The Ritz has extended a “unreserved apologies” to a job applicant who received a grooming guideline prohibiting hairstyles with a “Afro-style.”
When Jerelle Jules, 29, read an outdated copy of the guidelines for personal presentation, he was in the final stage of the application process.
He was scheduled to attend a face-to-face interview for the position of dining reservations supervisor yesterday, but he canceled after reading the fine language in the staff regulations, which left him “shocked and unhappy.”
It was then revealed that The Ritz London is “dedicated to a policy of tolerance and equality” and that the document was provided to him in error.
The world famous hotel reacted after Mr Jules, from Hammersmith, West London, raised the issue, saying the rules were damaging to Black people applying for roles. The wording in the policy for men and women forbade ‘unusual hair styles’ such as ‘spiky hair, afro style’.
Before the apology was made Mr Jules told Metro.co.uk that he no longer felt comfortable attending the interview at the five-star hotel in Piccadilly.
He said: ‘I was super-excited to begin with as The Ritz is considered to be one of the most prestigious luxury hotels in the world.
‘I was preparing for the interview a few days ahead on Sunday when I thought I’d look at the grooming policy and I was taken aback by it.
‘It specifically states, “no unusual hairstyles such as spiky or afro style”.
‘The word Afro itself is obviously indicative of Africans and after reading that I don’t feel comfortable going to the interview.
‘The policy was updated in June 2021 so this is not something that was written 10 or 20 years ago. It’s a recent policy that shows a lack of awareness about being inclusive to people of colour.’
Mr Jules, who currently works in estates, had been shortlisted for the role after having his application taken on and passing a telephone interview.
He raised his concerns about the grooming policy with The Ritz and in a letter to Hammersmith MP Andy Slaughter.
Mr Jules wrote: ‘I am deeply troubled by this policy as it perpetuates harmful stereotypes and undermines the self-esteem and confidence of Black individuals. As a young Black man, I have always been proud of my natural hair and consider it to be a part of my identity.
‘However, this policy suggests that my hair is not acceptable in the workplace and reinforces the notion that Black individuals must alter their appearance to fit in with mainstream culture.
‘The policy has had a damaging effect on me personally, as it has hindered my confidence in pursuing a career in the luxury hospitality industry.
‘I believe that all individuals should be judged on their qualifications, skills, and abilities, not on their appearance.
‘Discriminatory hiring practices have no place in our society, and it is important that action is taken to address this issue.’
Mr Jules also told his constituency MP that he had been ‘shocked and disappointed’ to read the policy and felt it implied that individuals could not wear their hair in a ‘natural and unaltered state’.
In a statement, the Ritz said: ‘On investigation we have discovered that an out-of-date and incorrect Grooming Policy was regrettably sent to Mr Jules.
‘We have been in contact with Mr Jules directly to offer our unreserved apology for this error and are happy that he has agreed to reschedule his interview with us. We look forward to having the opportunity to meet Mr Jules in person at the hotel later this week.
‘The Ritz London does not condone discrimination of any form and are committed to a policy of inclusivity and equality throughout the hotel.’
Mr Slaughter told Metro.co.uk that he was ‘shocked’ to hear that the outdated policy had been sent to his constituent.
‘This is a horrendous and totally inappropriate attitude for any employer to take and is a clear example of discrimination,’ he said.
‘We need to know when The Ritz changed its policy and why they sent that document to my constituent — they need to be totally open and honest about this. At the moment the apology asks more questions than it answers.
‘We will take this up for my constituent and take it as far as he wants us to.’
The issue of hair and hairstyles has been in the spotlight in relation to schools. In October, the Equality and Human Rights Commission published new guidelines to help ensure that their rules about the different types of presentation, including braids, cornrows and plaits, do not discriminate.
The move followed incidents of pupils with Afro-textured hair being sent home from school for failing to meet grooming policies.
The commission said that schools which ban certain hairstyles adopted by specific racial or religious groups are likely to be committing ‘unlawful indirect discrimination’ under the 2010 Equality Act.
Mr Jules welcomed the apology but still wants to see more done to ensure inclusivity at the landmark hotel.
He told Metro.co.uk: ‘While I appreciate their apology, I still find it unacceptable that the outdated policy was given to me in the first place, and that it perpetuated harmful stereotypes and undermined the self-esteem and confidence of Black individuals.
‘It is essential that organisations take the necessary steps to ensure that their policies are inclusive and do not discriminate against individuals based on their race, gender or any other protected characteristic.
‘While an apology is a good start, I hope that The Ritz will take meaningful action to address the underlying issue and ensure that all of their policies are inclusive and non-discriminatory in the future.’
In the original policy, The Ritz said it would ‘consider genuine requests’ for employees to dress contrary to the grooming policy for ‘religious, gender-based or medical reasons’.