What would you do if you were told a signature aspect of your style was not allowed at your workplace? Emily Benschoter's creative solution has gone viral. When the 29-year-old found out her pink hair was not considered acceptable at her new job, she decided to cover it up with a wig. She began showcasing her many interesting wigs on TikTok.
"[Dyeing] my hair for a job I work at for 40 hours per week wasn't an option. I am a self-expressive person and I feel very confident with pink hair so I came up with a solution to keep the job and my hair," Emily told Newsweek.
In one video, Emily wrote: "Corporate: No pink hair. Natural colors only," followed by "Me clocking in every day in a different whack wig."
She also created a video responding to a comment that asked, "Do you really wear bad wigs because corporate won't allow pink hair?" (The answer is yes).
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In another video, Emily uses a voiceover with a person asking questions like, "Do you wear wigs? Have you worn wigs? Will you wear wigs?" The video shows Emily wearing different interesting wigs while at work.
One TikTok user wrote, "Please start a wig wishlist so we can buy them for you." She then created several videos showing the ridiculous wigs that were added to the list. "WHOMEVER ADDED THE FOUNDING FATHER WIG TO THE LIST COME FORWARD ASAP I AM DYING," she captioned a video.
One TikTok user wrote to Emily complimenting her hair and asking to see it in a ponytail. Emily responded by creating a video in yet another funny wig.
Emily explained that she got her job without having a face-to-face interview, so the company did not know what she looked like when they hired her. "It's dehumanizing that I can't be accepted at face value because my hair is a nontraditional color. It's so superficial that my hair color is an obstacle. I prefer my pink hair, it's me to my core. So now I purposely pick wacky wigs which is quite funny," she told Newsweek.
She also added that wearing wigs to work has been a great conversation starter. "It is a way to open up the conversation with the customers who think it is insane that I have to cover my pink hair," she told the publication.
In a video uploaded on August 24, a TikTok user asked Emily if the company she works at has said anything about her wigs yet. Emily wrote back, saying, "Not yet.. emphasis on yet. I feel it coming ."
Her videos have also started conversations about dress code policy changes at work. Emily wrote in another comment that policy change is her goal.
On a more recent post, a TikTok user asked Emily if anyone at her workplace had said anything yet. She responded, saying, "One person from hr commented, 'you know what. I respect it.'"
