After unprecedented national protests against injustice and inequality and a more concerted push for diversity and inclusion, the United Parcel Service (UPS) has lifted its long-established ban on beards and natural Black hairstyles like Afros and braids.
News of the change was first reported by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) Tuesday, Nov. 10 after it obtained internal documents announcing the policy change.
The company said the changes are being implemented to “celebrate diversity rather than corporate restrictions.” Natural hairstyles “such as afros, braids, curls, coils, locs, twists and knots are now permissible.”
According to the new policy, facial hair is also “definitely acceptable as long as they are worn in a businesslike manner and don’t create a safety concern.”
Also being done away with gender-specific guidelines, with the company stating, “No matter how you identify—dress appropriately for your workday.”
It is a move comes months after the global shipping company hired its first woman, Carol Tomé, to serve as chief executive officer (CEO). Tome said she made the changes after receiving feedback from employees who said abandoning the policies would make them more likely to recommend UPS as an employer.
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“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,” the company said in a statement.
UPS is also conducting diversity and inclusion training “to ensure our actions match our values,” Tome recently said.
While the company has made exceptions to the policy for medical or religious reasons in the past, it still was subject of a religious discrimination lawsuit in 2018 for its ban on beards and long hair.
Workers have also protested the beard ban in the past, noting the difference in society since the rules were first created by UPS founder James Casey.
UPS Chief Human Resources Officer Charlene Thomas said despite the changes, they trust workers to still uphold the company’s standards.
“The new appearance guidelines recognize the beauty in the diversity of all UPSers,” Thomas said in the internal notice. “We know that UPSers will always be respectful of our culture, our customers and our co-workers when deciding how they show up and act on the job.”
