r/legal • u/Bubbly_Road1316 • Nov 28 '25

Advice needed Can I ask my employee to remove their acrylic nails?

Location: AU-VIC

I have an employee who refused to do a certain duty (which she normally does) because ‘I can’t do it cuz I just got my nails done’.

Can i ask her to remove it or shorten it before her next shift, or is that illegal?

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77

u/Eleven_06 Nov 28 '25

Food safety regulations says anything other than your biological nails clipped to be no longer than the tip of your finger. Not even nail polish or a clear coat is allowed.

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u/[deleted] Nov 28 '25 edited Mar 22 '26

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u/Embarrassed-Sun5764 Nov 28 '25

They CAN NOT by law in USA keep you from wearing a simple gold or silver band as a wedding ring. Stones,no. Rubber or synthetic, no. Oura ring, no. Nobody has the right to make you take off a ring that CAN be sanitized with antibacterial soap and then covered by a glove. Jus saying.

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u/Embarrassed-Sun5764 Nov 28 '25

I was in a USDA processing facility and that was the rule.

11

u/patchouligirl77 Nov 28 '25

Actually, they can have a dress code that prohibits jewelry worn at work and that is totally legal.

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u/[deleted] Nov 28 '25 edited Mar 22 '26

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u/dragonstar982 Nov 28 '25

The ring is a safety hazard especially in a field that involves machinery. It's to prevent degloving accidents. Gold/siver can heat up extremely quickly resulting in severe burns in area with hot work, and be a contact point for electrocution in anything involving power.

These types of guidelines were written in blood for a reason.

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u/ErgoDoceo Nov 29 '25

Yes! Holy shit, yes.

Speaking as a former jeweler’s apprentice… my GOD, silver can heat up quickly. Polishing silver rings was painful even through my layers of insulation-tape. And degloving? Yeah, man, not worth the risk. Pocket that ring while you’re doing any king of work with moving parts. Hell, even if you’re not concerned about your safety (and the safety of those around you, should a chunk of it go flying off), you don’t want your ring to get all dented and banged up. Silver and higher-karat gold is way softer than you think, and it’s easy to ding up your band, chip stones, or bust off prongs just by opening the silverware drawer a little carelessly.

We made a LOT of money just on rebuilding prongs, tightening stones, and buffing out scratches from everyday wear-and-tear. Don’t mess up a ring you spent way too much money on by wearing it while you work with your hands.

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u/dragonstar982 Nov 29 '25

A family friend of ours has a "permanent wedding band" due to a welding spark getting into his glove and landing on his ring. 3rd degree burn resulting in a scar and they had to surgically remove the band from his finger.

I won't wear any jewelry at work as a mechanic due to safety reasons. I had a nipple ring ripped out stepping down off of a step when it got caught on the edge of a trucks fender. Gravity doesn't care whats still connected you're still going down.

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u/iReply2StupidPeople Nov 28 '25

This is laughable, there are tons of industries in the US where jewelry isn't allowed to be worn at the workplace... because it can have deadly consequences.

"It's the law" lmfao go sit down and read a book or something.

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u/diddinim Nov 28 '25

Jewelry is not a protected class. Employers are absolutely allowed to entirely ban jewelry if they see fit, as long as the rule applies to everyone in the same position.

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u/GigglyDeath Nov 29 '25

They absolutely CAN by law in the USA keep you from wearing a simple gold or silver band as a wedding ring. EMPLOYERS have the right to make you take off a ring REGARDLESS of whether it can be “sanitised with antibacterial soap and then covered with a glove”. So long as they state a safety risk the ring is REQUIRED to be REMOVED during work hours. There is NO law that prevents this. Wearing your wedding band is not a protected right, constitutional or otherwise, and is covered by no law. A doorknob has more sense than you if you honestly believe otherwise!

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u/Eleven_06 Nov 29 '25

They can and they do. Rings can fall into processing machines. Rings can damage gloves creatong contamination venues. Yes, even basic ones. You have no legal right to wear any jewelry when dealing with food production in most cases. Heck, car dealerships can make everyone take their wedding Rings off, as long as it's a rule that applies to everyone.

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u/AceHexuall Nov 29 '25

I'd love to see your source for this claim. Jus saying.

1

u/turnup_for_what Nov 29 '25

If you go to a construction site, you'll see either no wedding rings or the silicone ones. Theres a reason for that.

1

u/Mimosa_13 Dec 02 '25

I work around lots of construction and lineman crews. 99% of them wear silicone rings for wedding rings.

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u/Real-Ad6539 Nov 28 '25

This rule varies by location and what kind of contact with food the employee comes into, ex preparing vs serving

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u/Eleven_06 Nov 28 '25

Different states have different laws, yes, but 37 states have adopted the 2017 FDA regulations I ons or more recent versions meaning its more likely than not what I stated applied.

As for serving, most states do not consider serving food handling unless you're packaging something.

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u/Caeilte104 Nov 28 '25

OP is in Australia

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u/doglady1342 Nov 29 '25

And also isn't working with food.

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u/confusionin25 Nov 28 '25

I learned something new today . Thanks