Understanding the CROWN Act and Hair Discrimination at Work

Hair discrimination has long been an overlooked form of racial bias in the workplace, affecting hiring, promotion, and everyday experiences for many workers, particularly Black employees and other people of color. The CROWN Act, which stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, responds directly to these harms by explicitly banning discrimination based on natural hair texture and protective hairstyles in covered workplaces and other settings.

This guide explains what the CROWN Act does, how hair discrimination shows up at work, and what employers and HR professionals can do to align workplace policies with evolving legal requirements and best practices for inclusion.

What Is the CROWN Act?

The CROWN Act is a legislative initiative designed to ensure that people are not treated unfairly because of their natural hair texture or hairstyles that are closely associated with race or national origin. It has been adopted in multiple forms across the United States, including state laws and proposed federal legislation.

• Full name: Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair.
• Purpose: To ban discrimination based on hair texture and certain hairstyles, such as locs, braids, twists, Bantu knots, and Afros, in employment, education, housing and other covered contexts.
• Scope: Depending on jurisdiction, it can apply to employers, schools, housing providers, and entities receiving federal financial assistance.

At the federal level, bills known as the CROWN Act of 2020 and CROWN Act of 2022 have sought to clarify that hair-based discrimination violates existing civil rights protections, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related statutes. Even where federal legislation has not yet been enacted, many states have passed their own versions of CROWN protections.

How Hair Discrimination Happens at Work

Workplace grooming standards often appear neutral on their face but can disproportionately burden people whose natural hair texture and culturally significant hairstyles do not conform to Eurocentric norms. Historically, courts have sometimes upheld employer rules that restrict natural Black hairstyles, treating them as mere grooming preferences rather than expressions of race. The CROWN Act aims to close these gaps.

Common Forms of Hair-Based Discrimination

• Policies that ban locs, braids, twists, Afros, or Bantu knots, even when hair is clean and safe for the job.
• Requirements that employees straighten or chemically alter their hair to appear “professional.”
• Unequal enforcement of grooming codes, where workers with tightly coiled or tightly curled hair are disciplined more frequently than peers.
• Comments or feedback suggesting that natural or protective styles are “unkept,” “distracting,” or “against company image.”
• Pressure to conform to a single standard of appearance that reflects dominant racial or cultural norms.

These practices can lead to lost job opportunities, stalled careers, and emotional harm, reinforcing broader patterns of systemic racism. The CROWN Act treats hair that is closely associated with race or national origin as part of legally protected identity, rather than a mere style choice.

Legal Protections Under the CROWN Framework

Although specific language varies among jurisdictions, CROWN laws typically extend existing civil rights protections to cover hair texture and protective hairstyles commonly associated with race. They do this by clarifying that race includes traits historically associated with race, including hair.

Key Legal Elements Often Found in CROWN Laws

• Expanded definition of race: Laws state that race includes traits such as hair texture and protective styles historically associated with race.[10]
• Protected hairstyles: Examples often include locs, braids, twists, cornrows, Bantu knots, Afros, and tightly coiled or curled hair.
• Covered settings: Employment, public schools, housing, and programs or activities receiving federal financial assistance, depending on the jurisdiction.
• Unlawful practices: Refusing to hire, firing, disciplining, segregating, or otherwise disadvantaging someone because of their hair texture or protective style associated with race or national origin.

For example, a federal CROWN proposal specifies that no individual in the United States may be discriminated against in employment, housing, or federally assisted programs based on hair texture or hairstyle commonly associated with a particular race or national origin. Similarly, state-level laws like California’s CROWN Act extend protection under existing fair employment and education statutes, explicitly naming natural and protective hairstyles.

Where CROWN Laws Have Been Adopted

CROWN-style protections are spreading rapidly. Policy organizations and official sources report that more than two dozen states, plus the District of Columbia, have adopted hair discrimination laws of their own. Some of these laws use the CROWN label, while others incorporate similar protections into civil rights statutes.

*This table offers illustrative examples and is not a complete list. Employers should consult current state and local law to determine coverage in specific locations.

Implications for Employers and HR Professionals

As CROWN laws expand, employers need to carefully review and update grooming and appearance policies to ensure they do not restrict protected hair textures or hairstyles in a discriminatory way. This is not only a matter of legal compliance but also of equity, culture, and reputation.

Why Compliance Matters

• Legal risk: Violating hair discrimination laws can lead to complaints, investigations, and potential litigation under state or federal civil rights statutes.
• Workforce equity: Inclusive policies help address long-standing racial inequities in hiring, promotion, and professional development.
• Retention and engagement: Employees who feel respected and able to express their identity are more likely to stay and perform at their best.
• Employer brand: Demonstrating a commitment to inclusion can make an organization more attractive to customers, clients, and prospective hires.

