Should schools & employers have dress codes & non-race specific hair standards?

[Tropicana]

We've had a lot of discussions about hair on here. It is definitely a controversial topic. Seems that some are of the opinion that dress codes and hair standards are inappropriate so I am going to ask it outright.

- Should schools and employers have the right to set non-race specific standards re: hair?

Some companies used to refuse to hire people with Afros. Hotels and airlines used to ban cornrows. A Jamaican female purser grieved it through the union and won the right for Air Canada flight attendants to wear cornrows BUT that is a hairstyle.

Mohawks and locks are definitely more extreme. Ditto for punk hair-dos.

Do you feel that any and all hair styles should be acceptable?

Do companies have the right to set an image that they want to protect as part of their brand? An example, I notice when I travel with Emirates or Singapore Airlines, almost all of the flight attendants, regardless of race, have the same hairstyle. Also Singapore Airlines flight attendants are compelled to wear corsets so that they have an hour glass figure. Is this appropriate?




While we are at it, Air Canada used to ban beards for male pilots and flight attendants. Some airlines still do. Is this inappropriate?

Consider these examples:



This is a guy BTW







How extreme is too extreme?

Is there any such thing as too extreme?

For the record, I have hired people with locks in Canada and the Caribbean and also convinced a bank in the Caribbean to re-think their blanket hiring policies against locks but there is a fundamental issue here that warrants some exploration.

[Tropicana]

I'll give you another one. There is a young White guy in my church who plays in the band sometimes during worship. He doesn't wear shoes....he's barefoot on stage. The other day, his Mom sat near me and he came to speak with her just before the service started. He wasn't playing that day but he was barefoot. Is this appropriate? If he worked say in a bank as a teller or at a hotel as a front desk clerk, would it be appropriate for him to go around barefoot? Should the employer have the right to set restrictions?

[blugiant]

da ting dat amaze mii iss dat school uniforms doan improve performance wen dem instituted in school

[Tropicana]

That is not consistent with what I have heard but that is again another argument. Bwoy you love bring up off-topic arguments.

So what do you think? Is any attire that is inappropriate for work or school? Are all hairstyles appropriate for work and school?

[Tropicana]

nat seyinn anneeting goes cah fe sum jabs long hair raises certain issues aff safetee. still wance yuh start fe lowe school ann companee fe set arbitaree standards fe hair itt create institutional discriminatoree policees dat can be used to xxclude peeps.

Not necessarily.

shood an intelligent rasta natt be able to teach cah imm ave locks? wat does long hair affii doo widd woo qualifii fe go business school

First of all, I wasn't thinking of university when I posed these question. That hasn't even been raised once in any of these discussions. I have never heard of any situations in which hair style is taken into account when considering whether or not someone will be accepted at college or university. Discussions have focused on elementary and high school children and whether or not schools should be allowed to have dress codes and standards re: hair. That is what I am focusing on here.

Second I am raising the question about whether or not employers have the right to set standards on how employees dress or where their hair consistent with the image they are trying to project.

The first and most important consideration should be who is the most qualified and skilled to do the job. Beyond that grooming is important in many jobs. Do you want a cook or waiter looking unkempt for example? It doesn't always have to do with hair length. Some people have long hair that is clean tidy and well shaped. Others have short hair that is dirty or nasty looking.

This may be an interesting look for a fashion show or shoot or to wear to a club but would you want someone with hair all over the place like this preparing your dinner at a restaurant? It would important for her to pull it back tie it back or something don't you think?

hair.jpg


Here is another example. This actress Veroinica Lake, was popular before the war. She was famous for a look called peek-a-boo curls and white women emulated it.



When the war started and women went to work in factories, the hair was getting caught in machinery and it was causing accidents. So Veronica Lake was pressured into chopping off her hair and factory owners placed restrictions on the hairstlye. It killed her acting career by the way.

[Tropicana]

So blugiant...you going answer me or not. The issue of locks is not about natural hair.....it is about extreme hairstyles (unless the locks are very short and neat or styled).

This is extreme




This is not:



So I ask you again...are all hairstyles acceptable for all schools and all places of employment?

[Tropicana]

Short hair can be extreme too. Are you going to tell me this would be appropriate for a bank executive?

[Tropicana]

I guess the brainwash goes to the core....calling locs extreme hairstyle while considering chemically burned hair normal or superior...aye sah...the chain come offa wi foot and gone pon wi brain

Who EVER said straightened hair was superior? You really need to stop jumping to conclusions. you know. I have repeatedly complained about the pressure Black women face to straighten their hair for certain opportunities and complained BITTERLY about the amount of money and opportunities I lost out on when I wouldn't straighten my hair.

