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Business News Retail
HMV to introduce strict “appearance policy”
By CMU Editorial | Published on Thursday 25 October 2012
HMV will this Friday introduce a new “appearance policy” effective both in stores and at the company’s head office. As well as forcing staff with prominent piercings and tattoos to cover them up during work hours, female shop staff will have to wear blue denim skirts, amongst other new rules.
A spokesperson for the retail chain said that reports on the new policy had been “sensationalised” by the press, but added: “If someone does have extensive body art – whether in store or at head office – we would expect them to cover this up whilst working. More discreet tattoos and piercings are not an issue so long as people look smart”.
They continued: “It goes without saying that we want our work colleagues to feel valued as individuals who can express their personalities, but it’s also important that we balance this against the needs and expectations of our customers, who, ultimately, have to be at the heart of everything we do. We’d like to think our colleagues are presentable anyway, so this is just about adopting a more consistent approach, which we believe our customers will appreciate”.
Presumably this all means that HMV staff with facial piercings will have to wear balaclavas, which is a pretty bold look. Balaclavas all round, I say.
