No, it's not OK.

The call centre's policy treats people with tattoos and facial piercings unfavourably, when it appears to have nothing to do with their job.

In Victoria it is against the law to discriminate against you, treat you unfavourably or bully you at work because of your physical features – including height, weight, size or shape.

Physical features also means facial features, hair and birthmarks, and it can include tattoos and piercings.

Go to the next question or keep reading for more information about discrimination because of physical features.

When do you have to follow strict dress codes?

In some workplaces, such as front of house or care work, there may be a legitimate need to remove piercings or cover tattoos.

Or there might be OHS reasons, such as keeping hair neat and tidy if you work in a kitchen or removing metal jewellery if you work in an electronics factory.

The main thing is that a dress code must be reasonable and related to the job – and it should not be applied in a discriminatory way.

What does the law say?

Jobs should be given to people based upon their ability to do the job, not because of how they look.

It is also against the law for a company to only hire people who have a particular 'look', for example, a clothing store only hiring young, slim, blonde women as sales assistants.

There are a few situations where it is OK to discriminate against a person because of the way they look, such as when it comes to dramatic, artistic, entertainment, photographic or modelling work. In that case it may be OK to offer the job to someone with the right physical features (including 'looks').

Contact us

If you want to find out more about discrimination because of physical features you can call the Commission's Enquiry Line for a free and confidential chat on 1300 292 153 or email our Enquiry Line.