DRESS CODE

[girlwholived]

I am very political. I know we are allowed to wear any shirt we want as long as we have a vest on I want to wear a black lives matter shirt. Do y’all think they’ll dress code me for this?

 

[NKG]

I am very political. I know we are allowed to wear any shirt we want as long as we have a vest on I want to wear a black lives matter shirt. Do y’all think they’ll dress code me for this?

Depends on your store from what people are reporting. I would ask HR before hand.

 

[Fix It]

I am very political. I know we are allowed to wear any shirt we want as long as we have a vest on I want to wear a black lives matter shirt. Do y’all think they’ll dress code me for this?

There’s a store in another district near me that has the Wakanda flag from Black Panther, and photos of MLK, Malcom X, 50 Cent, and Denzel Washington on the walls of the break room that was set up by a random TM. The HR and SD are afraid to take them down because of the idea it might come off as racist. I’m gonna bet nobody’s going to ask you to change given the current climate.

 

[Dead and Khaki]

If another ultra-political TM wore T-shirts expressing views on a completely different band of the ideological spectrum from yours, could you put up with that?

If a store makes dress code exceptions for people on one side of one political issue, they're pleading for trouble if they don't extend the same privileges to opponents and to supporters/opponents of other causes. I wouldn't want to put my leadership in that position, nor would I want to take advantage of my coworkers being a captive audience to my T-shirt campaigns.

All decent people should agree that black lives matter, but you're kidding yourself if you think the Black Lives Matter movement is without extremely controversial tangents.

 

[Tessa120]

Two things that shouldn't be talked about in nice company are politics and religion. Why? They start fights between people that are normally decent.

Could you comfortably work alongside someone with a Blue Lives Matter shirt or a shirt with the Confederate flag? Could you comfortably help a guest wearing one of those? What if you are the guest, and a TM or worker at another place helping you had that?

Outside work is fine because you can either walk away or tell them to shove the shirt up their ass, and they could walk or say the same to you. At work, with customers, it's an immature way to attract attention and stir up emotions.

 

[happygoth]

Two things that shouldn't be talked about in nice company are politics and religion. Why? They start fights between people that are normally decent.

Could you comfortably work alongside someone with a Blue Lives Matter shirt or a shirt with the Confederate flag? Could you comfortably help a guest wearing one of those? What if you are the guest, and a TM or worker at another place helping you had that?

Outside work is fine because you can either walk away or tell them to shove the shirt up their ass, and they could walk or say the same to you. At work, with customers, it's an immature way to attract attention and stir up emotions.

But Black lives DO matter and fuck the Confederacy.

 

[Tessa120]

And that is why politics should stay out of the workplace. Someone could easily respond the opposite and then tempers flare or extreme uncomfortable acknowledging each other.

Add in customer facing and that gets worse. One guest complaint about the shift could lead to huge drop in hours or horrible review and no raise.

 

[bookishwyrm]

Two things that shouldn't be talked about in nice company are politics and religion. Why? They start fights between people that are normally decent.

Could you comfortably work alongside someone with a Blue Lives Matter shirt or a shirt with the Confederate flag? Could you comfortably help a guest wearing one of those? What if you are the guest, and a TM or worker at another place helping you had that?

Outside work is fine because you can either walk away or tell them to shove the shirt up their ass, and they could walk or say the same to you. At work, with customers, it's an immature way to attract attention and stir up emotions.

I'm agreeing with Tessa here. I fully agree that if they allow one movement to, they would have to allow all movements and causes and ideologies to be allowed to. This means allowing not only BLM shirts, but Confederate shirts as Tessa pointed out. And personally, even if a cause is good I would be uncomfortable with anyone in my workplace wearing anything advertising any side of something. I personally believe this will cause discomfort to both guests and your fellow TMs alike.
I'll put it this way. Would you be comfortable working alongside someone who wore a campaign shirt to work? Even if it was a campaign shirt for someone you support? Most people wouldnt, as the workplace isnt a place for something like that. And there are probably a lot of guests who would be rather upset if they saw anything like that. And not because of the cause, but because if one cause is allowed than all need to be or its discrimination based on beliefs. And the workplace is not the place for these discussions.

 

[Amanda Cantwell]

What kind of world do we live in that saying Black Lives Matter is controversial (rhetorical question)? The fact that the life of a fellow human being mattering is up for debate is insane.

I agree that you shouldn't do it not because you're not allowed or supposed to, but because it's asking for trouble from guests.

 

[Tessa120]

Should it be controversial? No, it shouldn't.

Should it even have need of existing? No, it shouldn't.

But the cold hard truth is that there are people who disagree about something of it. Not even the same something, just something. It could be someone who agrees but thinks that focusing on one race means carte blanche for bad police officers to kill non-blacks or kill the disabled regardless of skin color. It could be a widow/widower of a police officer who died in the line of duty.