Fact are facts. Whether you want to admit it or not, style like these are going to be more accepted in the corporate world:






than these



For organizations that want to project a conservative image you bet your sweet bippy locks unless worn short and styled will be perceived as an extreme hair style whether you are in the Caribbean or Canada. If you can't see that you must be smoking too much wacky tabacky. Have you ever seen someone at reception in a hotel with locks? I haven't but I have certainly seen the same hotel hire an entertainer or (rarely) a playmaker with locks that are styled neatly.

Come to think if it, I have never seen a tour guide in Jamaica with locks or someone who drives a tourist bus. Not even once. Frankly for those positions, I don't think it should matter but like it or not, it does.

This is a totally different discussion from a discussion about the war on natural Black hair and that is why I am addressing it in a different thread.

Same woman and she is much more likely to get a corporate job with the hair style on the left than on the right and it has nothing to do with natural vs straight. It's neat and tidy vs messy.



Here same woman and one style is more extreme and less conservative than the other and she will get different results in terms of employment and promotions whether you want to admit it or not.




It all comes down to career goals. I remember when I was making the transition to the corporate world, I had my hair natural and a medium length, nicely shaped. I had a heck of a time getting work. So I got feedback and wore it lower and still neatly shaped. It made a huge difference. Then I had long braids for a long time and promotions came up and you better believed I was passed over. If you are going to set up your own business and cater to a market other than the corporate world then grow your locks to your ankles but don't whine if you do that and no corporation will hire you or do business with you.

[Tropicana]

This is the first example I have seen of a university placing restrictions on hairstyles. They did it as they know the graduates will have a heck of a time finding employment if there hair is not conservatively styled. Don't get on my case about the use of the word dreadlocks. I did not write the article and whether you want to admit it or not, that is what they were called in Jamaica until relatively recently.

HISTORICAL BLACK COLLEGE, HAMPTON UNIVERSITY BANS MALE MBA STUDENTS FROM WEARING CORNROWS & DREADLOCKS

Hampton Universitystudents have restrictions on what they can do with their hair. The historically Black college has banned its male MBA students from wearing cornrows and dreadlocks.The rule, handed down from Business School Dean Sid Credle, was implemented in 2001, and continues to draw criticism. According to Credle, certain hairstyles are unprofessional, and demeaning to Black history. “When was it that cornrows and dreadlocks were a part of African-American history?” he said. “I mean Charles Drew didn’t wear[them], Muhammad Ali didn’t wear [them]. Martin Luther King didn’t wear [them].”
“What we do is pay tribute to that image and say those are your role models. This is a way you will look when you become president. If you’re going to play baseball, you wear baseball uniforms. If you’re going to play tennis, you wear [a] tennis uniform.”…


View the rest of this article and watch the video here
************************************************** *
Oh yes, Dean Sid Credle went there and I really want to hear your thoughts. Natural hair in corporate America may be a miniscule affair for some, while on the other hand many naturals have found success in corporate America. Though despite successes, this matter still touches the core in what is deemed “unprofessional” in the corporate workplace, but I just have to ask this…What is the “ideal” professional appearance or standard regarding natural hair, and where is this “ideal” based from? Perhaps, if you take a moment to think about this question, you may realize why natural hair seems so extreme in the corporate world to certain individuals when it should be the norm!

[Tropicana]

I had heard about an Air Jamaica pilot with locks. Was it Captain Michael Batts? I have never seen a fight attendant with locks on any Caribbean airline but I did see this. Frankly, the wig looks ridiculous.

To Keep His Job Black French Flight Attendant Forced to Cover Dreadlocks with Bad Wig

Despite more and more African-descended people embracing their natural hair, certain hairstyles are still seen as “unprofessional” by some companies, causing employees to change their hairstyle or risk being reprimanded by their employers.According to a petition demanding Air France reviews its policies on hair, one flight attendant claims he was forced to hide his dreadlocks under a horrible toupee to please his bosses.
The blog Afro-Europe reports that Aboubakar Traoré, a Frenchman of Ivorian descent, was hired by Air France in 1999. Although he’s been wearing dreadlocks for a while, Traoré was recently called in by management and told that his hair was harming the company’s image and that he’d have to wear a wig or risk losing his job.
Ironically, black female flight attendants are allowed to wear braids and dreadlocks, but not their male counterparts.
Earlier this month demonstrators gathered in Paris to protest Air France’s policy, and a petition was started to get the company to update its rules to reflect the ethnic diversity of its employees.
Although companies have the right to institute policies on employee appearance, allowing workers to style their hair in neat, conservative styles—despite the texture—would not only make them happier, but would signal to customers that the company is progressive and diverse.

