The NYC Commission on Human Rights (NYCCHR) released guidelines on Monday that will prohibit hair and hairstyle based discrimination in the workplace.
Today, the New York City Commission on Human Rights releases legal guidance on our protections and enforcement actions against racial discrimination on the basis natural hair and hairstyles: https://t.co/ofDAttCZbQ #YourHairYourRightNYC pic.twitter.com/24MocBzk9Z
— NYC Human Rights (@NYCCHR) February 18, 2019
According to the new legal guide, New Yorkers have the right to maintain “maintain natural hair or hairstyles that are closely associated with their racial, ethnic, or cultural identities.”
While the new laws can apply to anyone, the NYCCHR is targeting appearance-based policies that disproportionately affect Black men and women.
Individuals who feel that they have been discriminated against because of their hair or hairstyle now have legal recourse and can seek damages. The NYCCHR will even be able to n levy penalties up to $250,000.
These new guidelines are the first of their kind, and come after several high profile cases of hair-based discrimination at employers such as ZARA.