It’s said that a smile is worth a thousand words, but one worker apparently doesn’t think it’s worth their job.
According to a report by HR Dive, Sheetz, a convenience store chain has done away with its “smile policy” after a former employee recently quit because of it.
The policy came into question after the former employee posted a Facebook message earlier this year that included a video recording of a conversation between herself and a Sheetz manager prior to her resignation. The video showed the employee being asked to provide a timeline for a denture replacement procedure to which she explained that was delayed by several months due to insurance non-coverage. Because of this, it’s presumed that she wasn’t able to abide by the company’s now discontinued smile policy which previously prohibited the chain’s stores from hiring applicants with “obvious missing, broken, or badly discolored teeth (unrelated to a disability),” according to Business Insider. The outlet reviewed a written version of the policy as part of an investigative report released in January.
HR Dive described that the former employee’s Facebook video explained that Sheetz gave her 90 days to fix her dental issues despite the nine-month timeframe outlined by her healthcare providers.
“It’s frustrating,” the employee said in the video as reported by HR Dive. “I mean, I was hired this way […] To be honest, I probably will seek other employment because I feel like if my job performance is not enough and it has to be based on any part of my looks, it’s not a company I want to be associated with.”
Also, according to HR Dive, the employee said she is a domestic violence survivor and that her teeth were damaged by her former spouse.
A Sheetz spokesperson has since released a statement about the removal of the policy from their employee guidelines.
“Our culture at Sheetz has always been centered on respect and putting our employees, customers and communities first. As a family owned and operated company, nothing is more important than creating an environment that is inclusive and supportive of all of our employees. Recently through employee feedback, we have learned that the smile policy is not aligned with these values from their perspective. We agree. Effective immediately, this policy is discontinued. We are committed to ensuring our policies moving forward are equitable and celebrate the diverse experiences, individual identities and unique perspectives of our employees.”