Corona Daily 269: Have a Beard? Join UPS

Two years ago, David Hunger, 48, from Derbyshire, UK went to a job fair. At his age, getting a job was not easy. He was interviewed at the UPS (United Parcel Service) stall. The interviewers liked him. Based on his experience, he would be an ideal candidate. As he started filling out the application form, he was stunned by one of the job requirements. The job aspirant must shave off his facial hair.

When asked, the recruiter pointed to David’s beard and said, ‘You can’t have that, the beard. Unfortunately, the policy dictates you can’t have a beard because that could be offensive to the customer.’

David had his beard for more than twenty years. It was not an unruly, thick, Osama-Laden type beard, but a well-groomed one, only a centimeter long.  David’s choice was clear: take off his beard, or give up the UPS job opportunity.

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United Parcel Service is a multinational delivery giant. It employs more than half a million people, many of them delivery drivers. The company was founded more than 100 years ago by Jim Casey who insisted on always wearing a suit. The strict UPS uniform policy regulates hair on the face and head. Ideally clean shaven, no beard, moustache, if at all, should not cover the upper lip. No afro, no braids please. Hair never longer than the collar. Tattoos, if they exist, should not be on the visible part of the body. Piercings restricted to earrings, which must be small and business-like. Length of uniform shorts is prescribed in proportion to the employee’s height.

In the USA, lawsuits were filed against the policy. It violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that prohibits employers from discriminating on religious basis. Muslims, Sikhs proud of their beards could not get public-facing UPS jobs. Black people with natural Afro hairstyles couldn’t either.

In 2018, UPS settled a class religious discrimination lawsuit for $4.9 million. It also introduced something called a “shaver waiver”. Potential employees could produce evidence confirming religious or medical reasons for the beard. David Hunger from Derbyshire had no religious reason to apply for a waiver.

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The clean-shaven policy can be seen among US presidents as well. In the last 100 years, there has not been a US president with any type of facial hair. Other than the business suit, most of UPS policies apply to the US presidents as well. Some historians attribute it to America’s enemies. Hitler, Stalin, Fidel Castro, Emperor Hirohito, Yasser Arafat, Ayatollah Khomeini, Osama Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein. Surely, no American president wants to join their ranks. A red face and orange hair are ok, but not facial hair.

Clean-shavenness has become part of the corporate uniform.

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Yesterday, UPS abandoned the policy. From today, all UPS employees, customer-facing included, are free to sport beards, moustaches, afros, braids, curls, coils, locks, twists, knots. The company spokesman said they wanted UPS employees to feel comfortable, genuine and authentic. (Meaning until now they felt uncomfortable, fake and spurious). The company wants to celebrate diversity rather than corporate restrictions.

UPS now has Carol Tome, the first woman CEO. This change of policy could be related to that. But I think there are two more reasons.

The pandemic lockdown revolutionized the world’s outlook. Look at TV anchors.  Look at Justin Trudeau. Look at CEOs working from home. They want to feel relaxed. If we are having such a rotten time, let us express it. This could be the end of the world, let me at least enjoy not shaving. There is this freedom in the air, and UPS employees are entitled to share it.

Secondly, UPS delivery business is booming. UPS hired 39,000 permanent employees in Q2 (2020), and intend to hire another 100,000. What difference would it make if the delivery driver had a stubble or an Afro hairstyle?

Ravi