How to Handle Hair Discrimination in the Workplace and During a Job Search

The CROWN Act, “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair,” is a law prohibiting race-based hair discrimination. But every state hasn’t adopted it. Thus, it is still important to know what to do when issues around hair discrimination arise in the workplace and job search.

By Brandi Fowler

Hair discrimination can be subtle or upfront, but it has existed in the workplace and in job interviews for a long time.?

Michigan State University revealed in a recent study that African-American women face the highest instances of hair discrimination. They found that Black women are more likely to be sent home from the workplace because of their hair. Also, it showed many African-American women felt they needed to wear their hair in styles based on conservative standards to fit in at work.?

Duke University found that participants viewed hairstyles like afros, twists or braids as less professional, and Black women with natural hairstyles are less likely to land job interviews than white women or Black women with straightened hair.

The CROWN Act, which stands for “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair”, prohibits race-based hair discrimination. Only 18 states adopted the law, so it is essential to know what to do if you experience hair discrimination in the workplace and during job interviews.

“One of the ways hair discrimination can show up is when employees are told what to do with their hair or that certain hairstyles are unprofessional,” said BWG Business Solutions founder Janice Gassam Asare. “One of my clients shared with me that as a Black woman on a team led by a South Asian man, she was told before she met with a client that she had to make sure that her hair looked professional.?

“And there wasn't any sort of background around that statement, but her boss made sure that he said that to her specifically. And so, she felt like that was a microaggression.”

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the CROWN Act in March 2022, and now its fate rests with the Senate. The Biden Administration backs the CROWN Act, but the possibility of it passing is uncertain. Support from at least 10 Senate Republicans and all Democrats is needed for the legislation to reach President Joe Biden.

Though natural hair discrimination received more press attention in the past few years, education about it is still lacking, said Black History and Culture Academy Founder Elizabeth Leiba.

“People still don't understand how [hair discrimination] can be possible,” Leiba said. “It just seems like if you are not Black, you don't have natural hair. I hear rhetoric that ‘people don't really discriminate against something as petty as someone's hair’ [and] ‘that doesn't even sound like it is a real thing.’?

“The thing about natural hair is there are a lot of political statements around the idea of wearing natural hair in the Black community. Culturally, Black hair and our natural hair and expression of how we wear our hair, has always been significant in our communities.”

What Does Hair Discrimination Look Like?

Hair discrimination in job interviews or the workplace doesn’t always look like blatant discrimination.?

“One of the ways it manifests is Black people being told what to do with their hair, how to wear their hair, that certain hairstyles are more professional,” Asare said. “And then sometimes they are more microaggressive — people being told their hair looks better straightened.”

Discrimination can sometimes be difficult to prove, especially for Black women wearing their hair short in a natural Afro, in braids or locs, Asare said.

“It becomes a little bit hard to distinguish. ‘Am I being discriminated against because of the way that I'm wearing my hair?” Asare said. “‘Or is it because of something else?’ That is where some of the gas lighting comes in. ‘Oh, it couldn't have been that.’

“If someone makes that statement to you in an off-hand way, how do you determine that [is] discrimination? That is really why the Crown Act has been put into place. For a lot of women that were navigating these spaces, we really weren't sure if that was a discrimination.”?

If someone asks if you would be open to changing your hair or why you did, that can also be deemed discriminatory.

“I had one person tell me one time that they switched their hair up and wore braids, box braids to work,'' said diversity and Inclusion strategist Tana Session. “And their manager asked her — because she was the only Black person on the team — to share why Black women like changing their hairstyle so much.”

Hair discrimination, specifically related to the CROWN Act, is not associated with dyeing your hair pink or wearing your hair shaved to the side, Leiba said. “That is not the way your hair grows out of your head,” Leiba said.

“There is a very big difference between racial hair discrimination and someone saying, ‘Well if I want to wear my hair spiked with gel and green, no one should be able to discriminate against me.’ That is not what we are talking about. We are talking about women being able to wear their hair in the natural state. For most of us, our hair does not grow straight and relaxed. It is a process.”

What to Do if You Experience Hair Discrimination in the Workplace or During an Interview

Experiencing hair discrimination during job interviews can signal problematic workplace culture and a lack of diversity in the company.

So, if you experience it during an interview, consider whether you want to work for a company where team members are making inappropriate comments about your hair before being hired.

If it happens at work with a manager, talk to your manager about challenges you have experienced from wearing your natural hair in the workplace, Session said.??

“When I think about the CROWN Act, it was originally designed for Black and brown folks mostly that experience hair discrimination in the workplace,” Session said. “And that could be based on whether they are wearing Afros or dreadlocks or faux locs or bantus. All the different ways that we wear our natural hair as it grows out of our head, but it also helps other people.?

“I have had people tell me, ‘I am a Jewish woman. I have naturally curly hair. And it was never really acceptable or considered professional in the workplace as I was growing my career. And so I've always straightened my hair for fear of being viewed differently than the majority.’"

If you experience inappropriate comments about your hair from a co-worker, talk to them too.?

“This is what I call a teachable moment. It is an opportunity to bring them in or call them in, not call them out,” Session said. “I don't want someone like me to feel like it is my duty to formally educate someone about the history of Black hair. No, it is to share with you my personal experience.

“Helping them understand [it isn’t OK] and then encouraging them to conduct their own ongoing education to learn more about [Black hair is beneficial].”

You can also send those co-workers resources to help educate them.?

“It is easy to tell folks to Google it, but I think people don't know where to start,” Asare said. “If they see a hairstyle, they are like, ‘Oh, what is this?’ They don't know how to Google a Black hairstyle.?

“If you don't have the capacity to engage in that conversation, sending people resources is always a good option too. There are a lot of articles that have been written specifically about hair discrimination.”

Consider bringing in a third party if you are not close with that co-worker or feel they will be defensive.

“Create a safe space for you to share how what they said made you feel and why it made you feel that way,” Session said. “And then hopefully then they'll be willing to increase their own self-awareness and not make that same mistake twice.”

Whether you are talking to a co-worker or manager, be clear about why the comment was offensive or hurtful, Asare said.?

“There is still a lack of understanding and awareness when it comes to hair discrimination,” Asare said. “When I make posts on LinkedIn about my experiences with hair discrimination, there are still a lot of non-Black people in the comments who belittle my experience or say, ‘Oh, you're making this more than what it is,’ or, ‘Why can't we all just go to work and not worry about things like hair?’ And it's like, ‘It sounds nice, but for many of us who have had to, this has been an issue.’?

“So, engage in that conversation. But I wouldn't always say you should dive head first into that conversation. Only if you feel safe and protected.”

Also, document the incident even if you have a conversation with your co-worker or manager.?

“I think we have to make sure that we are taking the appropriate steps, making sure we address those things in a moment,” Leiba said. “Make sure that we document, make sure that we escalate it up the chain, whether it's to our direct supervisor or to HR.”

Unfortunately, some people still experience hair discrimination in the workplace. If you do, document the incident, have a conversation with the person who made the inappropriate comment about your hair, and talk to HR if needed.

Top Takeaways

How to Handle Hair Discrimination in the Workplace and During a Job Search

• The CROWN Act prohibits race-based hair discrimination. But only 18 states have passed it.?
• If you experience hair discrimination, have a conversation with your manager or co-worker and tell them why the comment was inappropriate.
• If you experience hair discrimination during an interview, address it professionally if you see fit.
• Document the incident and talk to HR if needed.?