There can be several benefits to having a job as a teenager. You have your own income, you learn responsibility, time management skills, and how to interact with others. But entering the workforce also has the potential to expose you to some of the downsides of working as well. You get involved in the workplace politics, the unfavorable personality types, and even the discriminatory rules. Sixteen-year-old Autumn Williams realized this firsthand while working for the fast food chain Chick-fil-A.
More from CafeMom: Teen Becomes Local Hero After Jumping Through McDonald's Drive-Thru To Save Choking Woman
Autumn had been at Chick-fil-A for just three months when she said she was 'singled out.'
Autumn's manager at the restaurant in Harrisburg, North Carolina, told her that her blond braids were unnatural. Autumn said the whole interaction left her feeling singled out and embarrassed, according to Queen City News. Autumn had been working for the chain for three months when her manager reprimanded her for a uniform violation.
“She was like, ‘Hey, one of our supervisors came by and said they noticed blond in your hair,’” Williams said, reenacting the moment. “And he asked that you leave and come back when it’s taken out since it’s an unnatural color on you.”
More from CafeMom: Teen Anxiety & Depression Are Still on the Rise; Pros Say Online Exposure Is a Factor
Autumn said her braids were not blond, but brown.
Autumn shared an image of herself wearing the braids she had in her hair at the time.
“I don’t know what blond is in my hair because my braids were brown,” Williams said of her hairstyle at the time.
“And there wasn’t blond in them, and my natural hair color is blond,” Williams clarified. “And that guy, when I had orientation, he never said anything about my hair color or it being an issue.”
Autumn's supervisor told her to refer to the employee handbook, but its language was also vague.
To add insult to injury, Autumn said that she wasn’t the only employee wearing hair in a different color from her natural one. Coworkers were doing the same but she was the only one who was punished for it, she said. When Autumn attempted to ask the supervisor for an explanation about what was deemed unnatural, he told her to refer to the employee handbook. But the handbook does not explicitly state what unnatural colors are. It simply says, “Hairstyles must be neat and professional in appearance. Unnatural hair colors or eccentric styles (Mohawks, shaven designs, etc.) are not permitted.”
So Autumn decided Chick-fil-A wasn't the place for her.
The teen said the muddled definition caused her to quit the job entirely.
“I was glad that I didn’t have to change myself to fit into someone else’s idea image of what it’s like to be a Chick-fil-A worker,” she explained. “I could still have my braids, which I felt there was nothing wrong with, so I was just glad that I was able to stay true to myself and find somewhere else to work; that’s fine with how I look.”
When Queen City News reached out to Chick-fil-A, the company admitted that Autumn’s supervisor was in the wrong.
“The operator reached out to [Autumn Williams] today and had a good conversation,” Chick-fil-A noted in a statement. “In further detail, the operator explained that the policy was misinterpreted and said Williams was not terminated and she’s more than welcome to come back and work at the restaurant.”
WBTV reached out to the restaurant to determine if the supervisor would receive any disciplinary action or additional training regarding company policies. Chick-fil-A corporate said it would not comment on the matter.
'Who’s to say what anybody can look like based on their race?' Autumn's mother asked.
Her mother, Nina Burch, had a suggestion about what Chick-fil-A can do moving forward.
“It’s a protective style for us,” Burch said. “There was nothing eccentric about the color that was in her hair. So I think maybe there needs to be some sensitivity training about what people can and cannot look like. But that just sounds so crazy to say because who’s to say what anybody can look like based on their race?”
It’s a good question. In the meantime, Autumn has filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
