Welcome back to Warehouse and Operations as a Career. I’m Marty T Hawkins. Today we’re doing something I always enjoy, another Ask Me Anything episode! Let’s see, we’re at episode 383, and I’ve got three questions that have come in recently that I think deserve a little conversation. And I’ve got to tell you, these are good ones. All three have came up before, and I feel there worth covering again. We’re going to talk about social media and job hunting, personal appearance requirements in manufacturing, and whether employers can legally require applicants to speak Spanish or be bilingual. Now, all three questions have something in common. Each person feels that an employer is doing something unfair, or maybe even illegal. And I understand where they’re coming from. But there’s an important difference between something we don’t like, something we believe is unfair, and something that’s actually against the law. 

So let’s get into it! Our first question comes from someone who writes “I’m qualified for a picker position, but I keep getting skipped over or nobody calls me back. A recruiter mentioned that I should clean up or delete my Facebook page while I’m hunting for a job. That’s illegal, isn’t it? Employers can’t look at my personal profiles.” Well, I’ve got some news for you. Yes, they generally can! And not only can employers look at information you’ve made publicly available on social media, but some actually do. Now, that doesn’t mean every recruiter is spending their evening scrolling through Facebook profiles. Most have plenty of other things to do. But social media can certainly become part of the hiring process. And it’s generally not illegal for an employer to review publicly available information about an applicant. There are limits, of course. Employers cannot use what they discover to unlawfully discriminate against someone. There are also privacy laws, background-check requirements, and protections for certain employee discussions about workplace conditions. But your publicly available Facebook posts? Those aren’t automatically off-limits just because you’re applying for a job. 

Let’s think about this from an employer’s perspective. You’ve applied for an order selector position. You’ve got the experience. You know how to operate the equipment. You understand production expectations, case counts, accuracy, and safety. On paper, you look like a pretty good candidate. But suppose your public Facebook page contains repeated posts about how much you hate working, how stupid your former supervisors were, how you don’t believe in following company rules, or how every employer you’ve ever worked for has treated you terribly. What kind of impression might that leave? 

Now, I’m not saying a single complaint or an occasional bad day should cost someone an opportunity. And employees have legal rights to discuss wages, safety, and working conditions. But there’s a difference between raising legitimate workplace concerns and creating a public impression that you might be difficult to work with. Employers are looking for more than someone who can pick 180 cases an hour. They’re looking for dependability, teamwork, professionalism, good judgment, and someone who understands the importance of safety. And your online presence may give them an impression of those things, whether that impression is accurate or not. 

Here’s another thought. We spend all this time putting together a professional resume, choosing the right words, listing our experience, and preparing for interviews. Then we turn around and post something on Facebook that makes us look like the last person anyone would want on their team! Come on now. Let’s give ourselves a fighting chance! 

My suggestion isn’t necessarily to delete Facebook. It’s to review your public presence. Look at your posts, pictures, comments, and privacy settings. Ask yourself what impression a stranger might get. And don’t forget, that recruiter who suggested you clean up your Facebook page might have been trying to help you. They may have been giving you a valuable piece of career advice. 

One more thing. Just because you’re not getting a callback doesn’t mean Facebook is the reason. There could be dozens of explanations, including competition, scheduling requirements, your resume, or the position being filled. But why give an employer another reason to hesitate? 

Here’s our second question, “I applied at a plastics manufacturing plant and was being hired. Then they told me I had to remove my fake nails and eyelashes before I could start. How can they make me do that? What does that have to do with my ability to do the job?” 

Well, this is another interesting one. First, I understand that personal appearance is important to people. We all have our preferences and ways of expressing ourselves. But when we enter a manufacturing environment, we’re entering a workplace with equipment, machinery, moving parts, production standards, and safety requirements. And employers generally have the authority to establish reasonable appearance and grooming policies that are consistent with applicable law. Let’s talk about those fingernails. Depending on the operation, long or artificial nails can create concerns with properly fitting gloves, handling small components, working around machinery, or maintaining product quality. Artificial nails can break, become damaged, or potentially end up in a finished product. Imagine you’re manufacturing plastic components for another company’s assembly process. A piece of an artificial nail ends up in a finished product or package. Now we’ve potentially got a product quality issue, a customer complaint, or maybe even an investigation. And remember, in manufacturing, quality matters just as much as productivity. What about the eyelashes? Well, depending on their length, attachment, and the particular job, artificial eyelashes could create concerns involving product contamination or interference with properly fitted protective eyewear. Does that mean fake eyelashes are dangerous in every manufacturing plant? Absolutely not. And does OSHA have some universal regulation that says nobody in plastics manufacturing can wear artificial nails or eyelashes? No. The actual hazards and the employer’s specific policies matter. But an employer doesn’t necessarily have to wait until something causes an injury or a quality problem before establishing reasonable preventive standards.  

