Traditional beliefs suggest that beards aren't part of a professional look, and in the past many people were recommended to shave before a job interview. That perception has changed significantly, and a recent survey of 500 men found 90% were allowed to have facial hair at work, as long as it was kept neat and clean.
Remember, you're free to choose. Even if your coworkers and even boss might be against it, your beard is your right.
However, if the employees choice to have a beard isn't on grounds of religious/cultural reasons then there is likely to be no cause of action or protection under Australian discrimination laws, as those laws do not protect “personal preferences” (i.e. a person's personal preference to have a beard) and in such ...
Well, if the company has a policy around facial hair in their dress code and it forms part of your contract with that company, then yes they can! They need to ensure they're not discriminating against you. If you have a beard for religious or medical reasons they CANNOT make you shave it off.
It is unusual for CEOs of major financial institutions to embrace facial hair. Richard Parsons, former CEO of Citigroup (NYSE:C) would be a rare exception to the rule. Beards are generally more popular among a younger set of CEOs.
From a legal perspective, employers can require male employees to shave as long as it doesn't infringe on their civil rights, or cause undue hardship.
In some cases, it's appropriate to have a clean-shaven face when interviewing for a job, which means no beards, goatees, sideburns or any other facial hair. This is especially true in organizations that have strict appearance and dress codes like military agencies or some emergency services roles.
Some religions (such as some sects of Islam, and Sikhism) have considered a full beard to be essential and mandate it as part of their observance.
Many Muslim scholars now do not see the beard as an obligation and do shave their beards. Muslims learn about the Prophet's views on facial hair not from the Koran, but through hadith - or sayings - attributed to Muhammad.
The Corporate Beard, aka the Business Beard, is a socially acceptable version of the Full Beard. It is 1 inch long or less, with clean-shaven cheeks and neck. Still a strong fashion statement, it looks neat in corporate environments and works great with a suit.
Requiring that workers remove their beards to promote a clean appearance is a form of discrimination unless the facial hair removal factors into health and safety requirements.
Business Beards and Facial Hair at Work
While the clean shaven advice for job seekers persists, 90% of our survey respondents can have facial hair at work. Most respondents claim there is no official facial hair policy for their employers, but note that the expectation is to keep their facial hair clean and neat.
The corporate beard, aka business beard, is a very short full face beard (usually 1/2″ to 1″ in length) that is evenly trimmed and the edges well-maintained. The mustache area is neatly trimmed with no flyaway hairs or any hairs overlapping the upper lip.
Employers can insist staff are well-groomed, but there are some occasions when requesting a beard to be shaved off could be classed as discriminatory.
What is the best beard length? Different strokes for different folks and all that, but there was a study done in 2008 that found women consider “heavy stubble,” or about ten days of beard growth to be the most attractive length.
A 7mm beard, as the name suggests, is a facial hair style where the beard is maintained at a length of approximately 7mm. This beard length is not too short or too long but strikes a middle ground, offering a significant shift from the five o'clock shadow yet still avoiding the domain of the long, bushy beard.
If you've been clean-shaven your whole life and you just thought that beards suit you and you wish to begin your work soon with a new look, you might be wondering whether beards in the workplace are acceptable or not. Around the early 1980s, facial hair fell out of favor in the workplace.
These attitudes persisted in the 1970s and 1980s when mustaches thrived, but then the stereotype of “pornstaches” developed, and so clean shaven was seen as “trustworthy” and “upstanding”. Breaking through those old attitudes has taken time, but it's happening. Beards are mainstream now, including business beards.
Tajikistan. Beards are discouraged by the government for most men in Tajikistan in a stated effort to battle radicalism. Only clean-shaven men can apply for a passport. Beards are often forcibly shaved off by police officers.
Beards require a beard snood/net where the hair length is more than 15mm or if for any reason it is especially prone to hair loss. Beards which cannot be contained within a beard snood/net are not permitted and the beard snood must be worn at all times for food safety reasons.
The service sector of the hotel trade has long had strict grooming policies that prohibit employees from having facial hair, believing that it detracts from their overall appearance and can negatively impact their customer service skills.
Belts (If not outfitted by college) must be black (to match the shoes) and must sport a plain conservative style. Clean shave daily (using a sharp razor): beards are not permitted. Mustaches must be neat, freshly trimmed, and should not exceed past the corner of the mouth and should not cover the upper lip.
Steve Jobs grew a beard relatively late in life. Oracle CEO Larry Ellison has one. So do Marc Benioff of Salesforce.com, Reed Hastings of Netflix and Richard Branson of Virgin Group. But they're all founders of their companies.
In the age bracket of 18-29 years old, 19 percent of respondents said a beard would give them a more favorable impression compared with 16 percent for clean-shaven. Twenty-five percent of that young bracket found a beard/mustache combo most attractive, compared with 21 percent for clean-shaven.