Does a facial hair policy at work limit what you can do with regards to your chosen hair style?
What about your chosen hair style in general?
In some professions, facial hair can be an area of concern for both the worker and employer. Working in an industry where food is prepared or working in a sterilized environment may mean you have to wear a hairnet or beard mask or both.
I worked in a dairy manufacturer in university in the production department and had to wear a hairnet at all times and beard nets were required too. I only grew a beard once on a whim for a few months and had to wear a beard net for the first time. The hair net didn’t bother me but the beard net was uncomfortable and didn’t feel natural.
It should be noted that I had a full head of hair at the time. I often wondered what would happen if a guy with a shaved head worked there…would he be required to wear a hair net?
Facial Hair Policy Workplace Examples
What if you have specific work policies prohibiting facial hair?
The New York Yankees Major League Baseball (MLB) famously have a specific facial hair and head hair policy that reads as follows:
All players, coaches and male executives are forbidden to display any facial hair other than mustaches (except for religious reasons), and scalp hair may not be grown below the collar. Long sideburns and “mutton chops” are not specifically banned.
Source: New York Yankees
Notice how the “religious reasons” clause is added to avoid being accused of discrimination. And most notably, many players upon joining the Yankees like Johnny Damon, Randy Johnson and Jason Giambi among others cut their hair or otherwise willingly conformed to the team rules.
How the MLB Players Association hasn’t challenged this rule is another story. I guess in the spirit of the “team” concept, players don’t bother challenging it, especially since the 3 players mentioned above all joined the team while getting paid very large guaranteed contracts near or at the peak of their careers.
Not worth fighting the man if it means not getting paid.
When Yankees legend Don Mattingly refused to cut his long hair in 1991, he was effectively benched and wasn’t allowed to play for a time. The team bit off its own nose to spite its face, enforcing a silly policy for no good reason, to the detriment of the team which it was supposedly protecting.
On another occasion, the Yankees publicly made a statement about not acquiring pitcher Brian Wilson and referenced his super long beard, insinuating that he had informed the team he wouldn’t shave if they acquired him.
If this is true, I say good for him.
Shouldn’t a policy created in 1973 – 47 years ago – be updated and brought kicking and screaming into the 21st century?
Why should one team in a 30-team sport be allowed to enforce a rule that has no impact on the game that no other team enforces?
Facial Hair Policy Workplace Examples Impacted By Race
Acne keloidalis nuchae (AKN) is a chronic condition characterized by bumps and eventually scars that typically occurs on the back of the neck and lower back of the scalp. AKN predominantly affects Black men and less frequently affects Latinos, Asians and Caucasians. It is far more prevalent in men than women.
While a medical professional is advisable to consult with if you suffer from AKN, the general advice is to avoid closely shaving the back of the neck area to avoid irritating the skin or worse.
In February 2019, the New York City Commission on Human Rights released guidelines that specifically prohibits the discrimination against people based on their chosen hair style. In particular the guidelines refer to the following:
The New York City Human Rights Law (“NYCHRL”) protects the rights of New Yorkers to maintain natural hair or hairstyles that are closely associated with their racial, ethnic, or cultural identities. For Black people, this includes the right to maintain natural hair, treated or untreated hairstyles such as locs, cornrows, twists, braids, Bantu knots, fades, Afros, and/or the right to keep hair in an uncut or untrimmed state.
Source: https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/cchr/downloads/pdf/Hair-Guidance.pdf
So some facial hair policies could discriminate against certain groups of people especially when some races are more negatively affected by skin conditions that make shaving painful.
I wonder how far the Yankees would go if a player decided to publicly invoke these guidelines to grow their hair in a certain style?
California followed New York’s lead by instituting a similar policy called C.R.O.W.N. which stands for Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair.
Can A Facial Hair Policy At Work Differ For Men And Women?
Yes.
Of course it depends where you live and work too, doesn’t it?
Different countries and even states, companies and industries routinely have different rules from one another.
A US employer can allow women to have long hair but prohibit men from doing so as long as they can prove that this rule is not placing a higher burden on one sex over another.
I have a feeling rules like this aren’t too far away from disappearing. As time goes on, I think it will be more difficult for companies to justify deciding that women can grow long hair but men can’t because…reasons.
Conclusion
- Depending on local laws and your employer’s own rules, a facial hair policy at work might limit what sort of facial hair you are permitted to grow.
- Some professions and employers have specific rules on facial hair and hair care in general.
- Jurisdictions like New York and California have laid out specific guidelines to prevent discrimination against people based on hairstyles especially as it pertains to race and religion.
- Some races experience a higher prevalence of skin conditions that can make shaving painful which may be exacerbated by certain facial hair policies.