Teen fights for her hair - and her job

Part-time supermarket worker Jenaya Johnston wants to return to work today - with her controversial hairstyle intact. Picture / Michael Craig

A supermarket checkout operator who prettied her hair for a school ball three weeks ago faces disciplinary action over the colour of her streaks.

Jenaya Johnston, 15, of Swanson, was told by management of an Auckland Pak'N Save that she had to get rid of her "red stripes" by this weekend or face disciplinary action at her part-time job.

The Henderson High School student has worked at the Alderman Drive Pak'N Save in Henderson for four months. She says she loves her job and wants to keep it.

She says a manager at the store told her her hair colour was likely to "antagonise" customers.

Her manager, Kerry Stanley, wrote in a letter to Jenaya: "Our company is a conservative enterprise and, as such, we have a conservative approach to such matters."

He requested that she change her hair colour to "conform with the rest of our staff" and said other staff had "conformed immediately" when challenged over their hair.

Jenaya's mother, Laura Boyed, encouraged her daughter to stand her ground after the hairstyle was first described as offensive by a checkout supervisor two weeks ago.

"It's hardly bright green, or a mohawk," said Boyed. She said the supervisor who had complained about her daughter's hairstyle had two-tone hair herself. "It's peroxide blonde with about two inches of black regrowth," she said.

She said her daughter was popular with customers at the store and always had a smile on her face.

Jenaya said customers had told her her new hair style "looked lovely and they couldn't believe it when I said it wasn't allowed".

The new colour streaks cost $120 to dye and are already fading out of her long, naturally-brunette hair through washing.

Boyed attended a meeting with her daughter and Stanley on September 12. "He just wouldn't budge," said the mother.

"He said the company had an image to uphold, the elderly would be offended, and that they couldn't afford to upset customers."

Jenaya's story has prompted a flood of support on talkback radio and internet blog sites since she first went public with her complaint.

"The message from the public is, nobody minds," says Boyed. "I just hope they won't hold this against Jenaya just because her mother kicked up a stink. She didn't ask for all this."

Boyed said if hair colour had been included in her daughter's contract, a request to redye would be reasonable. But while Jenaya's contract specifically mentions nail varnish must be of neutral tones, nowhere does it mention hair colour.

Jenaya said she was planning to head to work today as usual, without changing her hair.

"I am a bit nervous," she said.

Stanley was not at work yesterday when the Herald on Sunday visited. He had previously refused to comment. Acting manager Robert Bateman also declined to comment, though an impromptu survey of other staff hairstyles found Jenaya's do would not have stood out. One teenage employee had shoulder length hair that was two different colours. He said he had worked at the store for nine months with no problems.