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OFF BEAT: Mandatory body hair waxing puts employee in sticky situation

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A woman is suing her employer for discrimination and wrongful termination, claiming she was fired for refusing to participate in an exercise requiring her to receive a Brazilian-style wax treatment from a co-worker.

The Pennsylvania resident was hired as a “wax specialist” at a newly opened spa, court records show. During a training class, an instructor informed students that they would be required to perform Brazilian wax treatments on one another.

A “Brazilian” involves the removal of pubic hair using a heated, adhesive wax.

After declining to participate in the exercise, the plaintiff, Jennifer Finley, claims she was immediately fired. Her lawsuit states she refused to comply with the training “because it was humiliating, painful, embarrassing, and discriminatory.”

The employer does not require male employees to perform Brazilian waxes on co-workers nor are they required to receive Brazilian waxes from co-workers, according to the lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

Ms. Finley seeks back pay and compensatory and punitive damages, among other awards.