Obligatory on mobile so formatting might be janky.
I (female) have been working for this company for about 6 months and we have a strict dress code that I follow closely. Our uniforms include a dry fit polo that comes in men's and women's. When I got hired and was assigned my uniform pieces I requested to get a men's cut because the sleeves and length fit me better than ladies. They gave me ladies cuts. No biggie, I'm pretty easy going so I just wear them and don't complain even though they're a little tight in some places.
Yesterday I came in on my day off because we had a maintenance emergency that shut our location down for half the day. While I was there helping out (I'm salaried btw, so this was completely on my dime and unpaid) my store manager said we need to have a talk.
Apparently in a managers meeting my name was being tossed around because I have nipple piercings. They're just bars with two balls on the sides. They're not huge and I've had them for a decade. I like them and am not planning on taking them out anytime soon. I guess some “customers” have complained and the company is giving me the option to either wear a bra (I have like… a cups breasts. They're not big and a bra is unnecessary and uncomfortable for no reason) or undershirt or cover them in bandaids when I come in.
I said that gender discrimination because there are men walking around with nipple piercings wearing the same uniform and you can see them and no one has ever said anything to them. My boss said it was considered “sexual harassment” on MY part towards the customers! I don't understand how I am sexually harassing anyone considering I never EVER talk about my piercings, touch or mess with them in public, and keep my breasts covered at all times. If anything, in my mind I'm being harassed because if you don't want to see my piercings DON'T STARE AT MY CHEST.
I've had a couple other times when my piercings have caused issues but both of the bosses I had at those times basically told the person complaining “she's not flashing you, if you're uncomfortable with them, don't look at them. You shouldn't be making any comments about a female coworkers breasts in the first place.”
I'm considering cutting ties with my current work over this. Am I overreacting? Are they right? Again I keep them under my shirt and don't wear revealing clothing. The dress code doesn't say anything about a bra as a requirement and there are three people at my site alone that have multiple nose rings and face piercings which is 100% against dress code and they've never been spoken to. Plus two people who have at least 1 nipple piercings (both male).
I'm incredibly frustrated. I've been working unpaid hours and killing myself for this company and this is the first time any upper management has recognized me and after everything, THIS is what they had to say.