http://www.clutchmagonline.com/2012/05/to-keep-his-job-black-french-flight-attendant-forced-to-cover-dreadlocks-with-bad-wig/

[Tropicana]

By the way when I worked for Air Canada, they would send you to a modelling agency and then your hair would be styled by the agency's preferred hairdresser. The head of the agency and the hairdresser (both White) selected the natural hair style for me and I wore natural hair until about 10 years ago. So in this case, they preferred natural hair. There only stipulation was that it could not be longer than 4 inches which they felt was too long for my hair so it was shaped shorter. So they hit the mark with natural hair but missed it with braids. Eventually, due to grievances through the union, they basically no longer can mandate hairstyles and it looks like they don't do grooming or weight checks anymore either.

Notice the Black woman in their grooming guide has natural hair.

http://www.acifstraining.com/iSoft/recr/login/en/news/Groomingguidee.pdf

Our Image is a part
of our brand and
infl uences customer
perception and choice. Our
uniform and appearance
present an image that is
a key element of the
Air Canada and Air Canada Jazz
brands. While in uniform, you
represent Air Canada or
Air Canada Jazz.
We want to project a
neat,
clean, and professional
image. Adhering to the
grooming standards and
wearing the uniform as
intended conveys a consistent
look and brand experience

The purpose of a uniform is to create a standard
look that can be recognized no matter
where you work. Customers expect to see
a consistent brand image. It is therefore essential
that grooming standards are adhered to and that
uniform components are worn according to company
policies. It is your personal responsibility to appear
immaculate while wearing the company uniform and
follow the grooming standards detailed in this guide.
Grooming standards respect safety and hygiene criteria

Hairstyle /Length

Hair must be clean, conservative well groomed and styled in a professional way


When worn loose, hair must be kept away from the face and must be no longer than the bottom edge of the blouse collar at the back

Hair longer than bottom edge of blouse collar must be tied back in a ponytail, single braid, chignon or French Twist style and worn away from the face.

Braids and ponytails must be no longer than 20cm (8”).

Braids, ponytails and buns must be secured at the nape of the neck.



Hairstyle and length must not interfere with the use of Protective Breathing Equipment.


Hair products must enhance a hairstyle and not detract from a clean, neat look.

Bangs must be neat, well shaped and extend no longer than the top of the eyebrows.

They don't ban locks but I have never seen an Air Canada flight attendant with locks.

Locks, braids and cornrows should be tamed and in a uniform series of twists 2.5 mm to 5 mm apart
(1/8” to 1/4”).

Sounds reasonable to me.

If worn loose, hair must not extend past the bottom edge of shirt collar.

When longer, hair must be tied back in a ponytail or single braid and worn away from the face.

Hair must be worn in such a fashion that it won’t impede with your bracing position or
the wearing of an oxygen mask/ Protective Breathing Equipment.


As you are also serving food, these grooming standards are in place to avoid any risk of food contamination. For this reason, hair beyond bottom edge of blouse collar must be upswept.

What not to wear

Extreme and non-businesslike hairstyles, including:
• Extremely spiked hair
• Crimped hair
• Multiple or elaborate braids
• Loops, tendrils and cascades of curls
• Poufs and extreme volume
• Large dyed streaks
• Unnatural looking colours, such as pink, green
• Do not wear obvious or unnatural looking hairpieces or extensions

All of this sound reasonable to me.

[Tropicana]

Okay for men these are the standards:

Hairstyle / LengthHair must be styled in a
conservative and professional
manner
Hair products must enhance a
hairstyle and not detract from a
clean, neat look
Hair must not fall into face and
must remain in place while
working
Dyed hair must be of a natural
shade; roots must not be visible
in their natural color
Gel, mousse, pomade, and
sprays may be used in
moderation to achieve a
conservative and controlled look
Shaved heads are acceptableHair on closely shaved heads must be uniform in length. No
patterns.

They don't ban locks for men either.

