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Child Item

HMV force skirts on female staff, hair cuts for men and no tattoos

thebostoncrab

HMV are bringing in a new dress code for staff. Women must wear skirts, men can not have long hair, no tattoos on display and some piercing will no longer be allowed.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9629809/HMV-staff-must-hide-extreme-body-art-from-customers.html

Personally I think this is one of the most backward ideas I have ever heard. How a woman not wearing a skirt affects sales I fail to understand. I understand tattoos still have a mixed image to some, but a music shop is one of the few places that you'd expect to have no problem with body art.

I know they have no issues with some body mods as long as the person looks "smart", but that is not something that can be measured fully; one managers smart could be a no no for another.

Thoughts?

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Madam_X

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

its the poxy pc brigade thats doing this.

Hardly. The opposite-to-the-pc brigade more like. This is the kind of move that would go down well with the Daily Mail.

Boombastic

Ilyana wrote: »

.............
They've probably shot themselves in the foot regarding staff morale though, which could impact on customer service.

But then the staff are shooting themselves in the foot because poor customer service = loss of business =shop shuts down=no jobs anymore

Madam_X

Mont wrote: »

No one is forcing anyone to work in HMV so whatever.

You could say that about any job, of the few that are available these days.

whatdoicare wrote: »

I remember having to wear a skirt in Dunnes when I got my first job about fifteen years ago but even Dunnes got rid of that and everyone wears a black pants, skirts were practical and smart looking when women only worked part time on the check out. Seems very impractical nowadays now that women work full time and do equal amounts of work to the fellas TBH.
HMV are being a bit ridiculous and OTT.

Were more women working part-time in 1997?

I worked in HMV years ago and most customers were young and wouldn't have given a toss once the sales assistant wasn't downright dirty-looking and smelly. Older people would expect those working in a "youngsters" shop to be dressed pretty casual. And now the older generations are even more savvy. Some of those kids shopping in HMV then would be managers now. Managers were born in the late 60s and 70s when I was there ffs. Hardly the wartime generation.
A guy with long hair, people with tattoos and piercings etc can still be groomed and neat and clean. As for skirts only?! Didn't know HMV was fecking M&S in 1965. Some girls might like the option of being able to wear a skirt - I wouldn't mind it. But a ban on women wearing trousers? Feck off. I'm with others on the conspiracy theory - something I'm not usually wont to be.

[Deleted User]

krudler wrote: »

I used to work for HMV and they were always adamant that as long as you wore the tshirt with the logo on it anything else was fair game, as long as you had no offensive tattoos or stuff taking the piss. Worked with loads of people with tattoos/piercings etc over the years and not a word was ever said to them. Having the women wear skirts is beyond stupid, there's lots of heavy lifting, climbing over stock getting in behind shelves when rearranging displays etc. Stupid move is stupid.

agree, worked here myself before and once you had the t-shirt nobody gave a flying ****e what else you had on., grand the lads had long hair and so on, no hassle like.

its the poxy pc brigade thats doing this.

i still remember that great quote from a manager as to why we couldnt play rock music while the shop was open.

"It's not consumer friendly, we can play rihanna getting a good ride with whips and **** or P.Diddy and his homies all get high, pimping and killing but stairway to heaven isint allowed."

Ilyana

Toby Take a Bow wrote: »

Yeah, I agree. I really don't think this is a ploy by management to get rid of staff, I think it's an attempt at overhauling their 'image' and 'brand'. The same thing was tried where I worked, and it led to a serious decrease in staff morale.

Yeah; however much the staff resent the changes, who can afford to leave a job for the sake of keeping long hair or not taking out a piercing? I have to remove my nose piercing for work - I hate it but I have to do it.

They've probably shot themselves in the foot regarding staff morale though, which could impact on customer service.

krudler

Prima Nocte wrote: »

Great idea I hope compulsory baths become mandatory too

retail work is hard, you get sweaty sometimes, get over it.

Prima Nocte

Great idea I hope compulsory baths become mandatory too

jill_valentine

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

Forcing any woman to wear a denim skirt should be a hanging offence

Word. We can't all be Robin Sparkles.

Pumpkinseeds

Forcing any woman to wear a denim skirt should be a hanging offence

Toby Take a Bow

Ilyana wrote: »

But the change in management and these new rules mean that staff morale has never been so low. But people won't quit over it; we all need jobs after all. If HMV want to shed staff without paying them redundancy, I don't think this will work. Most staff will find ways to work around the new rules, but they won't quit. Who could afford to? They may not be so bothered to be enthusiastic about their work, leading to a drop in service quality. That's what I'm guessing from my experience anyway.

Also, skirts for women are entirely impractical, never mind sexist.

Yeah, I agree. I really don't think this is a ploy by management to get rid of staff, I think it's an attempt at overhauling their 'image' and 'brand'. The same thing was tried where I worked, and it led to a serious decrease in staff morale.

Corruptedmorals

Boombastic wrote: »

If you want the job, wear the uniform. If you don't want to wear the uniform, leave. why does it matter what you have to wear at work? Wearing a uniform saves you money on wearing your own clothes. Honestly, 'adults' can be worse that children sometimes.

It matters because a skirt is impractical. Many would balk at cutting hair they have taken years to grow, and their staff are well used to a relaxed dress code. Its not even a normal retail dress code, it is much more backward and restrictive..and it isn't a department store in the first place. They already had a uniform. Poloshirt and trousers.

Corruptedmorals

Wow, if department stores don't go that far then a much more informal place has no business to. No visible tattoos and no facial piercings is standard retail, the skirt thing is an absolute joke which could probably be fought via Mandate and long hair on guys..neat tidy and tied back should be the limit of what they can enforce there. I work in retail, a skirt is not practical. Not to mention when its cold in winter with open doors etc. loads of girls wear leggings and thermals...

