A government-run recruitment agency told a salon that they could not post a job advertisement looking for a “happy” hairstylist because the word was “discriminatory” against unhappy people.
Alison Birch from AJ’s Unisex Hair Salon in Stroud, Gloucestershire, claimed that Jobcentre Plus, part of the Department for Work and Pensions, had contacted her after applying to post an advert with them that stated: “This is a busy, friendly, small salon, so only happy, friendly stylist need apply.”
On Thursday, Mrs Birch told The Mirror that the government agent had called her to say that they could not run the advert because the word “happy” was “discriminatory”. At first believing the phone call to be a prank, the experienced businesswoman was astounded once the caller offered to read her the lengthy rules about discrimination.
He allegedly said: “Should we change the word in case somebody thinks that they can’t apply for the job because they are not a happy person?”
“But I only want happy people,” Ms Birch recalled telling the man from the job shop.
He allegedly responded: “As I said, it is a discriminatory word and you are not allowed to use it, somebody who is not happy will be discriminated against.”
The salon owner then pulled the advert from Jobcentre Plus after refusing to change the wording.
Mrs Birch said: “I just can’t see how it is discrimination to anybody. Everybody is so politically correct these days.
“But he insisted he could not list the advert on their job site with that word on it.
“I told him I was perfectly happy with the use of the word ‘happy’, and that he could just take it off their site and I’d find somewhere else to list it.”