Following a recent hearing in the United Kingdom’s parliament regarding the expectations of women’s appearance in the workplace, famous department store Harrods has charged with discrimination. A black woman who applied for work with the company alleges she was told she wouldn’t get hired without changing her appearance. She was told to chemically straighten her naturally curly hair in order to look “more professional.”
Former temp worker, 27-year-old Nicola Thorpe. testified to Parliament about the comments made during a group interview with a hiring agency. She alleged the woman performing the interviews criticized candidates’ looks, telling people they needed makeovers, including telling a black candidate to change her curls. She told the woman she would not get hired without getting her hair chemically straightened, and could not work for her unless she looked more professional.
These allegations add to the ongoing struggle of women across the globe struggling for workplace equality when it comes to their natural hair. Back in 2016, Rachel Sabako was fired from the St. Regis hotel when she refused to remove her dreadlocks. The hotel states that Rachel was removed for not fitting company culture, but could not provide specific reasons as to how she didn’t fit in, or any policy violations.
In America, employees are struggling against discrimination based upon their natural hair. Chastity Jones, a black woman located in Alabama was denied employment due to her hair style. The insurance company stated that they found her hairstyle to be problematic and rescinded a job offer they had already extended to Jones. Unaccepting of this act of discrimination, Jones turned to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The Commission sued the company on Jones’ behalf, but Jones lost the case. The court ruled that dreadlocks are not an “unchangeable” part of their identity, so firing or rescinding a job offer isn’t based on race.
While the global community drags its feet on determining what constitutes discrimination in regards to natural hair, people continue to lose employment. Have any of you curlies experienced discrimination in the workplace over your natural hair? What did you do about it? To read more about workplace discrimination, check it out here .