In Illinois or in any state, can a place of employment require a person to change his or her appearance?

Its not like hindering my friends work in anyway or disturbing any customers at the restaurant he works at. He has a little hair under his lip and his manager is trying to make him shave it off. If it is not in any papers he signed can they really do this?

yeah hes workin in a restaurant, nobody wants mustache hairs in there food. that there, or the health depts. policy.........

If the employee is dealing with the public, and the company has a standard for appearance for such employees, then yes, they can make him shave it off. It doesn't matter if nobody has complained. All that matters is what the company wants to project as their image.

Possibly, there are dress and appearance codes in most work places. ie: where I am the hair must be neat and clean, no denim clothes, women have many dress restrictions and men work in business casual or suits.

A company can't MAKE anyone do anything. If you don't like it, tell them go to hell and find a new job, or, shave it and be a good little employee. It all depends on you...or your friend, anyhow.

If he intends to keep getting paid on that job, he has to follow their rules. It wouldn't matter if his supervisor came in the next day with the same hair-under-the-lip. -- it's not discrimination based on sex, race, age or otherwise.

the answer is yes - but it needs to be uniformly applied - so no hair under the lip for anyone!

And your friend needs to grow up!

As long as it is a consistent standard with all employees performing the same (or similar jobs), an employer has the right to dictate appearances that can be modified, i.e., clothing, makeup, hair, tattoos, piercings, etc. So yes, he can pressure your friend to shave the face fuzz.

If you don't like the job, get out! The employer is paying you. Why should you be allowed to make the rules? Grow up pal, you need to understand why their are rules. They govern what we call activity that is condusive to all and not just yourself. Perhaps the health department does not allow beards and mustasch's. Sounds to me like he/she needs to move on unless the mustasch is more important that money?