Sheetz Is Putting An End To Their “Smile Policy” That Requires Employees to Have Perfect Smiles
Sheetz had kind of an effed up policy they called the “Smile Policy.”
This policy said that no applicant — or current employee — may have anything wrong with their teeth.
Like, WTF?!?
Applicants with obvious missing, broken, or badly discolored teeth (unrelated to a disability) are not qualified for employment with Sheetz.
Sheetz Employee Handbook via Insider
If you were employed at Sheetz, and you ended up needing dental work, you had 90 days to solve your tooth dilemma.
The alternative was to basically get fired and find a new job.
Like, how do you spell discrimination, AMIRITE?!?
As you might imagine, this policy has come under a little bit of fire.
I think that you should be judged by the work you do, not what you look like, not your appearance
Mary Jo Duderstadt of Glenshaw
Sheetz knows the importance of a friendly smile when it comes to customer service, which I totally get.
But, you can put forth a pleasant, friendly smile even if you have jacked up teeth.
I mean, I’ll be the first to admit that my teeth aren’t perfect. That doesn’t mean I can’t smile at people and be friendly.
Can you even imagine how it would feel to already have less than stellar self esteem, and then be told by Sheetz that you can’t work there, because your teeth aren’t pretty enough?!?
Geez. Ouch!!
It’s judgmental. It’s like not letting somebody work there because you don’t like their color hair, or their color skin or anything else.
Lisa Lombardo of Allison Park
There is story after story of people who have applied to Sheetz, but been turned down because of their teeth.
It even happened that people who already worked there were let go, because they had something happen to their teeth, and they couldn’t get them fixed.
How humiliating would that be?!?
Sheetz had been reviewing the policy since they were called out last month.
Throughout our history to date we have embraced an appearance policy, because we know how important a smile is to the customer experience when serving hospitality. However, we are always reviewing our standing policies to make sure they best deliver on our values and our commitment to our customers and employees. Therefore, this appearance policy will continue to be under review.
Sheetz via CBS
They have decided that it is probably in their best interest to do away with this “Smile Policy.”
Effective immediately, Sheetz locations are no longer going to implement this outdated policy.
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.
Sheetz via CBS
Good job, Sheetz. Thanks for fixing a policy that was degrading and demeaning to many.