Now, think about the other appearance and safety requirements we’re already familiar with. We require certain footwear. We restrict loose clothing around machinery. We may prohibit dangling jewelry. We require hair restraints in some operations. And we expect associates to wear the personal protective equipment required for their jobs. Why? Because the workplace has requirements that may be different from what we’re comfortable with outside of work. There are legal limits. Policies cannot be unlawfully discriminatory, and some religious or disability related needs may require reasonable accommodations. But if the company has a legitimate, consistently applied safety or quality requirement, you may have to comply with it to work in that position. 

Here’s what I’d suggest. Instead of immediately asking, “How can they make me do that?” ask, “Can you explain the safety or quality reason behind the policy, and whether there are acceptable alternatives?” That’s a perfectly reasonable question. You might learn something about the manufacturing process you hadn’t considered. And if the requirement simply doesn’t work for you, then perhaps that particular position isn’t the best fit. Remember, accepting a job means accepting certain workplace responsibilities. We don’t get to pick and choose every rule based on personal preference.  

Now, here’s our third question. “I keep seeing job advertisements that say you must speak Spanish or be bilingual. Isn’t that illegal? How can an employer require someone to speak Spanish to get a warehouse job?” The short answer? No, requiring bilingual skills is not automatically illegal. And this question is particularly interesting in our light industrial, manufacturing, and distribution industries. Let’s look at a few examples. Suppose a warehouse has associates who speak primarily English and others who speak primarily Spanish. The company is hiring a frontline supervisor responsible for communicating safety expectations, assigning work, explaining procedures, conducting start-up meetings, and addressing employee concerns. Wouldn’t the ability to communicate effectively with both groups be valuable? Of course it would! And if speaking both languages is genuinely necessary to perform that particular position effectively, an employer may lawfully require bilingual proficiency.  

Now, here’s the career-development side of this conversation. Instead of automatically looking at a bilingual requirement as something that’s keeping us from an opportunity, maybe we should consider what that requirement tells us about the industry. Our workforce is diverse. Our customers are diverse. And the ability to communicate effectively with different groups of people is an increasingly valuable skill. I’ve talked many times about the importance of learning something new, expanding our abilities, and making ourselves more valuable to an organization. Well, here’s another example. Maybe learning Spanish isn’t something you want to do. That’s entirely your choice. But for someone who wants to move from associate to lead, from lead to supervisor, or from supervisor into management, being able to communicate in more than one language may open doors. 

Not every position requires it. But when the skill is genuinely needed, it can make a difference. And I’ll add something else. Communication isn’t just about speaking words. It’s about making sure people understand expectations, especially when we’re talking about safety. A start-up meeting isn’t successful simply because the supervisor stood in front of the team and spoke for five minutes. It’s successful when the team understands the message. And sometimes, having a bilingual leader helps make that happen. 

Well, there we go! Three questions, and hopefully three useful conversations. And here’s what I’d like everyone to take away from today’s episode. When you’re looking for a job, remember that the hiring process involves more than your experience and qualifications. Your professionalism, willingness to follow workplace requirements, communication skills, and overall presentation can all make a difference. 

But employers have responsibilities too. Their policies and hiring decisions still need to comply with the law. 

So when something doesn’t seem right, ask questions. Learn the facts. Understand the reason behind the requirement. And if you believe an employer has crossed a legal line, there are appropriate resources available to help you understand your rights. Just don’t assume that every requirement you disagree with must be illegal. Sometimes there’s a safety reason. Sometimes there’s a quality requirement. Sometimes it’s simply a skill the employer needs. And sometimes, learning why an employer has a requirement can teach us something valuable about our industry. 

I appreciate these questions, and I hope you’ll keep sending them in. After all, that’s one of the reasons we’re here. To learn a little more about the light industrial world and all the opportunities it offers. Until next time, be safe, keep learning, and remember, your next career opportunity might begin with something you decide to improve today.