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An Edmonton woman who says she’s being discriminated against because she has 22 visible piercings is reigniting the debate about workplace dress codes.

Kendra Behringer, 24, complained that one prospective employer threw out her résumé in front of her, but lawyers believe her chances of establishing discrimination are slim to non-existent, while employment and image experts say businesses are entitled to set rules on how workers dress.

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“The [employer] is going to perhaps wonder, ‘Will this person be able to conform to the rules that we have, or is this somebody who is more rebellious?’” said Diane Craig, president of Toronto-based image consultant company Corporate Class Inc.

Ms. Behringer has launched a campaign to make it illegal for employers to discriminate based on body modifications, something that would require an amendment to the Alberta Human Rights Act.

Her petition has amassed more than 200 signatures and she’s looking for an MLA to put her case to the Alberta legislature, she told the Edmonton Journal.