Haircut during the thirty days for livelihood

Someone who needs to appear at work with a haircut for livelihood, can they be lenient with the haircut prohibition during mourning for their father or mother?

Within the thirty days, one cannot be lenient. After thirty days, if he has been reprimanded once, he can from then on be lenient to get a haircut without reprimand. Some are lenient after thirty days without reprimand.

Rabbi Akiva Eiger writes: "In the DM, the AZ's opinion is brought, and here are his words: 'You ask if you can get a haircut after your father's death within twelve months because you are busy with your livelihood and are among the nobles. I inform you that twelve months are not mentioned concerning hair growth, only until his friends reprimand him. The practice of observing twelve months is merely a stringency in honor of his father and mother. Therefore, you are allowed to get a haircut as usual.' This implies that by law, after waiting the time of reprimand, he is allowed to shave thereafter at any time as usual, and there is no need to wait each time for the time of reprimand. However, the custom is to be stringent for the entire twelve months. And since he is among the nobles, he does not need to adhere to this stringency and returns to the law that after reprimand, he shaves as usual. This is the intention of the RMA, who initially wrote: 'In these places, it is customary...' and further: 'If not...' This means that then there is no need to worry about that custom. But before the time of reprimand, it does not help that he is among the nobles. And after he shaved for the time of reprimand, he does not need to wait again for the time of reprimand, but shaves thereafter as usual, according to his habit." Thus, he holds that after thirty days, reprimand is required in case of financial loss. However, in Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, Siman 221, paragraph 12, it is written: "It is forbidden to cut one's hair for all thirty days, whether the hair on his head, the hair of his beard, or hair on any place. For his father and mother, it is forbidden to cut hair until his friends reprimand him. The time of reprimand is a matter of dispute among the authorities, and in these countries, it is customary not to cut hair for all twelve months, unless for necessity. For example, if his hair has become heavy on him, or if he goes among the nations and appears disheveled among them due to his hair, then he is permitted to cut it." It is clear from his words that in a case of necessity, when "he goes among the nations and appears disheveled among them due to his hair," he is permitted to cut his hair after thirty days even without reprimand.