Q: Female boss criticizes clothes/hair in front of coworkers. I follow dress code and am neat. I work in govt. Is this ok?
I am in a state budget office, not the fashion industry. I am a recently divorced single mom and can't afford expensive clothes and haircuts. She pulls up pictures of models on the internet and tells me I should look more like them. My immediate supervisor does not agree and is fine with how I look. But she is his boss and very controlling. I fear for my job and am embarrassed. No one else is treated this way. What should I do?
A: As long as you are in compliance with the dress code policy, if there is one, I don't see how she can take action against you for this reason. If you feel she is discriminating against based on a protected class (race, sex, etc.) then you can file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights. Otherwise, you can review your policies to see if the manager violated a policy. She has a right to her opinion as long as she does not take any action against you.
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