Fifteen employees at the technology firm POD lost their jobs on October 27, 2026, after Pasargad Bank CEO Majid Ghassemi ordered immediate terminations during an on-site visit for alleged violations of strict new dress codes, according to reporting by IranWire. Fourteen female staff members were dismissed for not observing the mandatory hijab, while one male employee was fired for wearing denim jeans.
Enforcing Uniformity Across Financial Subsidiaries
The directive mandates a strict aesthetic: female employees must wear knee-length manteaus, straight-cut formal trousers, and a traditional maghneh headscarf, while shawls, scarves, pantsuits, and T-shirts are explicitly banned. Male workers face equally rigid parameters, restricted to formal long-sleeved dress shirts and trousers. Several subsidiaries within the Pasargad holding company began enforcing these rules ahead of an official October 31 implementation date, transforming corporate management into active enforcers of state dress codes.
Scale of the Conglomerate and Workplace Vulnerability
The enforcement threatens thousands of professionals working within the banking giant’s vast technological network. Fanap, the primary technology arm of Pasargad, employs more than 6,000 individuals, while specialized IT subsidiaries like Datin manage extensive personnel rosters across multiple offices. With management making continued employment strictly contingent upon immediate submission to the prescribed dress code, administrative directives have effectively barred non-compliant workers from entering company facilities.
| Entity / Subsidiary | Reported Workforce Scale | Key Enforced Measures |
|---|---|---|
| Fanap (Tech Arm) | Over 6,000 employees | Mandatory maghneh, knee-length manteaus, and formal trousers |
| Datin (IT Subsidiary) | Over 1,800 employees (as of May 2025) | Strict adherence to corporate dress code circulars |
| POD (Tech Firm) | Fifteen initial casualties | Immediate on-site terminations for dress code infractions |
Broader Crackdowns on Heritage and Identity
The Mashhad Gold, Jewelry, Silver and Coin Dealers’ Union recently published a notice on its Telegram channel prohibiting the sale or display of items bearing images of the Pahlavi dynasty or the historic Lion and Sun emblem. Operating under direct instructions from the police department responsible for supervising public establishments, traders in cities like Mashhad—hometown of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei—were forced to purge inventories of necklaces, bracelets, and commemorative coins featuring pre-Islamic and monarchical symbols as public demand for these items grew.
