Why is this allowed

[bazwillrun]

Read the last line, the most pertinent

http://www.bbc.co.uk/...h-west-wales-18811644

so if he was a muslim with the usual unkempt birds nest hanging off his chin he would be in with a chance would he ?

Absolutely disgraceful

[joggerjayne]

okay

[FredPuli43]

What's disgraceful, baz? Many jobs have a dress and appearance code. No Royal Navy sailor is allowed a moustache (but may have a ful set of beard and moustache), the RAF doesn't allow beards and nor does the Army, except in certain circumstances (the Afghan conflict being one).

A Sikh or bearded Muslim who applied for the job, and was refused because he was bearded, would also have no chance. It would not be religious discrimination but 'beard discrimination' that meant he was refrused

[missnemesis]

>>> I cannot see the problem here....the MD's of the company have stipulated this rule and that is their right. <<<

So it'll be alright for them to stipulate no Muslims, Jews, Catholics or blacks need apply then sqad?

Somehow I don't think they'd get away with that so what's the difference?

[jno]

religious/racial discrimination is illegal, beard discrimination isn't.

[ummmm]

My Dad had a car crash and was thrown through the windscreen. He had to have a beard for quite a while after that. Mainly because the scars were so bad.

[joggerjayne]

LOL MissN ...

I love it when people really get stuck in to the debate.

=0)

[B00]

could someone explain, in simple terms, how having a beard could be of any use as a religious aid? What I mean is, is there somewhere in any religious texts of any faith that says..."though must wear a bear because....?"

[Ellipsis]

> "how employees look ... impacts customers' perception of our brand"

If somebody grew a beard to hide a port wine stain birthmark on their face, I wonder whether that would be considered an acceptable medical reason. Which would look worse to the Enterprise Rent-a-Car beauty police? Maybe they just wouldn't employ that person with or without a beard as, either way, it could impact customers' perception of their brand ...

[B00]

beard, not bear!

Though if you wanna wear a bear....

[jno]

Muslims: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10369726

Jews: http://en.wikipedia.o...ki/Shaving_in_Judaism

Religions are weird about hair - male and female. Hats in churches, wigs for Jewish women, shawls for Muslim women and so on. I don't really know why.

[missnemesis]

Lol @ Boo. Am trying to think of a suitable reason for wearing a bear :-/

[Sqad]

missnemesis......jno has answered that.

[B00]

Thank you jno.

I wasn't sure whether it was just a cultural thing or not.

[joggerjayne]

Without bearded men, we would never have had corduroy jackets or Hush Puppies, or leather sandals.

The clothing industry just wouldn't have been the same.

[missnemesis]

Or BBC 2's Open University programmes

[jno]

considering Judaism, Christianity and Islam all originated from the same part of the world it may originally have been some sort of common cultural thing in the Middle East thousands of years ago, but I really don't know what.

[jno]

don't be so cruel, JJ, you may grow a beard of your own some day, and you won't want people teasing you about corduroy.

[joggerjayne]

Gosh, yes ... Open University!

[missnemesis]

The OU must have also done wonders for manufacturers of nylon turtle neck jumpers. Lovely...not!

[joggerjayne]

I'd just move to Eastbourne. All the women there have facial hair.

You wouldn't want to run a waxing salon in Eastbourne. It would be like running a pork butchers in Jerusalem.