Boombastic

If you want the job, wear the uniform. If you don't want to wear the uniform, leave. why does it matter what you have to wear at work? Wearing a uniform saves you money on wearing your own clothes. Honestly, 'adults' can be worse that children sometimes.

WoollyRedHat

Maeve Wonderful Mink wrote: »

I'm saying it doesn't. If other people decide to potentially hamper their chances of working in an office by dressing like Dracula, covering themselves in tattoos or piercings and dying their hair pink, it doesn't concern you.

It happene to that guy Richmond, he turned into one, and they renegated him to a dark room in the basement.

jill_valentine

The piercings/tat thing is pointless, because it's probably the one retail sector where those things are a plus. I mean, HMV stores sell a creative product in a completely sterile environment, the staff lend a bit of "character".

But the skirt thing is just straight up ridiculous. I mean, you might as well hobble them while you're at it, it makes no sense. Fair enough we're not talking about working down a mine or anything, but retail jobs have you running up and down ladders or bending down to pick up stock all the time.

I'm not fond of conspiracy theories, but it would be the perfect way to try and drive staff out.

wellboytoo

Bipolar Joe wrote: »

And people not doing it shows an even bigger lack of creativity because by not doing it you're part of a much larger crowd and don't take the time to make an artistic decision, even if it's a shit one.

Generally generalizations are a bad idea,so .are yours

Bipolar Joe

wellboytoo wrote: »

So a large group of people dressing /adorning themselves in a similar manner is a clear indication of creativity and individuality!
BMHL.

And people not doing it shows an even bigger lack of creativity because by not doing it you're part of a much larger crowd and don't take the time to make an artistic decision, even if it's a shit one.

youreadthat

Employer in dress/appearance code shocker.

wellboytoo

suicide_circus wrote: »

tattoos and piercings are always clear indications of creativity and individuality, fact

So a large group of people dressing /adorning themselves in a similar manner is a clear indication of creativity and individuality!
BMHL.

AeoNGriM

Maeve Wonderful Mink wrote: »

I'm saying it doesn't. If other people decide to potentially hamper their chances of working in an office by dressing like Dracula, covering themselves in tattoos or piercings and dying their hair pink, it doesn't concern you.

Well guess what? I have an opinion on the matter, and I'm quite free to add that opinion to the discussion, and you can't do a damn thing about it.

So neener!

Ilyana

The management in my part-time job changed recently. To assert their authority (because everyone hates them), they decided to start enforcing contractual obligations about no facial piercings/excessive ear piercings, no visible tattoos, a change in uniform, 'natural' looking make-up and hair colour, short hair and no stubble on guys etc. It was all in the contract alright, but a blind eye had been turned to things like longish hair on guys, discreet piercings etc. Once we weren't taking the p*ss and our personal hygiene was up to standard, there was no problem.

But the change in management and these new rules mean that staff morale has never been so low. But people won't quit over it; we all need jobs after all. If HMV want to shed staff without paying them redundancy, I don't think this will work. Most staff will find ways to work around the new rules, but they won't quit. Who could afford to? They may not be so bothered to be enthusiastic about their work, leading to a drop in service quality. That's what I'm guessing from my experience anyway.

Also, skirts for women are entirely impractical, never mind sexist.

jack presley

Jeff_Lebowski wrote: »

HMV isn't a music shop - it's a DVD/Blu-Ray/Games shop that happens to have a few CDs around somewhere if you can find them.

Don't forget you can now buy bottles of Coke and bars of chocolate now as well.

asherbassad

krudler wrote: »

I used to work for HMV and they were always adamant that as long as you wore the tshirt with the logo on it anything else was fair game, as long as you had no offensive tattoos or stuff taking the piss. Worked with loads of people with tattoos/piercings etc over the years and not a word was ever said to them. Having the women wear skirts is beyond stupid, there's lots of heavy lifting, climbing over stock getting in behind shelves when rearranging displays etc. Stupid move is stupid.

Is the primary task of their job to do heavy lifting, etc. or is it to interface with the public?
A barman's primary task is to serve drinks to the public, hence the shirt and tie. I'm sure that he'd much prefer to be wearing overalls when he's doing other (secondary) tasks like carrying/changing kegs.

Allyall

Toby Take a Bow wrote: »

Am I the only one who thought Suicide_Circus was being sarcastic when he said tattoos and piercings were a sign of originality?

Nope, but there seem to be a lot who thought he wasn't.

flutterflye

Toby Take a Bow wrote: »

Am I the only one who thought Suicide_Circus was being sarcastic when he said tattoos and piercings were a sign of originality?

Yeah, fairly sure it was sarcasm.

Toby Take a Bow

Am I the only one who thought Suicide_Circus was being sarcastic when he said tattoos and piercings were a sign of originality?

asherbassad

suicide_circus wrote: »

tattoos and piercings are always clear indications of creativity and individuality, fact

Really?

"So what kind of tattoo are you thinking of getting?"

(Him)
"Oh, something really original and creative like barbed wire or a Polynesian design around my bicep"

(Her)
"Oh something really original and creative like a rose/dolphin/butterfly on my shoulder or an ethnic tramp-stamp on my lower back"

:pac:

Allyall

His Masters Voice..

Faith+1

flutterflye wrote: »

What is the heard mentality?!

Or... now here is a crazy thought - maybe they just like to look that way.

Exactly, like the rest of the sheep. "You have a tattoo"? Wow very original.

^^^^^^Not you personally.

flutterflye

Faith+1 wrote: »

or following or the heard mentality.

What is the heard mentality?!

Or... now here is a crazy thought - maybe they just like to look that way.