Locks, braids and cornrows
should be tamed and in a
uniform series of twists 2.5 mm
to 5 mm apart (1/8 to 1/4 in.)
and may not extend past the
top of the collar. They must
remain close to the head and lay
in the same direction
When worn loose, hair must be
kept away from the face and
must be no longer than the
bottom edge of the shirt collar
at the back
Hair longer than bottom edge of
shirt collar must be tied back in
a ponytail and worn away from
the face

Ponytails must be no longer than 20cm (8”) and secured at
the nape of the neck
Hairstyle and length must
not interfere with the use of
Protective Breathing Equipment
Hairpiece
If required, wear a hairpiece
provided it is not obvious, looks
natural and conforms to the hair
style/length standards.
Facial Hair
Fully grown, not stubbled,
moderate in style, clean and
neatly trimmed.
Face must be clean shaven
Sideburns that extend no lowerthan above the earlobe and are to be neatly trimmed and
uniform in width.
Hair Accessories
Black or clear elastic
Turban
Wear a navy turban only

What not to Wear

•Bobs or Mohawks
Moustaches that extend below the corner of the mouth
• Handlebar, waxed, twisted or extreme styles
• Facial hair that inhibits the use of Protective Breathing Equipment
• Any other hair accessories

[Tropicana]

Here is another example. This student was denied a summer job because she had locks:



The title is misleading:

Six Flags Says Natural Hair is Unprofessional

It should be:

Six Flags Says Locks and Mohawks are Unprofessional

Six Flags has a policy barring those who wear their hair in dreadlocks from employment. This natural hair style, is categorized by the corporation as being an “extreme” hairstyle, similar to that of wearing a mohawk or unnatural hair coloring. Maryland resident Markeese Warner has started a petition at Change.org bringing attention to the matter, here is her story:

Like many students across the country, I have been looking for a summer job before I start my senior year at Pennsylvania State University where I’m studying engineering. As I’m living at home in Maryland for the summer, I thought working at the nearby Six Flags would be a great summer job. I’ve been going to Six Flags with my family for years and have even had season passes on occasion, so I applied for a food service job. However, as I started to go through the interview process, I was disturbed to find out that I couldn’t work at Six Flags because of the texture of my hair. Six Flags has a strict policy that prohibits employees from having dreadlocks (or “locks” as some people call them) as they classify them as an “extreme” hairstyle along with mohawks and unnatural coloring.
Locks are predominantly worn by African-American, Caribbean and African people as an expression of how our hair grows naturally. My hair is important to me and part of who I am. I’ve had locks for about five years. Being disqualified as a potential employee because of my hair made me feel defeated; as my hair is representation of my personal growth through the years. It hurts to hear major employers like Six Flags call my natural hair and texture “extreme.” Unfortunately, throughout history, many people have demonized locks.
It is disparaging for Six Flags to accept substantial amounts of money every year at their parks across the United States, Mexico and Canada from patrons who wear their hair as it grows naturally, but the company would refuse to hire any of those patrons with locks. We spend way too much money at places like Six Flags Theme Parks for them to discriminate against any members of our community. Let us also exercise our voice with our dollars.
There is no excuse in 2012 for such abhorrent employment policies. In a time when the “voice of the people” can indeed be witnessed to move mountains, let us in one accord raise our voice. In a country that purports itself to be the greatest “melting pot” of social values and ideals, it’s time for Six Flags to stop its discriminatory policy by categorically refusing to employ people because of their natural hair. Please join me in asking Six Flags to stop discriminating against people with locks.

http://blacknaps.org/2012/06/13/flags-natural-hair-unprofessional/

[Tropicana]

This is interesting from INC. Magazine which is about as conservative as it gets.




Would You Refuse to Hire Someone Wearing Dreadlocks

The U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Commission is suing a Virginia company for denying a job to a Rastafarian who wouldn't cut his hair because of his religious beliefs.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is suing a Virginia moving and storage business for refusing to hire a man who wears his hair in dreadlocks because of his religious beliefs.

This is key:

Christopher Woodson -- who has 14 years of experience in the moving industry -- applied for a job at Lawrence Transportation Systems in May 2008. The company wouldn't hire him as a loader because Woodson refused to cut his hair, alleges a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Virginia. Woodson wears his hair in dreadlocks, because his Rastafarian religious beliefs encourage followers to refrain from cutting their hair.

Woodson offered to tie up his hair or wear a cap, according to the lawsuit. But a Lawrence Transportation hiring official rejected Woodson's offer, the lawsuit states. Woodson worked for Lawrence Transportation before he became a practicing Rastafarian in 2004.

I don't think the company has a leg to stand on.