Areas of Policy to Review

Employers should examine written and unwritten rules that touch on appearance, uniform and safety requirements, and standards for professionalism. Key areas include:

• Employee handbooks: Look for any language that bans specific hairstyles or requires hair to be worn in ways that effectively exclude natural or protective styles.
• Dress code policies: Replace vague standards like “neat” or “professional” with clearly defined, job-related expectations that are applied consistently across employees.
• Safety rules: Where hair restraints are genuinely required for safety or hygiene (for example, in manufacturing or food service), ensure rules are neutral and flexible enough to accommodate different hair types and styles.
• Customer-facing guidelines: Avoid subjective standards prioritizing a single aesthetic; focus instead on behavior, service quality, and compliance with neutral requirements.

Building Inclusive and Legally Sound Hair Policies

Creating a respectful and open workplace for natural hair involves more than removing explicit bans. Employers should proactively design policies and practices that recognize hair as a meaningful aspect of race, culture and sometimes religion.

Core Principles for Policy Design

• Job-related necessity: Limit appearance and grooming requirements to circumstances where there is a genuine business or safety need.
• Neutral language: Avoid singling out hairstyles commonly associated with specific racial or ethnic groups.
• Consistency: Apply grooming standards evenly; do not enforce stricter rules on employees of particular races or national origins.
• Respect for identity: Recognize that hair may express culture, heritage, and religious observance, and treat it accordingly.
• Accommodation: Where necessary, explore reasonable ways to meet safety and hygiene standards while still allowing protected hair textures and styles.

Practical Steps to Update Policies

Employers and HR leaders can follow a structured process to align policies with CROWN protections and broader anti-discrimination law:

1. Audit existing rules: Review all policies, onboarding materials, and training documents for any explicit or implicit restrictions on natural or protective hairstyles.
2. Consult legal counsel: Work with attorneys familiar with employment and civil rights law to interpret relevant state and federal requirements.
3. Revise written policies: Remove discriminatory language and add statements affirming that hair texture and protective styles commonly associated with race are respected and permitted, subject only to neutral, job-related safety constraints.
4. Train managers and supervisors: Provide education on what hair discrimination looks like, the purpose of the CROWN Act, and how to make decisions based on performance rather than appearance.
5. Create grievance pathways: Ensure employees know how to raise concerns if they feel targeted or unfairly treated because of their hair.
6. Monitor and adjust: Periodically review complaint data, employee feedback, and legal developments to refine policies.

Intersection with Religion, Culture, and Other Protections

Hair is often intertwined with religious practice and cultural identity. Some legislative texts explicitly acknowledge this, noting that expressions of religious creed can include coverings, artifacts, and other items worn on the head or face. In practice, this means employers should think about hair and head coverings within the broader framework of anti-discrimination and accommodation duties.

Examples of Overlapping Protections

• Religious headwear: Hijabs, tichels, turbans, and other coverings may need to be accommodated under applicable religious discrimination laws.
• Cultural significance: Styles such as locs or braids may carry deep cultural meaning and historical significance for particular communities.
• Multiple protected categories: An employee’s experience of hair discrimination may intersect with race, color, national origin, religion, and gender.

Addressing these issues holistically allows employers to foster a workplace where employees are not forced to choose between their identity, safety, and professional advancement.

Frequently Asked Questions About the CROWN Act

1. Does the CROWN Act apply to all employers?

Coverage depends on the specific law in a given jurisdiction. Many state CROWN laws apply to both public and private employers of certain sizes, while federal proposals focus on entities subject to civil rights statutes, including employers and organizations receiving federal financial assistance. Employers should check state and local requirements alongside federal law.

2. Are employers still allowed to enforce safety-related hair rules?

Yes, safety and hygiene requirements are generally permissible where they are genuinely necessary and applied in a neutral way. For example, requiring hair nets in food preparation areas or ensuring hair does not interfere with machinery can be consistent with the CROWN framework, as long as rules do not single out styles associated with particular races and reasonable accommodations are considered.

3. Does the CROWN Act only protect Black employees?

While many protections were inspired by discrimination against Black hair, CROWN laws often extend to hairstyles commonly associated with any particular race or national origin, not just Black communities. That said, evidence shows that Black workers have historically bore the brunt of hair-based discrimination, and they are central to the law’s intended impact.

4. What happens if a customer complains about an employee’s hairstyle?

Employers generally should not alter their treatment of employees based on customer bias. Making employment decisions because a customer objects to a protected hairstyle can itself be discriminatory. Instead, organizations should support employees and educate customers through policies that affirm inclusive values.

5. How can small businesses stay informed about changes in CROWN legislation?

Small businesses can monitor official sources such as state civil rights agencies, attorneys general, and legislative websites, which publish updates on new laws and guidance.[10] Consulting with employment counsel and industry associations can also help keep policies aligned with evolving standards.

Moving Toward Respectful and Open Workplaces

The CROWN Act and related legislation mark an important shift in how the law understands appearance-based discrimination. By recognizing hair texture and protective hairstyles as traits closely tied to race and identity, these laws push employers to reconsider grooming norms and expand their view of professionalism.

For HR professionals and leaders, this is an opportunity to create workplaces where employees can bring their full selves—including their natural hair—to work without fear of penalty. Thoughtful policy reviews, training, and open dialogue can help organizations comply with the law while genuinely embracing diversity and inclusion.