Got in trouble for being kilted at work

[Manitoban Keith]

You gotta know when to hold 'em and know when to fold them and put them in the closet- and retail is extra demanding for sure. Better to have a job in trousers than walk around unemployed in a kilt.

***

[Riverkilt]

Tell you what...as for non-Scottish heritage issues it is AMAZING to me that 50+ years after women fought for, and won, the right to wear pants in the workplace that men are being hassled for wearing kilts in the workplace.

What did they do that we're missing?

[Nighthawk]

Hopefully I'm not going to cross any lines with this, but lets try to look at this from the viewpoint of a non-Scot heritage kilt wearer. Many of the suggestions here are great for those of us that can claim this as our heritage, but there are those who can't and I'm sure they would enjoy wearing their kilt to work if they could every once in awhile.

We keep saying that we have to pick our battles when it comes to wearing a kilt to work and to a point I agree with that, but overall for all of our benefit are we not going to have to have this battle at some point on a larger scale than just one job here and there. Now I'm not suggesting that anyone go out and sue a company that doesn't allow someone to wear a kilt to work, but would it be prudent to go ahead and ask your HR departments to clarify the dress code when it comes to a kilt even if you never plan on wearing one to work.

I'm thinking that if more poeple started to ask about it and let others know about it we can start to really guage what types of companies are more willing to allow it. If enough people start asking about it then maybe companies will start to clarify one way or another in the dress code itself so that it is not so vauge to employees. If you work in a company that would be nice enough to clarify this in the dress code then there can be no basis for a manager saying its wrong or unprofessional if its clearly allowed in the written company dress code.

The other benefit of doing this would then be to allow those who work in companies who wont allow kilts to apply gentle pressure here and there to maybe change that companies mind. In other words if you work for company A and they don't allow kilts at work, but you can show them that company B and C in the same field do allow them, maybe just maybe company A might decide to allow kilts.

Ok hopefully didn't offend anyone and rant off.

The problem that I see with this is that it's not just the kilt in question. It's ethnic and religious clothing in general. If one is allowed and the other is not, then it falls into the category of discrimination. If my African heritage coworker can wear his dashiki, then I should be able to wear my kilt. Problem is that it's not that way. I guarantee that had the OP been a man of, say, Indian descent and tried to wear one of those knee length tunics on a cultural holiday, not a word would have been said. There to be clarification not of one specific garment, but of ethnic clothing in general. Employers who say that they're diversity minded should actually be- to everyone.

Tell you what...as for non-Scottish heritage issues it is AMAZING to me that 50+ years after women fought for, and won, the right to wear pants in the workplace that men are being hassled for wearing kilts in the workplace.

What did they do that we're missing?

They unified and threw a universal temper tantrum. That's what they did. That what we need to do.

[Bugbear]

I demand the right to remain bland and uninteresting; the right to go unnoticed and be culturally invisible!
I demand the right to be embarrassed when speaking out on any given subject!
I demand the right to not know what I'm talking about!!

Don't ask me, I don't work here...

[Catdad]

The company where I work won't allow me to wear a kilt there; however, when I got back to my desk from a meeting today, I found the kilt can holder I keep on my water bottle had found a new home.....





For those of you who don't recognize him, that's Kokopelli the ancient Hopi god of fertility and he's riding his good friend Hammer from the Professional Bull Riders tour. Kokopelli has been keeping watch over my desk at the last four companies for which I've worked. At least he was able to participate in National Tartan Day even if I couldn't.

I think he looks pretty good in a kilt, so I'll let him keep it.

[Cowher]

The problem that I see with this is that it's not just the kilt in question. It's ethnic and religious clothing in general. If one is allowed and the other is not, then it falls into the category of discrimination. If my African heritage coworker can wear his dashiki, then I should be able to wear my kilt. Problem is that it's not that way. I guarantee that had the OP been a man of, say, Indian descent and tried to wear one of those knee length tunics on a cultural holiday, not a word would have been said. There to be clarification not of one specific garment, but of ethnic clothing in general. Employers who say that they're diversity minded should actually be- to everyone.



They unified and threw a universal temper tantrum. That's what they did. That what we need to do.

I said this a wile back in a different thread but Caucasians are not allowed to express cultural pride the way any other race does. I would bet the kilted gent is Caucasian as was the manager. I don't understand why people can not grasp the concept of equality. Caucasians oppressed other races for a long time. Then the African American movement picked up and won the right to the freedom they deserve. Yet they are either racist in the safety of their own home or they elevate every other race over their own. This manager would shiver at the thought of telling a non Caucasian that they are not allowed to celebrate their culture but has the huevos to tell some one they are unprofessional to wear the kilt!!! It's disgusting to me!! I have many friends of many many cultural and ethnic backgrounds and we all hang out and treat each other the SAME none of this tip toe crap. The concept of equality is a simple one.
I would definitely pursue a course of correction for your manager.

[madmacs]

A lot of managers (and no doubt other people) dont understand that there is discrimination on the grounds of national origin.

Had that discussion once in jest with a manager who made fun of my pronunciation of schedule... he didnt believe me til he checked with a good friend who was outside the company but worked in HR.

Guess that means the newest kilt accessory should be a foreign accent...

[madmacs]

In this day and age there should be A dress code, not a separate dress code for male and female. I had this argument 10 years ago when I worked in a call centre. Men HAD to wear a tie but women did not. I said that I would wear a kilt then, but was flatly refused. I did not take it any further, I needed the job. But you could now call it sex discrimination.

I believe that EEOC's (and the court's) view on that is that the company is allowed to define a dress code and that if it is part of the corporate image it needs to display, then that's ok... the same goes with long hair on guys and earings

[nagod]

maybe we shouldnt crucify the manager so quick,hr might not be able to give an immediate answer to this question on the phone,he might have been under pressure from his visiting bosses,and if you have to use a forklift there might be OSHA rules that would affect this.

[Brian K]

Hmm....maybe X Markers in the Southern Tier need to shop there for their home improvement needs - kilted, of course. No overt demonstrations or anything, but, perhaps, if the manager regularly sees average people doing normal things whilst kilted he'll get the idea that kilt wearing is not necessarily outrageous or disruptive.

Failing that, maybe Woodsheal showing up in full Jacobite mode could put the fear o' God in him! Or...maybe not...LOL