The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a measure that would protect employees from discrimination based on natural hair and hairstyles associated with race and national origin. Here's what employers need to know as the bill moves to the Senate for consideration.
Combating Appearance Discrimination
The Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act—HR 2116—passed the House in a 235-to-189 vote on March 18.
Racial and national origin discrimination can occur because of long-standing biases and stereotypes associated with hair texture and style, according to the bill. "For example, routinely, people of African descent are deprived of educational and employment opportunities because they are adorned with natural or protective hairstyles in which hair is tightly coiled or tightly curled, or worn in locs, cornrows, twists, braids, Bantu knots or Afros," the bill states.
The proposed legislation would prohibit employers from firing, refusing to hire or otherwise discriminating against workers based on "hair texture or hairstyle, if that hair texture or that hairstyle is commonly associated with a particular race or national origin."
This would be the first piece of federal legislation addressing appearance discrimination as it specifically relates to a worker's protected characteristic—in this case, race, noted Annie Reese, an attorney with Fisher Phillips in Atlanta. "Proponents of the CROWN Act believe that it will protect an important piece of...
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