i wrote the letter to corporate.
does it sound bitchy?
do i sound unintelligent?
do i look unintelligent?
January 14, 2010
HCR ManorCare
333 N. ----it St.
P.O. Box 10086
Toledo, OH 43699-0086
To whom it may concern,
Hello. This is Kelly K---, a current full time third shift employee of HCR ManorCare in L-----, Pennsylvania. Im a certified nurse aide with about three years of experience, eight months of which were spent here. I took the nurse aide course immediately after graduating high school and began working as an aide shortly after passing the state certification test. I really enjoy my job, more so than I would have ever imagined, especially at ManorCare, L---. The building and staff are wonderful. However, I am now concerned about changes in our dress code.
Last month this building watched the new DVD expressing the changes being made in both the attitudes and attire of your staff. Let me begin by saying that this was the most interesting, upbeat, and attention-grabbing work related video I have ever seen. I really enjoyed the opening sequence with the text effects set to music and felt that important aspects of my job were depicted fairly accurately. I related more so to this portrayal of a day in the life of a nursing home employee than I would have guessed. Though some of the situations were slightly exaggerated, the young nurse aides, dealing with problems both in and out of their control, captured the commotion of my job well. I strongly agreed with the concept of leaving your problems at the door. One cannot let her problems from home, or even the previous patients room, affect her interactions with her current resident.
This idea of leaving your problems at the door should also apply with the issues of your workplace following you back home. Now, for the first time that I can recall, Im going to encounter a problem that I cannot strictly leave at work. According to my workplaces revised dress code, which becomes effective February 1st, 2010, staff is only allowed to show two pair of earrings. This is my dilemma: I currently display 21 piercings in my ears alone. This may sounds excessive, but due to careful spacing and custom jewelry, my ears really pop. I have a tradition, five years and counting, of getting one new ear piercing for my birthday every year. Im currently 21 years old. So five of these ear piercings are actually located in my inner ear. I have my tragus, anti-tragus, snug, rook, and inner conch pierced. Most of those earrings my piercer cut custom for my ears and inserted with pliers. I am unable to remove them myself. In order for me to wear all of my earrings at once, which I do 100% of the time, including showering, sleeping, sex, and working, I must wear my custom earrings. I also have semi-permanent earrings located on my outer ear (where the majority of people are pierced). These earrings are not easily or cheaply removed or replaced. I have invested hundreds of dollars into my ears alone. Piercing is definitely a passion of mine. Ive been an advocate of body art for way longer than the span of my nursing career. Though I do intend to further my education and climb the nursing ladder, I do not plan on ending or even cutting back on my body art. So my first problem with the new dress code lies here: I cannot successful remove or cover up enough earrings to satisfy this new rule. If I wear earmuffs or large band aides to cover my earrings, I will definitely reduce my ability to hear. Therefore the new dress code may actually lower my job performance. I have not suffered any accidents that would cause me to need to bandage my ears so it seems pretty ridiculous to do so. Furthermore, no one reasonable wears earmuffs indoors. Also covering and applying pressure to fresh and healing piercings can greatly hinder the healing process. Some piercings take up to a full year to heal. My earrings have never posed a hazard to my residents. I have never experienced a single injury involving my earrings at work. My earrings have never affected my job performance. More importantly why would they? Does the number of earrings one wears make her more or less professional? More or less of a hard worker? More or less intelligent? Simply no. I actually talk to both my residents and co-workers about my earrings on almost a nightly basis. They are a huge conversation piece. Ive never gotten any negative feedback while at work from anyone, residents and their family members alike. I do get questions like why would I do that and dont they hurt, but never has anyone taken some sort of offense.
Please be understanding of my situation. I love my earrings. I was hired with 20 visible ear piercings. Seriously, my earrings have never obstructed my job performance. Ever. I propose that the policy remains the same at it was at my building, no hoops bigger than your pointer finger and no specification on number. That seems fair because a large shiny object may promote a resident to reach out and grab for it and thats a hazed to you, the worker.
Similarly, I would like to propose that facial piercings be allowed to remain visible as well as long as the employee wears flat jewelry. This will make it nearly impossible to grab, eliminating any hazard. No one had ever mentioned a policy on facial jewelry that I can remember. I have never received an injury or a complaint in regards to my facial piercing. I have a Monroe, a stud through my upper lip off to one side reminiscent of Marilyn Monroes beauty mark. I wear a totally flat diamond there. If I cover it with a band aide, it looks like I cut myself shaving my face, which I totally dont do. The only piece of jewelry on me that has actually gotten negative physical attention while working was my nipple piercing which is covered and has the padded protection of my bra. Many, many of my co-workers of all ages in all departments have facial piercings. They are still great workers. Wearing band aides across ones face is pretty ridiculous. I think that looks unprofessional. These piercings are costly and often difficult to remove on ones own. They also can become irritated if handled too much. Ive discussed this matter with my co-workers and they agree. People with facial piercings are not ignorant or low class. I want to get other facial piercings. I do not want my job to hold me back from continuing to do something that I love. My dress code problem will follow me home and hold me back from doing what I go to work and earn the money to do: indulge myself, after I pay the bills of course.
