hair but when your have long hair and you're around moving parts and **** that ride staff can get caught in theory. Granted it's probably just someone getting caught up in the restraint bearings or sommat butthat can lead to someone getting dragged along by the train and the falling under the station and ran over and fall down into the lift hill gears and then get chewed up even more and s/he falls off that into the motor room and then gets electrocuted and then dies!?

Where was I going with this?

 

[Gavin]

I personally couldn't give two s**ts how people wear their hair, but I agree that there have to be standards of professionalism when it comes to how staff are presented. However, I also agree with what others have said about a badly-fitting, dirty uniform being worse than a "weird" hairstyle or a few piercings.

What pisses me off about this is that this bint is screaming DISCRIMINATION!!!! because of how SHE has chosen to wear her hair. Sorry, but she can just **** right off on that one.

Yeah, it doesn't bother me what her hair looks like (even though dreadlocks are **** ing vile), her employer should be completely within their rights to say what is and isn't acceptable attire.

Discrimination, in my eyes, happens when people are treated a certain way because of something they have no control over. That's it.

"I feel like this policy is preventing them, especially the youth, from getting jobs," Warner said. "Thank God I'm not in the position where I have to take care of my family. But there are other people around my age who have those kinds of responsibilities."

Are you **** ing serious?! If the only reason you can't manage to put food on the table is down to the way you wear your hair, then guess what? Suck it up and change your **** ing hair!

 

[Intricks]

^But what about her individuality...her culture even?!

...
...........

Whelp, my mind blanked on that one. Forgot where I was going with it.

 

[Mack]

YES, appearance matters, this is how jobs are, especially when dealing with the public. If you do not like that or do not wish to comply with that, then you should work elsewhere. Do you think I expected my past jobs to be okay with me wearing my snakebite piercings to work? Of course not, and I would never expect that to be okay; I simply removed them before work each day. In fact, I'm kind of surprised when I see facial piercings on people in customer service jobs.

That said, this particular case is a difficult line to tread, as dreadlocks have racial connotations. However, I think her hairstyle shouldn't matter, and no one would really think anything of it if she is happy and smiling as she does her job. Furthermore, I don't see dreadlocks as being that dramatic of a hairstyle.

It's hard to say. For example, you wouldn't want your employees having insane mohawks or anything — that would present a bad impression to many visitors. It comes down to being tasteful, and tasteful is often a subjective thing — so you have to draw a line somewhere. Some people might be okay with certain deviations from "conservative dress code," but others may not, and you are dealing with the public — all varieties of people, and if one person finds your employees' dress to be distasteful, you may have just lost a customer. In contrast, no one is going to complain about a lack of dreadlocks, a lack of mohawks, a lack of green hair, or a lack of eyebrow or lip piercings. Business err on the safe side.

In general, does it matter how they look? I like them to look good. I called it a good day when I took this one FlashPass operator home after his shift at SFMM.

 

[furie]

When free choice is given to the Apple employees, they still make appropriate dress decisions, as they still know they must look professional.

I thought the Apple uniform was "Smug Twat"?

So you end up with very approachable looking individuals, such as:

Oh, it IS

I do think that all employers need to work out the changes to "social norms", but people who choose to present themselves "individually" also need to understand that there's a good chance they're still in a minority and that other people may find the look offensive or upsetting (as with Joey in his restaurant example, but imagine in conservative American areas?)

I think it's always been an issue. Those expressing individually tend to be in the prime of their lives (young) and in situations where most of the time it's completely acceptable and these are also the people willing to do the lower end, seasonal and odd hour jobs where they're most likely to meet with strict dress codes.

So it's a catch 22. I suspect a lot of customers have a very poor idea opinion of people who don't conform, and running a theme park is all about keeping customers happy.

Everyone is right though, and having an "extreme look" is much better than scruffy, badly dressed, smelly employees who are sticking to the letter of the ruling but presenting a much worse image of the park.

I am biased though, not really being bothered about how people look...

I think Mack hit it spot on really about people never complaining about a lack of an image and so did Gavin. If it's a choice between your hair style and food on the table and you pick your hair, then you deserve to starve. Sometimes you have to make personal sacrifices for your future career.

 

[Gazza]

When I was at 6F, we got 2 shirts. We had to pay for them. The park I'm at now didn't charge for basic uniform items, but only gives us one.
Seriously? I have to to laundry every day just to wash my uniform shirt? Lame.

What makes me laugh is that despite the dress and grooming code, SF have completely vom uniforms that make people look they are construction labourer or a traffic controller:


SF Uniform

Traffic Controller