And that is why it is not workplace appropriate. Because many people, some goodnatured, some not so goodnatured, would see it as an attempt to stir up controversy by forcing hard conversations in an inappropriate setting.

And honestly, what other purpose would there be to wear that shirt, unless it's to force hard conversations?

And that is highly inappropriate in the workplace. This isn't high school where you can wear whatever and no one cares as long as you turn in your homework. This is a professional setting where part of appropriate behavior is fostering an atmosphere of calm and happy. Yeah, it's retail, but there still are professional standards to adhere to. It's why you don't kiss while in the backroom even if it's completely consensual and not harassment. It's why you don't debate the fallibility or infallibility of the bible or what it says about gay people during your 15 in the break room. There's work standards and there's off-work standards. Don't mix the two up.

 

[happygoth]

Campaign shirts wouldn't bother me (either side), BLM shirts wouldn't bother me at all. Confederacy shirts are just idiocy because the Confederates were traitors fighting for their "right" to own slaves so fuck them.

But I agree that it's better to keep politics out of the workplace.

 

[girlwholived]

I'm agreeing with Tessa here. I fully agree that if they allow one movement to, they would have to allow all movements and causes and ideologies to be allowed to. This means allowing not only BLM shirts, but Confederate shirts as Tessa pointed out. And personally, even if a cause is good I would be uncomfortable with anyone in my workplace wearing anything advertising any side of something. I personally believe this will cause discomfort to both guests and your fellow TMs alike.
I'll put it this way. Would you be comfortable working alongside someone who wore a campaign shirt to work? Even if it was a campaign shirt for someone you support? Most people wouldnt, as the workplace isnt a place for something like that. And there are probably a lot of guests who would be rather upset if they saw anything like that. And not because of the cause, but because if one cause is allowed than all need to be or its discrimination based on beliefs. And the workplace is not the place for these discussions.

Umm actually they should not be allowed to wear stuff like the confederate flag anywhere. That stuff should be banned fuck freedom of speech if their ideas spread hate.

 

[R555]

What kind of world do we live in that saying Black Lives Matter is controversial (rhetorical question)? The fact that the life of a fellow human being mattering is up for debate is insane.

I agree that you shouldn't do it not because you're not allowed or supposed to, but because it's asking for trouble from guests.

You need to learn the history of it.

Umm actually they should not be allowed to wear stuff like the confederate flag anywhere. That stuff should be banned fuck freedom of speech if their ideas spread hate.

Spoken like a true fascist. Freedom of speech is not only for what you want. BLM spreads hate and has killed many in the past few months. The problem is not just talking. It's their action that is wrong.

 

[OGP Girl]

I'm agreeing with Tessa here. I fully agree that if they allow one movement to, they would have to allow all movements and causes and ideologies to be allowed to. This means allowing not only BLM shirts, but Confederate shirts as Tessa pointed out. And personally, even if a cause is good I would be uncomfortable with anyone in my workplace wearing anything advertising any side of something. I personally believe this will cause discomfort to both guests and your fellow TMs alike.
I'll put it this way. Would you be comfortable working alongside someone who wore a campaign shirt to work? Even if it was a campaign shirt for someone you support? Most people wouldnt, as the workplace isnt a place for something like that. And there are probably a lot of guests who would be rather upset if they saw anything like that. And not because of the cause, but because if one cause is allowed than all need to be or its discrimination based on beliefs. And the workplace is not the place for these discussions.

So how do you feel about Pride attire at work?

Because some companies, including yours, literally give their pride stuff to wear and it could be argued that it’s “advertising” the side of something.

I think that if you are promoting racism like with the confederate flag it should be banned.

BLM does not promote hate. There’s a difference.

 

[Tessa120]

Umm actually they should not be allowed to wear stuff like the confederate flag anywhere. That stuff should be banned fuck freedom of speech if their ideas spread hate.

You just proved the point. If one political statement is so bad that it shouldn't be worn at work, then none should be worn at work. There is no picking and choosing of what cause the business is going to tell employees and customers (generic) to believe, to show support for. It's all or nothing.

 

[ManMythMachine]

I think when you are paid to do a job you straight up go and do the job. That's it. Look. We are all individuals with hearts and souls, with feelings and frustrations. With loves and strifes. Some of us are introverted, some of us are extroverted and most of us are just plain perverted. But when we are paid to do a job we should just do the job. When I am at work it's all about work. I give them my work and they give me compensation. Cut and dry. That is it.

