McDonald’s Japan Now Allows Hair Color Change

Last month, McDonald's announced that it would lift its hair color restrictions for employees, to attract more workers amid a labor shortage and to improve the working environment. Previously, the Japanese unit of McDonald's required employees' hair color to look "natural". 

The new policy was introduced on a trial basis at one restaurant in Osaka, and the restaurant chain decided it had a positive impact, with a threefold increase in recruits compared to the same time period the previous year. McDonald's changed its appearance policy in August 2021 to allow employees to grow a beard for various reasons, including religion. 

Before reading this in the news, I had no idea there were appearance restrictions at the fast food restaurant. This reminds me of high school restrictions that require all hair color of students to be black.  A few years ago this was a problem because one high school girl had natural brown hair and the school required her to dye her hair black, despite the rule against hair color. Many onsen/public baths do not allow bathers with tattoos. (Luckily for me, I have no tattoos.)

Have you ever worked anywhere that had a hair color or other appearance restriction?