My 8 Year Plan

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Discrimination laws don't actually apply to baldness. In fact, there have been several valid bald discrimination cases in the past few years, all of them unsuccessful.

Discrimination laws typically only cover those who aren't discriminated against in the modern workplace, such as women. Indeed, men are typically far less well protected in the workplace; the only successful claims to date have been where the point of law equally favours both genders.

For example, men claiming discrimination for not having flexible working hours have succeeded, because it protects both gender's interests. Men claiming discrimination for having to wear a shirt and tie to work when women can come to work in a t-shirt have been largely unsuccessul, in contrast to women's cases to be able to go to work in trousers.

I think it is incredibly naive to believe discrimination laws are there to prevent discrimination. They are there to pursue the self interest of the person or group of people who lobbied to have them added to the statute book. However, this is going a bit off topic now!

[wheresMYhairDUDE]

However, this is going a bit off topic now!

Yep, you hit that on the head (excuse the pun)

I'm glad you're an auditor and not a lawyer.

Without knowing exactly which cases you are talking about and the specifics and basis of each claim - I cannot comment.

I can say that if anyone claims discrimination against baldness under some sort of disability act will be unsuccessful as baldness is not classed as a 'a physical or mental impairment' - this is the reason why so many bald men can actually get on with their lives without hair.

However, if someone claims discrimination on the basis they are being 'bullied' at work due to their baldness (and appearance as a result of lack of hair) and their employer is allowing this to continue then I expect this would be much more successful.

The gender difference examples you give are irrelevant as we are talking about male physical appearance and not gender differences or dress codes.

I do note you have not responded to my question of high profile men in companes who wear hair pieces/wigs....

We all know there are wig wearers out there in business and in show business and if their baldness doesn't stop them being high fliers why should us 'minions' worry about it so much?

I found an earlier post in this thread by hdude46 is spot on - anyone who feels hair is 'EVERYTHING' really is missing out on what life has to offer and they need to get over it or get a WIG then get on with life. If we all sat here and did nothing else than cry our hair is falling out then the disposable tissue companies would be making mega profits and we would all simply be wasting away.

So my advice is, lets not continue focussing on the negatives but lets look at some positives.

And by the way, can anyone here recommend a 'genuine' internet pharmacy for genetic propecia/avodart with quick delivery to the UK?

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Inhouse Pharmacy is excellent for generic and branded avodart and propecia. I've found them to be an excellent source, unlike my idiot doctor whose so unsympathetic that I think he'd prevent me getting saw palmetto to make me embrace the Mussolini look.

However, if someone claims discrimination on the basis they are being 'bullied' at work due to their baldness (and appearance as a result of lack of hair) and their employer is allowing this to continue then I expect this would be much more successful.

You'd hope so wouldn't you? But nope, it seems to be one of the few things you're allowed to bully people for and get away with it. Go ahead and try to find a single claim. Unfortunately, it's as hard to spot as ageism, because typically the discrimination is committed at the interview stage, when a plethora of excuses are available (over qualified, under qualified, unsuitable, bad fit etc etc). I think it's fair to say women might like the Vin Diesel look; employers don't. In fact, I'd go so far as to say the one style acceptable for bald men is a chav style, which employers don't like; in other words, through no fault of your own, you're about as likely to get the job as a man with a mullet.

There may well be men at the top of business who wear wigs. I'm not entirely convinced by this though. I think if I look at the problem more closely, discrimination is more likely the younger you are when it starts. If you're in your 40s and balding, that's 'normal.' Plus, you've already started your career when you had nothing else to deal with and you might even be lucky to be judged fairly for your abilities. Plus a lot more of your friends will be having the same issues, which makes a difference in terms of confidence.

Bald men in their 20s are not considered 'normal.' It shatters confidence at a time when it is needed most. Grinning and bearing it does not restore that confidence, nothing does. They tend to find it harder to fit in socially with people of their own age group, they become outcasts at work... other than committing a crime, there is no bigger blow to a career than losing your hair too young.