Hunter paramedic Natasha Whiteley says she felt attacked when NSW Ambulance management made her change her hair colour. Login or signup to continue reading Colleagues will colour their hair on Thursday to show solidarity with Ms Whiteley, after she was disciplined for dyeing her hair red. Ms Whiteley, an HSU (Health Services Union) delegate, said management "forced me to change my hair colour to a more professional - in their words - natural colour".
This was despite the fact her hair was naturally red. "I got an ultimatum of do not return to work unless your hair is a normal colour," Ms Whiteley said. "I felt attacked and like it was a complete waste of time.
"I had to bleach my hair, which destroyed it, and I chopped it all off. It's now really short." She said it "shouldn't matter what colour my hair is".
"It has nothing to do with our work. We go to people in cardiac arrest and I don't think they would care if my hair was rainbow, blue or hot pink." Ms Whiteley had been a paramedic for three years, a nurse for 10 years and had five years of medical training.
She added that paramedics were "being pulled up for having more than one earring, a nose piercing, for the colour of their socks, or for not having shaved that morning". "I've just been the most vocal about it, but it's a widely felt issue." She said management had previously opposed tattoos, but that had "very recently changed".
Her colleagues at Medowie Ambulance Station were "standing by her", the HSU said. Paramed.