Woman uses ‘malicious compliance’ to get around employer’s rule against pink hair
She wears terrible wigs on purpose, and they each have their own names.
Malicious compliance gets woman around work rule against pink hair.
Work dress codes aren't always practical, especially when you want to have a little room for self-expression. Most dress codes include things like no open-toed shoes, no spaghetti straps or no facial piercings, but some employers have a policy against unnatural hair colors.
One TikTok user, @emuhleeebee, whose first name is Emily, recently started a new job that does not allow for her brightly colored pink hair. Since she interviewed with her pink hair on full display and still got the job, she didn't realize until after she started that the company dress code called for natural hair colors.
If you thought, easy enough, she'll just dye her hair brown or some other natural color that would cover her pink hair, you'd be wrong. Emily decided to participate in what she calls "malicious compliance," meaning she will comply with the company policy but in the most obnoxious way possible.
Instead of dying her hair (which, as she explained in one of her videos, makes her feel her best), Emily simply decided to buy wigs to cover her distracting hair—hilariously bad wigs that are likely far more distracting than her pink hair but still within company policy.
In one of her videos, she's wearing a bald wig that has a dark brown ponytail sticking out of the middle. Another wig she has in her rotation is one that makes her look like George Washington. Each wig has its own name and personality when she uploads the videos to her social media account. Since the wigs are all a natural color, there's really not much the company can say as long as she's doing her job and staying within policy.
@emuhleeebee Replying to @iamrachelvray HOLLERING. #pinkhair #corporate #corporatelife #corporatehumor #corporatetiktok #maliciouscompliance #coloredhair #badwig #pinkhairdye
The argument for natural hair colors in a corporate environment feels a bit outdated. There are teachers, therapists and even doctors who sport brightly colored hair and tattoos up to their necks, and it doesn't hinder their ability to do their jobs. Unnatural hair colors have become so normal that a company having a policy against it may not be something that crosses someone's mind while job hunting.
But if having natural hair is a requirement, it would seem that during the job interview process, this would be something that's mentioned, yet Emily appears to have been blindsided. In a comment, someone asked if her job has said anything about her bad wigs yet.
"Not yet...emphasis on yet. I feel it coming," Emily replied.
@emuhleeebee @Jay Benke besite. You chose ANOTHER wig that I feel really hot in TBH 😭. #pink #pinkhair #coloredhair #corporatetok #corporateamericaburnout #corporatehumour #corporatelifebelike
The TikTok creator even set up an Amazon wishlist where people have been purchasing wigs for her to wear to work. It's an entertaining series on her page and certainly a creative way to stay in compliance. Hopefully, the company she works for has a sense of humor and is also getting a kick out of the malicious compliance like the rest of the internet.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."