Your union has signed the Halo Code, a gender-neutral policy which champions the right of staff and students to embrace all Afro-hairstyles!
Despite hair being a protected racial characteristic under the Equality Act 2010, hair discrimination continues to be a source of racial injustice with detrimental consequences for Black People in the UK. We acknowledge that Afro-textured hair is an important part of our Black employees’ racial, ethnic, cultural, and religious identities, and requires specific styling for hair health and maintenance. By signing the Halo Code, we are continuing to promote how the Kingston Students Union is a safe and inclusive space to study and work, allowing for individual identities to be expressed without fear of discrimination.
CEO:
I am thrilled that we are able to sign up to the Halo Code and demonstrate our commitment to creating a safe environment for our employees, it is important that our team members with Afro-hairstyles feel safe and are able to express their identity whilst working with us, without discrimination. We will carry on working with our team and on the organisation itself, educating ourselves to ensure we are as inclusive as we can be.
Student Officer:
Being from an Afro-Caribbean heritage, sometimes it is hard to find “suitable hairstyles” for work and often damage my hairs in the process. I feel even more welcome and accepted now we have adopted the Halo code; I cannot wait to be able to fully express myself.
Here is the Halo code:
Our workplace champions the right of staff to embrace all Afro-hairstyles. We acknowledge that Afro-textured hair is an important part of our Black employees’ racial, ethnic, cultural, and religious identities, and requires specific styling for hair health and maintenance.
We celebrate Afro-textured hair worn in all styles including, but not limited to, afros, locs, twists, braids, cornrows, fades, hair straightened through the application of heat or chemicals, weaves, wigs, headscarves, and wraps.
In this workplace, we recognise and celebrate our colleagues’ identities. We are a community built on an ethos of equality and respect where hair texture and style have no bearing on an employee's ability to succeed.
If there are ways we can better support students and staff to embrace their Afro-hairstyles, let us know!