How do you wear your hair to work? Do you wear it as you please? Or does your employer insist on you wearing it a certain way — which doesn’t work with your natural hair?
California was the first state to pass a CROWN Act, doing so in 2019. It stands for creating a respectful and open workplace for natural hair.
It’s to stop discrimination
If you are unhappy with your employer’s demands on your hairstyles, that does not necessarily mean you can invoke the act to challenge them. Rather, the act is designed to prevent discrimination based on how hair relates to a person’s race or culture.
The group that has suffered most over the years with regards to employer’s dress codes for hair is Black women. They’ve had to apply chemicals to their hair or iron it each morning to straighten it out so they can comply with their employer’s demands.
Many Black men were also affected, for example by not being allowed to wear an afro. Others who experienced discrimination included Native Americans, Sikhs, and those who follow the Rastafarian religion among others.
Employers can still make some stipulations about hair
The law does not mean everyone can wear their hair as they please. Employers can still insist on certain things, provided they do not discriminate against a certain employee or group of employees based on their protected characteristics. They can tell a group of women who all naturally have straight hair to wear it straight and down, but they can’t tell someone whose hair is naturally curly to wear it straight. They can insist most male employees are clean-shaven, but they can’t insist a Sikh or Orthodox Jew comply.
Employers have a choice. They can either give more freedom to everyone or make exceptions for certain people. If they refuse to do either, affected employees may need to investigate their legal options.