Finally, I would like to address the tattoos aspect of the revised dress code. Tattoos are works of art. They are costly, time consuming, and permanent symbols of love, recognition or even failure inked across ones skin permanently. I feel its vaguely discriminatory that only the people with body art need to cover up. Most of the employees I know at my workplace are not Muslim. They do not have beliefs that involve hiding their bodies. Why segregate the inked from the un-inked? Wont bandages and long sleeves in the summer draw just as much attention to these eyesores? We, your employees, are held to the standard of accepting and helping every resident regardless of his race, religion, or appearance. I have never met a resident or family member offended by my appearance while on the clock. We should be allowed to tell our residents the stories behind our tattoos. Whenever I see a resident with a tattoo I question them about it. Every tattoo pretty much has a tale behind it, and most residents and workers alike enjoy sharing these. If someone has her deceased sons name tattooed across the side of her neck, why should she be forced to cover it? Also its a pretty difficult place to keep a bandage workday after workday after workday. I can understand asking employees to cover up inappropriate tattoos, anything expressing explicit words or pictures, because that is unprofessional. The new color-coded uniform policy will take away much of our freedom to express ourselves as individuals and reminds me of the social rankings mentioned in Aldous Huxleys Brave New World, but will surely be helpful in identifying our jobs to others and cutting back on the time spent picking out clothes for work. Change our clothes sure, but dont ask us to change our bodies and our hobbies outside of work.
Please consider my plea. I am not unprofessional, nor do I hail from a trailer park. Im a happy worker, and I love my job here at ManorCare in L----, Pennsylvania. Let your employees display their peircings and tattoos along with the new uniforms. I would greatly appreciate a response, and, of course, a change in action. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Kelly K---
i mailed it monday. i could have said more. i dunno really what to do about it. look for another job with a less strict dress code? it sucks bc i do like my job.
oh well.
some pictures!
i love daisies. theyre my favorite flowers nowadays.
my hair is awfully long these days.
c'est moi.
big bruise!
note the color and size. wowzers!
and finally the loves of my life.
n porky in his winter coat. a git from poppy.
does it sound bitchy?
do i sound unintelligent?
do i look unintelligent?
January 14, 2010
HCR ManorCare
333 N. ----it St.
P.O. Box 10086
Toledo, OH 43699-0086
To whom it may concern,
Hello. This is Kelly K---, a current full time third shift employee of HCR ManorCare in L-----, Pennsylvania. Im a certified nurse aide with about three years of experience, eight months of which were spent here. I took the nurse aide course immediately after graduating high school and began working as an aide shortly after passing the state certification test. I really enjoy my job, more so than I would have ever imagined, especially at ManorCare, L---. The building and staff are wonderful. However, I am now concerned about changes in our dress code.
Last month this building watched the new DVD expressing the changes being made in both the attitudes and attire of your staff. Let me begin by saying that this was the most interesting, upbeat, and attention-grabbing work related video I have ever seen. I really enjoyed the opening sequence with the text effects set to music and felt that important aspects of my job were depicted fairly accurately. I related more so to this portrayal of a day in the life of a nursing home employee than I would have guessed. Though some of the situations were slightly exaggerated, the young nurse aides, dealing with problems both in and out of their control, captured the commotion of my job well. I strongly agreed with the concept of leaving your problems at the door. One cannot let her problems from home, or even the previous patients room, affect her interactions with her current resident.