The company defended its decision not to hire Woodson in a statement to the Roanoke Times.
"We are in the household goods moving business which requires our people to go into customers' homes and to have close personal contact with them. Our policy states that hair, facial hair, beards and general grooming must be neat, clean and trimmed. His hair was down to the middle of his back and he was asked to get it cut to about shirt collar length. He refused to comply with this neutral policy," the company said.
It added: "Lawrence understands and embraces its obligation to accommodate religious expression in the workplace, however, Mr. Woodson's request to be exempted from this important policy would have caused an undue hardship on the company."
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 requires employers to make "reasonable accommodations" to religious beliefs.
"No person should ever be forced to choose between his religion and a job," employment commission attorney Lynette A. Barnes said in a statement. The EEOC filed suit against Lawrence after first attempting to reach a settlement.
The commission asks that Woodson receive back pay and compensation for losses and be offered a position as a loader at the company, according to the lawsuit.

http://www.inc.com/news/article/2010/10/virginia-company-sued-for-refusing-to-hire-man-with-dreadlocks.html

Now how locks are inconsistent with the job for which he applied is beyond me.

[Tropicana]

2 businesses sued for work discrimination

In one of the cases, a Rastafarian man wasn't hired because he would not cut his dreadlocks.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is suing two Roanoke Valley businesses for workplace and employment discrimination, even as the agency's total number of individual charges nationwide declined between fiscal 2008 and 2009.A complaint filed Sept. 21 in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia's Harrisonburg division alleges that Lawrence Transportation Systems, a Roanoke moving and storage business, refused to hire a man in 2008 because of his religious beliefs.
Christopher Woodson applied for a job as a loader at the company's Waynesboro facility, but Lawrence Transportation would not hire him because Woodson refused to cut his hair, alleges the commission in the court filing. Woodson wears his hair in dreadlocks, because his Rastafarian religious beliefs encourage followers to refrain from cutting their hair.
Woodson, who has 14 years experience in the moving industry, offered to tie up his hair or wear a cap, according to the lawsuit. But a Lawrence Transportation hiring official rejected Woodson's offer, the lawsuit states. Woodson worked for Lawrence Transportation before he became a practicing Rastafarian.

This is the company's response.

In a statement provided by an attorney for Lawrence Transportation, the company defended its decision not to hire Woodson.
"We are in the household goods moving business which requires our people to go into customers' homes and to have close personal contact with them. Our policy states that hair, facial hair, beards and general grooming must be neat, clean and trimmed. His hair was down to the middle of his back and he was asked to get it cut to about shirt collar length. He refused to comply with this neutral policy," the response states.
"Lawrence understands and embraces its obligation to accommodate religious expression in the workplace, however, Mr. Woodson's request to be exempted from this important policy would have caused an undue hardship on the company," the company said.

Well it it will be interesting to see the ruling on this one.

The commission asks that Woodson receive back pay and compensation for losses and be offered a position as a loader at the company, according to the lawsuit.
The commission also is suing Roanoke-based Tomlin Hair Care, which operates Cost Cutters Family Hair Care salons, for allegedly discriminating against a black hair stylist. The commission tried to reach a voluntary settlement with the company.
Tomlin runs 14 hair salons in Southwest Virginia and Knoxville, Tenn., the commission said.
Pam Hairston began working for a Martinsville salon owned by Tomlin in July 2006. In March 2008, an assistant manager, who is white, began to use the racial slur "n-----" in multiple conversations with Hairston, co-workers and customers, states a lawsuit filed Sept. 23 in the Danville division of U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia. Hairston met with Tomlin management in April 2008 to complain.
In May 2008, Hairston was fired for alleged poor performance, though she had been complimented repeatedly on her work, according to court documents.
The commission is asking Tomlin for back pay and other compensation for Hairston's losses. Tomlin representatives did not return calls for comment about the lawsuit Friday.
The commission reports on its website that it pursues more than 300 new lawsuits every year, adding, "because of limited resources, though, we can't file a lawsuit in every case where discrimination has been found."
Bayard Harris, a labor and employment law expert on the faculty at Roanoke College, said the commission is more likely to sue when the alleged violations are serious or if the circumstances seem to have potential to be a model case that could highlight larger issues, such as religious discrimination, that promise a wider impact.
A case might also appeal to the commission if the agency "thinks it's going to be a slam-dunk," said Harris, also a lawyer with the Roanoke-based firm Woods Rogers.
The Lawrence Transportation case alleges religious discrimination and thus its pursuit targets a broad issue. As for allegations of the repeated utterance of racial slurs at a hair salon in Martinsville, Harris said, "There are just some things you don't do in the world, and one of them is use the N-word."

http://ww2.roanoke.com/business/wb/262489/