Punk cut, braids… Employees will soon be free to wear their hair however they want ?

A proposed law against hair discrimination is making headway à the Assembly. It could allow more freedom. on hairstyles, particularly in the professional environment.

This Wednesday, March 20, the deputies of the Laws Committee adopted the deputy's bill Guadeloup in Olivier Serva which aims to sanction hair discrimination. This aims in particular at the cut, color, length or texture of hair. hair". Jean-François Amadieu, director of the Observatory of Discrimination & the Sorbonne auditioned during the legislative work, defended the need for of this law, particularly in the context of the world of work. It ensures that hair plays a role in access to hair. employment and that hair discrimination   hiring is a reality.

Some testimonies have given examples of such situations such as that of an Air France steward who would have been failed &agrav; because of her braids tied in a bun. The company's uniform manual specified that men must have their hair styled extremely closely. sharp".  Is precise : "Limited in volume, hairstyles must maintain a natural and homogeneous appearance. The length is limited in the nape of the neck to the level of the upper edge of the shirt. On the basis of this regulation, the steward, who refused ; to comply with it, wasé sanctioned then fired for "incapacity and impossibility of reclassification within the company. The Court of Cassation finally ruled that that Air France had committed discrimination with regard to the difference in treatment between women and men because the latter could wear such hairstyles.

However, this reasoning cannot be applied to all cases. This is why some MPs would like to have hair discrimination specifically recognized. They deplore the fact that in France, people who are victims of such discrimination find themselves deprived of a precise legal framework. This even forces some people to take action. change their hairstyle to pass interviews or keep their job. This may be harmful to your health. particularly with the use of certain hair products to straighten the hair and there is also a risk of psychological impact on "self-esteem" .

A bill that is not unanimously supported

This law would therefore aim à integrate into the field of criminal repression any discrimination or distinction linked to the texture, color, length of an individual's hair. It would be in addition to the criminal non-discrimination system included in the Penal Code, the General Civil Service Code and the Labor Code. Today it is indicated in each of these texts that "no distinction, direct or indirect, can be made because of physical appearance" and it's à the sequel that Olivier Serva proposed to specify "in particular the cut, color, length or texture of their hair".

The bill divides. Supported by the independent group LIOT and supported by the left and the majority, the elected representatives of the Republicans and the National Rally have estimated that this law was “superficial” and aims "à import Anglo-Saxon legislation and its victim logic into French law, as reported by France Info. On March 28, the text will be examinedé by the National Assembly.