Employees at Publix locations nationwide are petitioning the supermarket to #FreeTheBeard, in the hopes of allowing them to sport beards as part of the company dress code. While the Publix GreenWise Markets enable all employees to grow beards, the
rest of the grocer’s locations hold a ban on facial hair. There are currently more than 14,000 signatures on the petition, which was created by Tallahassee store employee Brandon Wesley on Coworker.org.
While the Tallahassee Democrat initially reported that the retailer would discuss the matter during its annual shareholders meeting on April 12, the petition was not discussed and no policies have been changed.
The RTP team discusses Publix’s role in handling the employees’ petition regarding workplace appearance, and highlights the lessons other retailers can take from this when implementing dress codes going forward.
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Debbie Hauss,
Editor-in-Chief: This topic makes me think about professional baseball. As
long as I can remember, the Yankees have been the clean cut team – no beards
or long hair, clean shaven. On the contrary, the Boston Red Sox have sported
just the opposite (coincidence? I don’t think so!). There was even a Wall Street Journal article with the
headline about this Yankees policy: No
Beards – And That’s Final! I actually felt bad for pitcher Randy Johnson
when he joined the team and had to cut his hair (and he didn’t play well while
with the team). And what about tattoos? Many people who are covered in tattoos
have spared their necks and heads because they know it would limit their job
prospects. I think a private company can make their own rules regarding
standards of appearance (as long as those rules are not motivated by the wrong
objectives, such as racism or sexism of course). And certainly a grocer wants
to portray the image of a sanitary, clean environment. Long hair flying around
the produce section might turn me off. I also sometimes have issues with flight
attendants when their long hair is tattered and unkempt. You know some of that
hair is getting into the coffee or soda you’ve requested…
Adam Blair, Executive
Editor: Given that standards about what constitutes a
“professional” look have changed considerably in recent years (and as
a proud beard-wearer myself), it seems totally reasonable to me that Publix
employees should be allowed to sport facial hair if they want to. Obviously
there would need to be common-sense restrictions regarding beard length around
food and operational safety, as well as guidelines around grooming and
neatness, but I would think these could easily be covered under any well-run
retailer’s employee conduct codes. However, I can also see the point that
different retail environments demand different employee presentations. Would a
customer buy a $10,000 luxury watch from a bearded, pierced and tattooed
salesperson? Would a high-end fashion shopper buy an outfit from someone who
isn’t stylishly dressed? In contrast, some regions of the country almost demand
a less formal look. In hipster-infested enclaves like Brooklyn or Berkeley,
male employees without some kind of
facial hair are probably disqualified from employment altogether. When it comes
to facial hair, it seems like a bottom-up, regionally flexible approach is more
effective than a top-down decree from national headquarters.
Alicia Fiorletta,
Content Strategist: I believe in this day and age, there’s no reason to set
such harsh restrictions on personal appearance. Granted, you want your
employees to be sanitary, dressed appropriately and to not be a distraction to
consumers. But as long as there are no food quality or safety issues looming,
employees should be able to sport some facial hair or have a hairstyle that
better suits their personality and personal preferences. Heck, there are
executives in the industry wearing tattoos out and proud, trading uptight suits
for more fashionable outfits and dyeing their hair different colors. Why should
we limit employees if they’re not causing any harm to the overall brand and
customer experience?
David DeZuzio,
Managing Editor: Judging by their reasonable request to keep beards at a
pre-determined length and to wear beard nets when necessary, I say let the
Publix workers have their beards. Of course, just because there is a worker’s
petition circulating doesn’t mean Publix will bow to their request as once they
allow it at the one location, they would have to allow it at all locations. No
retailer (or any company for that matter) wants to see 1,100 petitions about
anything, let alone facial hair. Lessons for retailers: it is up to you to let
your employees have a say in their appearance. In all reality, if someone is
unhappy with a company’s dress code, they are more than welcome to find a new
place of employment that accepts their style. But, let’s not be too crazy about
this. For retailers, beards aren’t the most offensive thing in the world, poor
customer service is. And as long as the customer experience is good, I don’t
care if Santa himself is serving me.
Klaudia Tirico,
Associate Editor: This issue reminds me of a story my husband told me about
his experience at a store he worked in before we started dating. Being a teen,
he was a bit of a rebel when it came to following the store’s strict dress
code. If he showed up to work with even the slightest five o’clock shadow, his
manager would hand him a cheap disposable razor and expect him to shave it off
in the restroom… sans shaving cream! Ouch! No retailer should react this way
and force their employee to change their appearance on premise. Beards and
tattoos are a mark of someone’s individuality, and retailers should embrace
these looks because more customers would be able to relate to them. Of course,
there should be sanitary restrictions when handling food and such, as my
colleagues have mentioned, but making a big deal out of it to the point where
employees start a petition isn’t necessary. It’s important to find a compromise
that makes everyone happy, which, in turn, will have a positive effect on
employees’ attitudes at work.
Glenn Taylor,
Associate Editor: As long as health matters are in check at Publix and the
issue hasn’t thus far caused any issues in the GreenWise Market locations in
Florida, then I feel dress code modifications can certainly be discussed. The
important portion of the petition to note is that the employees would
be okay with limiting beard length and wearing beard nets when specifically
working with food. This indicates that while they’re serious about enacting
organizational change, they aren’t making outrageous demands that could
potentially hamper the brand’s reputation. The retail industry in general can
learn a lot from this now that we’re in a stage where beards appear to be more
acceptable in the workplace. Dress codes are certainly still fine and dandy,
but if less consumers appear to have a concern then there’s I see very little
reason to hold such a hardened stance on facial hair.
