Hickeys: A Mark of Unprofessionalism
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Most companies in which I have worked have very strict policies on dress code. Most policies address clothing and perhaps jewelry, tattoos, hair, makeup, etc. but do not address issues such as personal hygiene and personal conduct away from work. I have run into a situation twice now with an employee who keeps showing up to work with hickeys on her neck. In my opinion, this is completely unacceptable and unprofessional. I don't care what type of working environment you are in, everyone should appear presentable for work. I have been pondering the situation wondering how to deal with it. This particular employee sees clients on a daily basis. I have decided I am going to start making her wear a band-aid on her neck if she does it again. I have mentioned the hickeys when she has them, almost in a joking manner – probably because it is a touchy situation. Quite frankly, I don't care what anyone does in their own time as long as it doesn't infringe upon the business. I am curious to know if other employers have run into this situation and what remedies have been used to resolve this issue. I know one company who sends their employees home. I'm not sure if I would go to that extreme, but a clear message has to be sent to employees about what is appropriate and what is not. I would like to hear your comments on this issue.
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It seems to me that in this particular situation, it's best not to say anything. How can you be certain what you are seeing is truly a "hickey" -- you might be confronting a person who instead has skin that is easily prone to bruising, or worse, marks of physical abuse. This also strikes me as a very rare situation in the workplace, your own personal experiences aside. More common problems to me would be hygeine issues that affect other workers, such as odor or general uncleanliness, especially in a work environment dealing with food service.
Comment By: Dexter | 3/19/08 at 4:10 PM Hickeys: A Mark of UnprofessionalismWell i have yet to come across people with hickeys where i work..but honestly why allow yourself to get affected by it, if the person who has the hickey does not care? maybe a friendly suggestion of cover up make-up tips can give the employee a hint that its inappropriate to display a hickey. But all things considered, i would rate personal hygeine more important, as pointed out by Dexter.
Comment By: Rincy | 3/20/08 at 12:34 AM Hickeys: A Mark of UnprofessionalismI think that issues of personal hygiene, visible tattoos and hickeys, etc. lead co-workers and clients to have impressions about the type of person they are dealing with. Most of the time, this impression isn't favorable. I think it is the job of the manager to determine whether or not this matters and respond accordingly. If you own a bar, it probably doesn't matter. If you are selling medical equipment, it may.
Comment By: Chris | 3/20/08 at 12:47 PM Hickeys: A Mark of Unprofessionalism