Diversity in the workplace is something that a lot of companies praise in theory – but fail to practice in reality. One common form of workplace discrimination that often goes unnoticed or unaddressed is grooming discrimination.
Grooming discrimination refers to the biased treatment people of color often experience when a company’s dress and grooming codes favor White employees.
Grooming discrimination is about more than Black hair
In recent years, there’s been some attention on the problem of grooming discrimination regarding Black hair. Both Black men and women have been discriminated against by employers who forbid natural hairstyles, like afros, or traditional Black hairstyles, like locs.
Numerous states (including California) have addressed this issue with CROWN Acts that guarantee the right of workers to wear natural or traditional Black hairstyles. However, grooming discrimination isn’t always what you might expect. Here are some additional ways grooming discrimination might play out:
- Facial hair discrimination: Some companies require male employees to be clean-shaven, while others insist that facial hair must be “neatly trimmed.” If, for example, an employee is a Sikh male, this policy would interfere with the practice of their faith – which forbids the cutting of their hair, including beard hair.
- Makeup and appearance standards: Gender-based grooming discrimination is far too common in certain industries. Receptionists, retail workers, hospitality employees and even corporate professionals can find themselves facing implicit or explicit pressure to dress in a way that their employer finds “presentable.” This could, for example, involve a female employee being told that she needs to put on some makeup to avoid looking “haggard” and “unkempt,” while her male co-workers receive no such feedback.
- Dress code discrimination: Strict dress codes that are not relevant to safety issues can inadvertently discriminate against certain genders, cultures or religions. For example, a blanket rule against head coverings in a retail store could discriminate against a female Muslim employee who wears a hijab – even though her headscarf does not affect her ability to do her job.
Sometimes employers only need someone to point out how a policy is discriminatory before a change is made. Others are not so accommodating. If you’re the victim of grooming discrimination, you may need to seek legal guidance.