In Japan, workers are scarce and those who live live in a working model that creates a bottleneck that is hard to solve. In a country where there is a word for deaths from overwork or where workers resort to agencies to leave their jobs, all sorts of tricks are being tried to turn the situation around. The four-day workday does not seem to be the solution, and McDonald’s has been more creative in finding people: hair will no longer be an obstacle.

Working at McDonald’s with colored hair. The news may not be shocking at home, but it could be shocking abroad. The burger giant’s Japanese subsidiary announced it would lift restrictions on employees’ hair color. The backdrop: improving the business environment and the hope of attracting more workers amid a labor shortage.

Context in Japanese code. Yes, up until now, the Japanese unit of the fast food chain required employees to have “natural” hair color. As shocking as it may be, it’s part of Japanese culture in many workplaces. Rules regarding physical appearance, especially hair, can be quite strict and traditional in many companies.

In general, employees are expected to maintain a neat and conservative appearance that reflects professionalism and respect for the organization.

Hair standards. Men are generally required or advised to have short, well-groomed hair without extravagant styles, while women are generally encouraged to wear simple hairstyles without flashy colors or cuts outside the norm. In some more traditional industries, such as finance or large corporations, expectations are even stricter.

For example, hair that has been dyed unnatural colors, especially red, blue, or similar, may be frowned upon, and some places may require employees to wear their natural hair color (this is the case here). However, in more modern environments and tech companies, these rules are often much more relaxed.

The case of McDonald’s. Of course, if the economy is not doing well, everything can change. The labor crisis the country is experiencing requires different measures. Therefore, McDonald’s revised its appearance policy to “allow more diversity.”

The new policy, reportedly implemented on a trial basis at a business in Osaka, has had a positive impact, with the restaurant reporting a three-fold increase in new employees in April compared to the previous year. The measure comes in addition to a change to its appearance policy in August 2021, when it began allowing employees to grow beards, taking into account a variety of reasons, including religion, in the equation.

Hair is the norm, a symptom. The rule change masks an underlying problem: Japan faces a serious labor shortage due to its aging demographics and low birth rate. Moreover, the workforce is shrinking rapidly, aging, and exiting without enough young people to replace them.

The fact that more than 28% of the population is over 65, according to current estimates, is creating additional pressure on the country as it seeks to address the continuing decline in key sectors such as manufacturing, construction or elderly care, where demand for workers is greater than the available supply.

Image | istolethetv, Eliazar Parra Cardenas

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