After reevaluating its long-standing employee appearance guidelines, UPS has made the landmark decision to lift its ban on natural black hairstyles and facial hair. The company, which employs over 525,000 people worldwide, appointed Carol Tomé its new chief executive last March, who took it upon herself to implement these changes in addition to abolishing gender-specific appearance guidelines as a whole.
“These changes reflect our values and desire to have all UPS employees feel comfortable, genuine and authentic while providing service to our customers and interacting with the general public,” stated UPS.
The delivery company stated this decision is part of a larger effort to “celebrate diversity rather than corporate restrictions.” Companies nationwide have come under fire for accusations of racially discriminating against potential hirees on the basis of their hairstyles and hair texture in recent years, and UPS is one of many companies to take heed and adjust its policies accordingly.
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Some of the company’s formerly strictly-observed guidelines included men not having hair longer than collar-length, limits on the number of piercings once can have, no sideburns below the hole of the ear, and no beards allowed, unless an employee had a medical or religious exemption.
In another win for natural curly hairstyles, Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s daughter, Blue Ivy, narrated Matthew Cherry’s empowering Academy Award-winning animated short film, Hair Love, in a four-minute audiobook version of the story released earlier this week.