Dress code

A Age A-Z Appearance B Babies and childcare Behaviour-based questions Benefits C Credit checks Criminal records D Disability Discrimination Domestic employment Dress code Drug testing E Entitlement to work in New Zealand Ethnicity or national origins Equality F Family status Flexibility G Good employer H Health HIV Honesty I Indirect discrimination Interview J Job advertisements K Kids Knowledge L Liability M Marital status Mental illness Migrants N Non-discrimination O Overweight/obesity P Paid parental leave Partner, spouse or relatives Photographs Police vetting Political opinion Pregnancy Privacy Q Qualifications Questions R Race Reasonable accommodation Recruitment consultants Relatives Religious belief Risk of harm S Sex Sexual harassment Sexual orientation Speaking English T Tattoos Transgender/Trans people Treaty of Waitangi U Union membership Unsuccessful applications V Volunteers W Women-only X Xenophobia Y Young people Can an employer ask me to comply with a particular dress code, such as how to arrange my hair or what I must wear at work? Yes, if the employer has policies, for example a health and safety policy that requires the wearing of a uniform or a dress code, or a policy relating to appearance and grooming that may require a change of appearance or hairstyle. However, the Act may protect against discrimination where appearance or hairstyle is an aspect of religion or ethnicity. For example, an employee who is a Sikh and wears a turban will not have to remove it unless wearing the turban would breach health and safety requirements. Appearance or hairstyle that is not an aspect of religion or ethnicity is not protected by the Act.