May Season Studio Archives
by Gintare O.
MAY SEASON STUDIO
Human Resources Department
To: All Employees
From: Human Resources
Date: [REDACTED]
Subject: Personal Care Activities in Shared Workspaces – Policy Clarification
PURPOSE
May Season Studio is committed to maintaining a professional, inclusive, and respectful work environment for all employees. As part of our ongoing efforts to support employee wellness while preserving shared workplace standards, Human Resources is issuing the following clarification regarding personal care activities conducted within shared workspaces.
This clarification is being issued following recent incidents that highlighted ambiguity in existing guidance.
SCOPE
This policy applies to:
All employees
All contractors and temporary staff
All shared or semi-shared workspaces, including but not limited to:
Cubicles
Open-plan seating
Shared offices
Conference rooms
Call booths
Common areas when in active use by others
DEFINITIONS
For the purposes of this policy:
Personal Care Activities include, but are not limited to:
Grooming
Hygiene maintenance
Cosmetic or dermatological treatments
Non-emergency bodily maintenance
Any activity typically performed in a private residential or restroom setting
Shared Workspace refers to any area where the activity may be seen, heard, or otherwise experienced by others during the course of normal work operations.
POLICY CLARIFICATION
While MSS encourages employees to attend to personal wellness needs during the workday when appropriate, personal care activities must not be conducted in shared workspaces.
Specifically, the following activities are discouraged or prohibited in shared workspaces:
Examples of Discouraged Activities
Nail clipping, filing, or trimming
Use of grooming tools that produce audible noise during meetings or calls
Hair brushing or styling that sheds or disperses debris
Extended personal grooming during collaborative work sessions
Use of handheld mirrors at desks for grooming purposes
Examples of Prohibited Activities
Application, processing, or removal of facial masks, peels, scrubs, or treatments
Skin exfoliation, shedding, or peeling procedures
Use of chemical, enzymatic, or reactive skincare products
Any personal care activity that produces noticeable scent, vapor, residue, sound, or visual disruption
Trimming, scraping, or maintenance of skin, nails, or hair beyond basic hygiene
Use of tools designed for personal care outside of restroom or wellness spaces
Conducting personal care activities while on live calls or meetings, regardless of mute status
Personal care activities visible to others that may reasonably cause discomfort, distraction, or confusion
Any activity involving bodily byproducts or materials requiring disposal beyond standard waste
These examples are not exhaustive.
APPROPRIATE LOCATIONS
Employees wishing to conduct personal care activities during the workday must do so in:
Restrooms
Designated wellness rooms
Fully private spaces not visible or audible to others
Personal care activities should not be conducted at desks, cubicles, or during meetings, even if the employee believes the activity to be discreet.
MEDICAL ACCOMMODATIONS
MSS recognizes that certain medical or health-related needs may require accommodation.
Employees seeking accommodation for medically necessary personal care activities should contact Human Resources to discuss appropriate arrangements. Documentation may be required.
ENFORCEMENT
Failure to adhere to this policy may result in corrective action, up to and including disciplinary measures, in accordance with MSS workplace conduct guidelines.
Supervisors are expected to model appropriate behavior and to escalate concerns to Human Resources rather than addressing issues informally.
FINAL NOTE
This clarification is intended to ensure consistency, comfort, and professionalism across all MSS work environments. It is not intended to single out individuals or incidents, but to provide clear guidance where ambiguity previously existed.
Thank you for your cooperation.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Clarifications tend to appear only after informal tolerance becomes visible. This memo reflects how discomfort is often translated into policy language that avoids attribution while standardizing behavior.
In practice, clarity arrives after precedent.
written and designed by gintare okrzesik, creator of may season studio — a fictional corporation exploring beauty, bureaucracy, and quiet corruption through narrative design.
Filed under: Human Resources Policy Clarifications
I find myself considering Foucault, but also Ballard. There is always Ballard, constantly intersecting like some irritating Venn diagram. Note to HR required to clarify. Draft updates for exception list.
Excellent. HR is always running a catch up game with employees these days. I love "These examples are not exhaustive." along with "...to provide clear guidance where ambiguity previously existed." Ambiguity will always exist in the minds of some employees!