I don't even tell them all my best jokes at work. Am I like a clown? Am I there to amuse them? (Goodfellas reference) Hell to the no. I give them my labor and they give me the fruits of my labor. If I give them ALL of me then I am surely giving them more than what they are paying me for. I am MOAR than just my job. More than just a clock in / clock out come & go, just another nameless faceless employee number amongst other nearly identical employee numbers upon a stack of sign up sheets reaching from here to the depths of an endlessly unrelenting training HELL. They don't deserve all of me or you. Just what we do to get our compensation.

We, you & I, all of us, have all the time in the world outside of what we do to pay the bills to make ourselves known. And we should. We are not here just to be. We are here to be the best us we can be and take care of each other together. Work is for work. Life is for life. It's okay to work for a living but don't make work your living. Be the worker bee at work and when you get out of work.... be the QUEEN BEE.

 

[RealFuckingName]

OP, there's always BLM jewelry. 🤔

 

[ManMythMachine]

OP, there's always BLM jewelry. 🤔

If your BLM shirt looks as inconspicuous as Superman's "S", underneath the buttoned down business-like look of Clark Kent's attire then try it. As much as I don't want to see anyone get in trouble because of my advice, I also don't want to be responsible for holding anyone back from being who they truly want to be. I say, do it once. See what happens. If you feel that strongly about it that you must make it known then do it so. Or you will regret never having done it. And I'll regret telling you not to go for it. SO GO FOR IT.

Sometimes in life you got to say, "What the heck." (Risky Business reference)

Lay it all on the line. Let the chips fall where they may. See for yourself. Then and only then, will you know what you will come to know. The results of your results.

Take my words as a map. But blaze your own path.

I truly wish you the best to be yourself as you wish because that's what being alive should be about for everyone.

 

[jackandcat]

I also agree with Tessa's points. If you allow staff to wear provocative political BLM attire, others will demand the right to wear provocative attire such as

1. Xi Jinping -- Winnie the Pooh (Target would be scared of Chinese retaliation, source of 70% of Target's products)
2. The NSA: The Only Part of Government that Really Listens
3. I Want Gay Married Couples To Protect their Marijuana Plants with Guns
4. Taxation Is Theft
5. Make America Great Again
6. My Body My Choice
7. Abortion Stops a Beating Heart
8. Liberate Hong Kong
9. Blue Lives Matter

Those groups will lawyer up really quick if a big company denies their employees equal rights to advertise their political causes on their work clothing.

This kind of controversy does nothing to improve a Target store's sales, but has enormous risk of antagonizing guests who DON'T want to hear or see yammering about politics while they are shopping for eggs, kale, laundry detergent, baby diapers, lightbulbs, bras, socks, shampoo, bicycles or pain reliever.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

I would not wear it. Someone will complain to mgt. think about the bathroom event.

 

[RealFuckingName]

I would not wear it. Someone will complain to mgt. think about the bathroom event.

Please tell us about the "bathroom event." Sounds intriguing.

 

[Tessa120]

Please tell us about the "bathroom event." Sounds intriguing.

A transwoman used the bathroom. A woman complained about the horrors of sharing a bathroom with a transwoman. Store management said people can use the bathrooms that match their gender, not their birth sex organs. Corporate agreed. Bigots who are way too focused on performing deviant sexual activities and assume all people are the same started a smear campaign saying that Target was letting men into the women's room to rape women and molest children. Target built family bathrooms in response. It took months, maybe a couple of years, to resolve.

 

[jackandcat]

"Can't We All Just Get Along?" - Rodney King

 

[commiecorvus]

Okay, here's the deal.
The place you work at can tell you what to wear...up to a point.
So no you can't walk in with a BLM T-shirt and call freedom of speech when they tell you to change.
However there have been cases where people have worn rings and pins, that weren't directly disallowed by the dress code and when the company tried to stop them they couldn't.
Example a BLM mask or tie.
There's nothing in the dress code that says you can't wear a tie, it also doesn't say the tie can't be have BLM on it.
If the boss wants to call you out for it, they get to explain where in the rules it says you can't do it.

The problem with all of this is that you will have to be willing to be marked as a trouble maker and probably watch your hours get cut.
Unless of course you want to let the local chapter of BLM know what happened.
Then all kinds of interesting things could happen.

So yeah, stand up for what you believe in.
Make your point if you are willing to pay the consequences.
Don't be afraid to stand up to the man.
Just be aware that the man will fuck with you.

 

[RealFuckingName]

A transwoman used the bathroom. A woman complained about the horrors of sharing a bathroom with a transwoman. Store management said people can use the bathrooms that match their gender, not their birth sex organs. Corporate agreed. Bigots who are way too focused on performing deviant sexual activities and assume all people are the same started a smear campaign saying that Target was letting men into the women's room to rape women and molest children. Target built family bathrooms in response. It took months, maybe a couple of years, to resolve.

One reason I like Target.