This idea of leaving your problems at the door should also apply with the issues of your workplace following you back home. Now, for the first time that I can recall, Im going to encounter a problem that I cannot strictly leave at work. According to my workplaces revised dress code, which becomes effective February 1st, 2010, staff is only allowed to show two pair of earrings. This is my dilemma: I currently display 21 piercings in my ears alone. This may sounds excessive, but due to careful spacing and custom jewelry, my ears really pop. I have a tradition, five years and counting, of getting one new ear piercing for my birthday every year. Im currently 21 years old. So five of these ear piercings are actually located in my inner ear. I have my tragus, anti-tragus, snug, rook, and inner conch pierced. Most of those earrings my piercer cut custom for my ears and inserted with pliers. I am unable to remove them myself. In order for me to wear all of my earrings at once, which I do 100% of the time, including showering, sleeping, sex, and working, I must wear my custom earrings. I also have semi-permanent earrings located on my outer ear (where the majority of people are pierced). These earrings are not easily or cheaply removed or replaced. I have invested hundreds of dollars into my ears alone. Piercing is definitely a passion of mine. Ive been an advocate of body art for way longer than the span of my nursing career. Though I do intend to further my education and climb the nursing ladder, I do not plan on ending or even cutting back on my body art. So my first problem with the new dress code lies here: I cannot successful remove or cover up enough earrings to satisfy this new rule. If I wear earmuffs or large band aides to cover my earrings, I will definitely reduce my ability to hear. Therefore the new dress code may actually lower my job performance. I have not suffered any accidents that would cause me to need to bandage my ears so it seems pretty ridiculous to do so. Furthermore, no one reasonable wears earmuffs indoors. Also covering and applying pressure to fresh and healing piercings can greatly hinder the healing process. Some piercings take up to a full year to heal. My earrings have never posed a hazard to my residents. I have never experienced a single injury involving my earrings at work. My earrings have never affected my job performance. More importantly why would they? Does the number of earrings one wears make her more or less professional? More or less of a hard worker? More or less intelligent? Simply no. I actually talk to both my residents and co-workers about my earrings on almost a nightly basis. They are a huge conversation piece. Ive never gotten any negative feedback while at work from anyone, residents and their family members alike. I do get questions like why would I do that and dont they hurt, but never has anyone taken some sort of offense.
Please be understanding of my situation. I love my earrings. I was hired with 20 visible ear piercings. Seriously, my earrings have never obstructed my job performance. Ever. I propose that the policy remains the same at it was at my building, no hoops bigger than your pointer finger and no specification on number. That seems fair because a large shiny object may promote a resident to reach out and grab for it and thats a hazed to you, the worker.
Similarly, I would like to propose that facial piercings be allowed to remain visible as well as long as the employee wears flat jewelry. This will make it nearly impossible to grab, eliminating any hazard. No one had ever mentioned a policy on facial jewelry that I can remember. I have never received an injury or a complaint in regards to my facial piercing. I have a Monroe, a stud through my upper lip off to one side reminiscent of Marilyn Monroes beauty mark. I wear a totally flat diamond there. If I cover it with a band aide, it looks like I cut myself shaving my face, which I totally dont do. The only piece of jewelry on me that has actually gotten negative physical attention while working was my nipple piercing which is covered and has the padded protection of my bra. Many, many of my co-workers of all ages in all departments have facial piercings. They are still great workers. Wearing band aides across ones face is pretty ridiculous. I think that looks unprofessional. These piercings are costly and often difficult to remove on ones own. They also can become irritated if handled too much. Ive discussed this matter with my co-workers and they agree. People with facial piercings are not ignorant or low class. I want to get other facial piercings. I do not want my job to hold me back from continuing to do something that I love. My dress code problem will follow me home and hold me back from doing what I go to work and earn the money to do: indulge myself, after I pay the bills of course.
Finally, I would like to address the tattoos aspect of the revised dress code. Tattoos are works of art. They are costly, time consuming, and permanent symbols of love, recognition or even failure inked across ones skin permanently. I feel its vaguely discriminatory that only the people with body art need to cover up. Most of the employees I know at my workplace are not Muslim. They do not have beliefs that involve hiding their bodies. Why segregate the inked from the un-inked? Wont bandages and long sleeves in the summer draw just as much attention to these eyesores? We, your employees, are held to the standard of accepting and helping every resident regardless of his race, religion, or appearance. I have never met a resident or family member offended by my appearance while on the clock. We should be allowed to tell our residents the stories behind our tattoos. Whenever I see a resident with a tattoo I question them about it. Every tattoo pretty much has a tale behind it, and most residents and workers alike enjoy sharing these. If someone has her deceased sons name tattooed across the side of her neck, why should she be forced to cover it? Also its a pretty difficult place to keep a bandage workday after workday after workday. I can understand asking employees to cover up inappropriate tattoos, anything expressing explicit words or pictures, because that is unprofessional. The new color-coded uniform policy will take away much of our freedom to express ourselves as individuals and reminds me of the social rankings mentioned in Aldous Huxleys Brave New World, but will surely be helpful in identifying our jobs to others and cutting back on the time spent picking out clothes for work. Change our clothes sure, but dont ask us to change our bodies and our hobbies outside of work.
Please consider my plea. I am not unprofessional, nor do I hail from a trailer park. Im a happy worker, and I love my job here at ManorCare in L----, Pennsylvania. Let your employees display their peircings and tattoos along with the new uniforms. I would greatly appreciate a response, and, of course, a change in action. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Kelly K---
i mailed it monday. i could have said more. i dunno really what to do about it. look for another job with a less strict dress code? it sucks bc i do like my job.
oh well.
some pictures!
i love daisies. theyre my favorite flowers nowadays.
my hair is awfully long these days.
c'est moi.
big bruise!
note the color and size. wowzers!
and finally the loves of my life.
n porky in his winter coat. a git from poppy.
radeo:
hahaha the photo was adorable!